The geography of the Southern Colonies influenced its economy and community set up. The Southern Colonies (tidewater only) was located along the Atlantic coastal plain. The soil was rich because of the many rivers. Open plains and gentle slopes provided great farmland and with a warmer climate and a longer growing season than colonies to the north. The rivers were wide, deep, and slow moving.
The unique geography of the southern colonies impacted its economy in many ways. For example, cash-crop farming (plantations and small farms) is raising crops to sell. Cash-crop farming was basically the southern colonies main source of income. The gentle slopes, open plains, and rivers offered rich farmland and a long growing season was perfect for mass-producing crops. Many crops were mass-produced to support the South’s economy such as tobacco, rice, indigo, and cotton. Tobacco was grown in Virginia and North Carolina. Indigo and rice were grown in South Carolina and Georgia. These crops were traded for money because they believed you should export more than you import (mercantilism). To tend these crops slaves were traded to the Southern colonies from Africa. There were so many working the fields that plantation owners did not know the conditions they lived in. Because of the slaves and plantation owners social classes started to emerge. The slaves were at the bottom of the social class and rich plantation owners were at the top. These plantation owners were called the gentry. These wealthy people in the gentry believed they were better than other lower classes such as slaves. As a result, this impacted greatly upon the treatment and respect of slaves on plantations.
The unique geography of the South influenced the community set-up. The community set-up consisted of self-contained economic units resembling small towns. In the center of the plantation there was a main house where the plantation owner lived. The plantation also had all the necessities of life complete with its on school/tutor, carpenter, and spinner, etc. This was because the plantations were very far away from each other. To care for all the cash crops there were slaves who lived in slave cabins with an overseer. Plantations were also located close to rivers. This was so boats could go directly from the plantation to England (door to door). Plantations were far apart and people lived spread out. As a result, there are very few cities in the South. The geography of the New England colonies influenced its economy and community set-up. The New England colonies were located in the northeastern United States. The land consisted of narrow plains, forests, and hills/low mountains. The soil was unlike the South’s in many ways. For example, it was not rich and was also very thin and rocky. The coastline was jagged because of the many harbors. The rivers were shallow, narrow, and fast moving. New England had a tough climate. The New England colonies had long snowy winters and short warm summers. It also had many natural resources such as rich fishing grounds. These rich grounds included the Atlantic Ocean and Connecticut River. There were very many fish at these grounds, In addition there were large areas covered with forests. This geography influenced New England’s economy greatly. In contrast to the Southern colonies, the New England colonies performed subsistence farming, or farming for survival not for selling. They could not mass-produce crops like in the Southern colonies because the soil was not rich and was very thin and rocky. Instead New England made their profit off of their many natural resources. For example, forests. These large areas covered in forests in New England proved to be great for making shipbuilding. All the harbors created perfect ports to sail places to and from. In addition, the Atlantic Ocean created great fishing grounds. There were many fish and whales. As a result, these natural resources were traded to and from New England to other places to create its profit. For example, on popular trade was called the “triangular trade”. It was when New England sent raw materials to England to make into finished goods. Then the finished goods were traded from England to Africa for slaves. These slaves were then sent back to New England. This trade route and others made New England a prosperous shipbuilding center. The unique geography of New England influenced the community set-up. New England towns were usually located along the coast near harbors as that was the main form of profit. As a result, New England became an area of close-knit communities, which contrasted greatly to the spread apart Southern colonies. The geography influenced the town set up and houses in New England as well. For example, the houses were made of wood because the many forests. In addition, the houses had steeply pitched roofs so any snow could fall of. In the center of a traditional New England town there was a town common. Here in the town common cattle grazed and occasional farmers markets were occurring. In conclusion, the geological differences of the Southern and New England colonial regions led to two unique ways of life. While the South profited from cash-crop farming and the labor of the slaves, New England profited from the trading of their natural resources for slaves.