History of the British Colonies Report (Assessment)

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New England and the Mid Atlantic regions had a different economic and government structures compared to other regions. Most of the colonies especially the ones located in the north were very rich in resources. They had an economic structure where they sold raw materials to their colonial master back in England.

Each state made its own contribution to the mercantilist system. But for the mid Atlantic regions their economies depended on crops. They grew wheat, flax, rye among other crops. They had a perfect climate for agriculture especially cultivation of grains. The colonies in the Mid Atlantic regions were commonly referred to as ‘the bread basket colonies’ because of their dependence and potential to produce grain.

On the contrary, the economies in New England regions experienced a different climate which could not support the cultivation of crops. The climate there was extremely cold and the soil unsuitable for crop farming. They experienced prolonged winter seasons. As a result, their economy was based on trade of fish, timber, and fur.

Another remarkable thing about the two regions was their tolerance to religion. One of the main reasons why people had to leave to the home countries to come to America was to search for freedom of religion (Gaustad and Schmidt 78). Puritans dominated the colonies in New England. They advocated for their style of worship. However, in the Mid Atlantic region there was diversity in religion. The region had Protestants, Catholics, and Quakers. It therefore became difficult for one religion to dominate in the region.

Image showing farming of Tobacco in Jamestown.

Figure 1: Image showing farming of Tobacco in Jamestown

The colonies in the Chesapeake region included Jamestown, Virginia, and Maryland. They were the colonies in the upper south while the Carolinas and Georgia were the colonies in the lower south. The economies of the colonies in the upper south depended on agriculture, docking ship, and fisheries.

The Chesapeake Bay had an ideal climate and soil for agriculture. Additionally, the bay had a port and shipping lane which was highly valuable for transportation of goods. Jamestown was the first successful colony within the upper south region. Its success was due to dependence on tobacco.

Virginia also flourished because it depended on tobacco as a cash crop. Their economies grew because of tobacco exports (Davidson 54). When rich white settlers came in, they bought huge tracks of land and began farming tobacco on the land. They used the services of African slaves to cultivate the crops. Enslaved Africans only became valuable to the rich land owners during the second part of the 17th century when they replaced Native Indians and white servants.

On the contrary, the colonies in the lower south depended on rice as cash crop. They exported the cash crop while importing other food to supplement the rice. They also used slaves to cultivate the rice. Due to rice being grown in swampy areas, the region became a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

As a result, mosquitoes became a huge problem for the dwellers because they transmitted deadly diseases. With regards to law and gender, adultery was a common cultural practice within the lower southern colonies. Most men could have a wife and a few mistresses by the side. The law also supported the idea of men having mistresses.

From the analysis above, the region that showed most potential was the Mid Atlantic region. This is because other regions depended on its products. It had an ideal climate and soil for growing grains.

Works Cited

Davidson, James West. US: A Narrative History, Volume 1: To 1877. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008. Print.

Gaustad, Edwin Scott and Leigh Eric Schmidt. The religious history of America. San Fransisco: Harper, 2002. Print

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