Compare And Contrast The Geography Of The Middle Colonies

The early North American colonies were a meeting place of many cultures. The 13 colonies were split up into three sections: New England, Middle, and Southern. The New England colonies included Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware made up the Middle Colonies. Virginia, North and South Carolina, Maryland, and Georgia are part of the Southern colonies.

There were two different types of economies in the early new world ,which couldn't be any different. The southern colonies were farmers. Unlike the southern colonies new england's land was not suitable for farming, so instead the middle colonies economy relied on merchants, fishing, ship building, and skilled craftsmen. The southern colonies consisted of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,and Georgia. The main crops were cash crops such as tobacco, rice, and indigo (indigo was an ingredient in blue dye).

The differences in the economy in the three different regions of the thirteen colonies were determined by both the people who went there and the environment. The environment limited how the economy was based because an agricultural economy needs good ground for growing, so without good soil, the economy would have to be based on industry. In the New England colonies (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island), the economy was dependent on their industries, not their agriculture. The Middle Colonies (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) were equally dependent on industry as they were on agriculture. The Southern Colonies (Maryland, N. Carolina, S. Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia) depended on selling their

On the other hand, there were fewer diseases since the cold climate killed many of the germs. Although the weather and soil made it hard for the Puritans to farm, people could still grow some crops such as pumpkins and corn. Additionally, colonists also fished for food. However, in the Middle Colonies, there were many hills and flat lands.

Early American colonies were the base of what it is now known the United States of America. Although almost all of the colonies were from the same time period each colony differed from each other. Some of the colonies differed by their economic system and also by their way of running their colony, their government. Also, the colonies differed from their culture and their way they lived. In addition, the New England and the Chesapeake colonies were not the exception they also differed from each other.

Amid the late 16th century and into the 17th century, European nations quickly inhabited the new lands called the Americas. England sent out multiple groups to two regions in the eastern coast of North America. Those areas were called the Chesapeake and the New England locations. Later, in the end of the1700 's, these two locations would combine to create one nation. However originally both areas had very different and distinctive identities.

The New England colonies were first founded in the last 16th to 17th century as a sanctuary for differing religious groups. New England was made up of the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. New Hampshire, however, was formed for economic reasons instead of religious ones. The Chesapeake region, which is made up of the colonies of Maryland and Virginia, was founded by the British colonies for the purpose of farming. However, by the 1700’s, despite both being settled by Englishmen, New England and the Chesapeake region had developed differently.

Starting in the early 1600’s settlers from England came to “The New World.” England and Spain were competing to claim this new undiscovered land. The English were the first to claim the land by sending the first group of settlers, the Chesapeake settlers. They settled in present day Virginia and Maryland. The Chesapeake settlers came for commercial and profit.

The colonies of Massachusetts and Virginia were a start of the new world for England. These were founded by similar people but, with their strikingly differences, grew into separate political, economic and social structures. Both settlements arose from over-crowdedness in England: people wanted a better life. Virginia was settled by men who were single and looking for opportunities and wealth. They were part of the Anglican religion.

In the Northern colonies you will mainly see mountains but close to the coastline it's flatter and it is a colder climate and mildly warm summers. Only a thin layer of soil makes it possible for mainly subsistence farming only. Within the southern colonies, there are mostly plains, forests and along

In the Middle Colonies, there was fertile soil and part of it was hilly and part of it was flat. There were some ‘mountains’, wide valleys, and fast rivers. In the Southern Colonies, like the Middle Colonies, the land there was fertile. It was very humid there. Their summers were very warm and rainy, and in the winters, it was a mild climate so it did not get very cold.

Both the Chesapeake colonies and the New England colonies were vital to Britain’s atlantic trade. They both had large populations and booming economies. However, they both eventually established their own cultures that were different from each other. The colonies’ differing beliefs, environments, and labor lead to the contrasting cultures. The New England Colonies were a Puritanical society, who preached against excess.

There were many differences between the two colonies when it came down to their political systems. First, both colonies were greatly influenced by Governors. This influence can be seen by Sir William Berkeley when he describes that the, “Governors…laid the Foundation of our wealth and industry on the vices of men”. This statement shows that the governors that were in the Jamestown colony had a profound influence during the beginning of their colony. Another thing to note about the Jamestown colony was in Frethorne’s letter when he stated that, “we took two alive and made slaves of them… it was by policy”.

New England and the Middle Colonies are 2 Colonies that are total opposites from each other, but do have some similarities. New England had no religious freedom because if you were not puritan then you could not live there. On the other hand, the Middle Colonies did have religious freedom, you could be a Quaker, Lutheran, Jewish, Catholic or French and a lot more as well. New England and the Middle Colonies share some similarities based on religion and other things as well. Some similarities were that the church was an important part of both New England and Middle Colonies towns.

The two colonies differed politically. “God Almighty in his most holy and wise providence hath so disposed of the condition of mankind, [that]in all times some must be rich, some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity, other mean and in subjection” (Doc. A).The New England colony was a representative democracy; they held town meetings. It placed emphasize on having poor and rich families because of the importance of an equal society with representation from all sectors of life. “We intend by God's grace, as soon as we can, with all convenient speed, to procure some Godly and faithful minister with whom we purpose to join in church covenant to walk in all the ways of Christ” (Doc. D).