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How Did Geography Affect The Colonies

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Geography's effect on the early North American colonies is undeniable, but the way location affected the people of the early colonies is much more significant. Primarily, the economy was the biggest aspect of life affected by geography. From the Atlantic Ocean acting as a barrier from the New World to the Old World, and to the climate difference between the cold winters of the New England colonies to the hot summers in the Southern colonies, each played a central role in the development of the colonies. Good or bad, geography was always an essential factor economically for those who lived in the early southern, middle, and northern colonies. Geography has continually influenced the way people live and the early colonies were no different. When originally coming to North America, the Atlantic Ocean served as a disadvantage and decelerated the growth of the colonies. Although the Atlantic connected Colonial America to the Old World, it also served as a barrier between the two. With the ocean nearby, colonists had access to goods such as tea, steel, and manufactured products; as a result, this usually kept colonists close to …show more content…

In the south, the warm, humid climate and southern, fertile soil allowed colonists to grow sugar cane, rice, as cash crops. The south was able to grow many crops and foods the middle colonies, northern colonies, and even many European countries could not produce. Even though large farming fields were a typical setting in the south, slave plantations quickly dominated the southern economy. “Profit-hungry settlers often planted tobacco to sell before they planted corn to eat” (Kennedy, 61). This quote and the 40 million pounds of tobacco annually exported during the 1630’s exemplified the desire and economic opportunity the south possessed. The south was geographically blessed and had a heavy economic advantage over the middle and northern

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The middle colonies had a wide range of terrains from coastal beaches to soaring mountains that lied inland. The wide range allowed the middle colonies to have a unique and diverse economy. For instance its costal shore was optimal for harbors and docks. Also due to its location between the southern and New England colonies it made it a prime spot for reaching all 13 colonies. Its rich soil allowed farmers to plant a variety of crops.

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227 Words | 1 Pages

The New England Colony, Middle Colony, and Southern Colony, They have different soil, religion, trading, and education. The first colony we have is the New England Colony it has long winters and thin, rocky soil which made farming difficult. Subsistence farming was practiced by the farmers since the soil was thin and rocky and they generally produced enough to feed their families. Which led to cash crops to sell or exchange their leftovers, The trade in New England was a triangular trade.(Article 3). The education for the Middle colonies was not universal but widespread.

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403 Words | 2 Pages

For this project, my group researched the Southern colonies. These colonies were divided into two regions, the Chesapeake colonies, which included Virginia and Maryland, and the Southern colonies, which included the Carolinas and later Georgia. These Southern colonies emerged around the early 1600 's when the Europeans came to the New World and later had an abundance of cash crops which allowed their economy to thrive. The Europeans, specifically the British, arrived in the New World in the 1600 's. They made relations with the natives who helped them to survive.

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526 Words | 3 Pages

The New England and Chesapeake colonies were established during the early 1700s. Despite the population originating from England, the regions had distinct societies. This was due to the fact that many settlers voyaged to the New World in search of riches, to seek new lives, or for religious freedom. They differed socially, politically, economically, and geographically.

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588 Words | 3 Pages

The impact of slaves on the southern economy was huge. In the Colonial south plantations were prominent. Most people lived on plantations where they grew rice, indigo as well as cotton. These crops were farmed by enslaved africans. The average plantation had about 200 slaves present, the crops farmed by the enslaved Africans either got consumed by the plantation owners or sold to create a great income for the people that owned the plantations.

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424 Words | 2 Pages

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

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972 Words | 4 Pages

There were long growing seasons. Also, the Southern Colonies had long plains, some hilly regions, long rivers, and low, flat farmland. Like the Southern and Middle Colonies, the New England Colonies had some hills, but that is the only similarity of climate and geography between all of these Colonies. The New England Colonies had short and mild summers and the winters were long and cold. They also had limited

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1333 Words | 6 Pages

Geography was mostly important for agriculture which was the main way of earning a living in colonial times. Geography varied among the three regions. In the New England Colonies, the climate was the coldest climate amongst the three colonial regions, New England had long, harsh winters and short summers. In New England, the land was flat close to the coastline and hilly on the other regions. The soil in the New England Colonies was rocky, which made farming difficult.

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489 Words | 2 Pages

The North had many advantages. They beat the South in population they could draw soldiers from. The North had 22 million citizens where the South only had 5.5 million citizens. The North could transport supplies and people faster because of their roads, canals, and railroads. However the South disconnected from itself with barely any railroads and hard to move soldiers and goods from place to place.

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691 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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599 Words | 3 Pages

The settlement on Colonial America was affected deeply by the nature and the environment of what is now known as the United States, and previously known as the Thirteen Colonies. Environment is defined as “the conditions that surround someone or something: the conditions and influences that affect the growth, health, progress, etc., of someone or something” Meaning, things like climate, people, trade, geography, and even demographics helped shape the settlement on Colonial America. The New England Colonies, known as Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire, were settled by England citizens who traveled to the New World. The Middle Colonies were known as Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, these colonies became widely known as the “Breadbasket” of North America.

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752 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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722 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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1043 Words | 5 Pages

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.

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1510 Words | 7 Pages

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.

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