The Southern Colonies The Southern Colonies The Southern

The Southern Colonies

The Southern Colonies

The Southern Colonies • Much warmer climate than either the New England or Middle colonies • Long growing seasons made it perfect for cash crops (i. e. tobacco, indigo, rice, and sugar. )

The Plantation Economy • With a large amount of good soil, the south relied on agriculture • Large farms, called Plantations, became common.

Plantations. . . • Large farms require a large labor force to operate. • Southern plantations owners had two forms of labor for their farms.

Indentured Servants • Some people wanted to move to the colonies, but could not afford the journey. • They became indentured servants. They signed a contract with plantation owners, agreeing to work for them for a period of time in exchange for the trip to America.

The African slave trade • In the 1700’s, Slaves were brought from Africa to work on southern plantations • More to come on the slave trade later. . .

The Exception - Georgia • The southern colony that did not fit this mold was Georgia

Doin’ time ‘cause you owe a dime • In England, people who could not afford to pay their debts off would be arrested and thrown in jail.

James Oglethorpe • To clean out Britain’s debtor prisons (jails for people who owe $) the king gave James Oglethorpe a land grant for Georgia.

Georgia • Georgia also provided a defensive buffer between the colonies and Spanish Florida.

Summary Activity • Using the chart provided, fill in each column with the Political, Economic, Geographic and Social characteristics of all 3 colonial regions. New England Colonies Middle Colonies Southern Colonies P P P E E E G G G S S S