How did the three colonial regions reflect geographic and social differences?

If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

Colonial America depended on the natural environment for the basic needs of the people and the colony. Available natural resources determined each region’s unique specialty. Specialized economies quickly emerged as a result of human and environmental interaction.

Colonial America had regional differences for establishment of each colony. The southern colonies were established as economic ventures, seeking natural resources to provide wealth to the mother country and themselves. In contrast, the early New England colonists were primarily religious reformers and Separatists. They were seeking a new way of life to glorify God and for the greater good of their spiritual life. The middle colonies welcomed people from diverse lifestyles. Their social-political structure included all three varieties: villages, cities and small farms.

There were also differences in the human resources. New England had craftsmen skilled in shipbuilding. The Mid-Atlantic had a workforce of farmers, fishermen, and merchants. The Southern Colonies were mostly agricultural with few cities and limited schools.

New England’s economy at first specialized in nautical equipment. Later the region developed mills and factories. The environment was ideal for water-powered machinery (mills), allowing for products such as woven cloth and metal tools. The middle colonies had rich farmland and a moderate climate, making it more suitable to grow grain and livestock. The coastal lowland and bays provided harbors, thus the middle colonies were able to provide trading opportunities where the three regions met in the market towns and cities. The southern colonies had fertile farmlands that contributed to the rise of cash crops such as rice, tobacco, and indigo. Plantations developed and slavery allowed the wealthy and large landowners to cultivate large tracts of land.

For the people of the South, life was rugged and rural, while the people of the North were connected to the church and village community.

European settlement patterns were influenced by geographic conditions such as access to water, harbors, natural protection, arable land, natural resources and adequate growing season and rainfall. Examine a variety of primary sources to determine why colonists were drawn to a particular region of the country.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• analyze, interpret, and conduct research with online primary sources;
• examine regional differences in Colonial America;
• determine reasons for location to a particular region; and
• identify how colonists adapted to their environments.

Time Required

Three classes

Lesson Preparation

Materials

• Primary Source Analysis Tool

Resources

New England Colonies

• A Plan of the Town of Boston
• Boston Shipbuilders Advertisement (1769)
• Faneuil Hall
• Port of Boston
• Salem Steam Mill

Middle Atlantic Colonies

• Plan of the city and environs of Philadelphia
• Proposals for printing a newspaper to called the Pennsylvania Ledger January 2, 1775
• Pennsylvania WPA Federal Art Project
• The Accident in Lombard Street, Philadelphia 1787
• Philadelphia, August 9, 1798 Writ of Fieri Facias

Southern Colonies

• Life of George Washington - The Farmer/ painted by Stearns
• A plan of my farm - George Washington
• For Sale! 389,565 acres of farm land
• Providence October 20, 1815 Cotton manufacturing interests
• North Carolina Minutes of Seat of State Government

• Teacher's Guide Analyzing Primary Sources

Lesson Procedure

Day One Activities

Step One: Class Discussion (10-15 minutes)
How does environment affect where a person lives?

Discuss with students how people adapt to the environment of a particular location or relocate to suit their needs/wants. For example, people who live in the midwest are most likely farmers. Most actors move to California and New York. Why?

Sample questions for your students:

• If you wanted to become a movie star, where would you live?
• If you wanted to be a lobster fisherman, what region of the country would suit your needs?
• Where would a dairy farmer most likely live?

Step Two 20-30 minutes
Divide students into 6 groups; 2- New England Colonies Region, 2- Middle Colonies Region, 2- Southern Colonies Region. Distribute primary source packets. Assign each group member at least one source to examine and analyze. Students analyze the primary source, recording their thoughts on the Primary Source Analysis Tool. Before the students begin, select questions from the teacher’s guide Analyzing Primary Sources to focus and prompt analysis and discussion.

Interpretation

Based on the evidence of these documents, what was it like to live in a particular region (New England Colonies, Middle Atlantic Colonies, Southern Colonies)? Why would you go to live in a particular region?

Day Two Activities: 90 minute block

Step One: In groups, share findings about the primary sources in your packet. Identify whether or not the region represented by your packet has the following geographical features:

• Access to Water
• Harbors
• Natural Protection
• Arable Land
• Natural Resources
• Growing Season

Then answer these questions about your region:

1. What kinds of industry can be developed here?
2. Is this area better for urban or rural living? Why?
3. What are the positive qualities of the area?
4. What are the negative qualities of the area?
5. Which resource was the most useful or helpful? Why?

Step Two: Based on the assessment of the region's geographical features, students write a letter to a sibling "back home" describing his/her experience in the new country and convincing the sibling to join him/her.

Step Three: Students exchange letters with a member of each of the other regions and read the letters, and list at least three different characteristics of each region and at least one they all share.

Extensions:

Students search the Library of Congress digital collections for more sources that depict/describe the region.

Lesson Evaluation

Evaluate completed homework according to your standard. Develop guidelines for evaluating the letters and feature comparison work with your class as appropriate.

Credits

Bobbie Chase and Anna Muher

Part of

• Primary Source Sets
• Lesson Plans
• Presentations

Additional Navigation

• Teachers Home

  The Library of Congress offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library's vast digital collections in their teaching.

• Analysis Tool & Guide

  To help your students analyze these primary sources, get a graphic organizer and guides.