Difference of the 13 American Colonies
To say that the 13 colonies were similar by the time of the Revolution is not completely true. Although the colonies may have been more united by the Revolution, they did not necessarily share all the same characteristics. Agriculturally the colonies were vastly different. The South was consisted in many large plantations. The primary crop of these plantations was tobacco and cotton. These crops required much manual labor to plant and harvest. This made much of the economy of the South dependent on cheap slave labor. This contrasted with the New England colonies, whose agriculture consisted mostly of small family farms that grew the essentials that the families needed to survive that was dependent on commerce. The Middle colonies were the "breadbasket" of the New World. They grew much of the grain and cereals
The great variations in religion also contributed to the difference in the colonies. The North had the mills and the skilled labor. The Quakers of the middle colonies were much like the Puritans of the North. New England's abundant ship stalks made it an area that lived substantially off the sea. The Southern colonies were primarily Anglicans which religious wise gave them the closet ties to England. This contrasted to the hierarchical beliefs of England where everything was decided by the king and the ruling class. The North provided the manufacturing and the shipping. Even though the South grew the cotton, most of the manufacturing was in the North. The various climates also contributed in the difference of agriculture. If they wanted to prosper and grow they needed to make decisions based on what was best for their own lot. The middle colonies provided rich farm lands for food stuffs and help bridge the differences between the South and the North. Most of the colonies had developed seaports as much commerce traveled by sea. While most of the colonists believed firmly in their own beliefs at some level they tried to keep religion from dominating politics. New England not only became an area not only known for fish but also its ports had powerful shipping industries. The South provided much of the cotton and the important cash crop of tobacco.
Common topics in this essay:
,
North Southern,
North North,
Ireland Ireland,
South North,
middle colonies,
contributed difference,
|