Colonial Culture Life in the Colonies 1607 1776

Colonial Culture Life in the Colonies, 1607 – 1776

New England Colonies

Geography • Every colony had access to the coast • Short growing season • Harsh winters/cold climate • Hard/rocky soil • Large forests

Mayflower Compact – 1 st doc of self-gov’t Fundamental Orders of CT – 1 st constitution

Subsistence Farming: depend on children for labor Small business: business craftspeople Shipbuilding & fishing

Middle Colonies

Geography • Every colony had access to the coast • Moderate growing season • Mild winters/warm summers • Fertile soil good for farming • Large forests • Iron ore mined in the mountains

Nicknamed the “Bread Basket” Wheat & livestock shipped to NYC and Philadelphia

• Small scale manufacturing Woodworking/sawyer Candle-making Textiles Blacksmith

Most ethnically (nationalities) diverse colonies Treated most people as equals

Southern Colonies

Geography • Long growing season • Hot climate • Flat land & good soil • Many rivers to transport crops • Every colony on the coast

VA House of Burgesses - 1 st rep. assembly

Cash crops- tobacco, rice, indigo Farmers

Labor Source Easy availability of land Limit immigrant workers Hiring workers becomes difficult Indentured servants - Labor under contract Slaves (by 1700, legal in all colonies)

Labor Source Slaves were brought to American on the Middle Passage of the triangular trade route Slave codes were passed to control slaves (ex: ex making it illegal to teach them to read) Not all colonists believed in slavery