New England and the Middle Colonies

1. New England and the Middle Colonies Chapter 3 Section 2

3. New England’s Economy • New England’s economy was very diverse • Agriculture- subsistence farming=grew corn, beans, peas, pumpkins, squash, turnips, barley, oats, and rye • Apples, cranberries, blackberries, and strawberries • Livestock= cows, horses, sheep, and pigs • Fishing- Grand Banks=region of Atlantic Ocean where Gulf Stream and North Atlantic meet, produces plankton= food supply for fish and whales • Fish= cod, mackerel, halibut, and herring • Whales=used blubber for making candles, lamp oil, ambergris (perfume), and bones (buttons and combs).

4. New England Farm

5. Colonial Fishing

6. New England’s Economy • Lumbering in NE=dense forests+waterfalls (powered sawmills)= development of lumber industry • Lumber was used for furniture, doorframes, spinning wheels, construction materials, barrels, and shipbuilding • English merchants bought ships from New England=30%-50% cheaper

7. Sawmill

8. Wooden Barrels

9. Colonial Shipbuilding

10. Life in New England’s Towns • New England’s social life centered around the town • Puritans believed that should come together to form church covenants • Agreements to worship together • Land was given to groups of Puritans to form towns • Towns determined how people were governed • Town meetings=local gov’t • Passed laws and elected officials

11. Life in New England’s Towns • Selectmen- men chosen to manage town affairs, elected annually • Appointed other town officials: clerks, constables, and justices • Town meetings helped the people establish the rights to govern themselves

14. Triangular Trade

15. Triangular Trade

16. New Urban Society • A new society developed with distinct social classes • Wealthy Merchants=controlled trade= >5% of pop. • Artisans and their families= made nearly ½ of pop. • Carpenters, masons, glassmakers, bakers, etc. • People w/o skills or property • Worked at harbors, servants, washed clothes, cleaning houses, grooming horses=30% pop. • Enslaved Africans=b/w 10% and 20% of pop.

17. New Urban Society • Rapid development of cities caused many problems • Overcrowding, crime, pollution, and epidemics • Gov’ts established offices to deal with problems

18. Society in the Middle Colonies • Middle Colonies=PA, NY, NJ, and DE= most fertile farmland in North America • Produced surplus of crops=$ • Long growing seasons • Grew rye, oats, barley, potatoes, and wheat($ crop) • Growth of Middle Colonies • Sold wheat and flour to Carribean • Had 3 rivers that led to Middle Colonies interior • Allowed for trade • Cities grew where rivers led to Atlantic Ocean (NYC and Philadelphia)

22. Wheat

24. Colonial Philadelphia

25. Society in the Middle Colonies • Wheat Boom • B/W the years 1720-1770= wheat prices doubled • Increase in demand=increase in pop. • Changed society • Farmers hired immigrants to work • Entrepreneurs risked money on land, equipment, and supplies=sold to immigrants to make profit • Capitalists invested money in new businesses • Gristmills=produced flour • Glass and Pottery • Social Classes of M.C.= 1st Wealthy Entrepreneurs 2nd farmers 3rd landless workers=rented their land