Notes on 13 Colonies PDF

Notes on 13 Colonies When Europeans created settlements in North America, there was an opportunity for some Europeans to migrate to these new settlements. On the East Coast of what is now the United States, English settlements in particular sprung up and English citizens, as well as citizens from o...

Notes on 13 Colonies When Europeans created settlements in North America, there was an opportunity for some Europeans to migrate to these new settlements. On the East Coast of what is now the United States, English settlements in particular sprung up and English citizens, as well as citizens from other European countries, increased the population of these settlements into colonies. The reasons people migrated to the colonies: 1) Chance to start a better life than they had in Europe 2) Freedom to practice their religion without fear of persecution 3) For those already wealthy, a way to increase their wealth by taking advantage of cheap and available land and take advantage of cheap or free labor (slavery and indentured servants) 4) With the system of slavery and indentured servitude, many were forced to come to the colonies as the above cheap or free labor. There were 13 English colonies that were generally grouped into New England, Middle and Southern Colonies. New England, or northern, colonies had a rocky coastline, rolling hills, and large forested areas. (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire.) The soil was rocky and the climate was harsh with long winters and short summers, making farming difficult. They had a strong economy based on lumber, furs, whaling, fishing, and mineral mining. Many came to these colonies to seek religious freedom and were Puritans. These colonies included The Middle Colonies had a warmer climate, fertile soil, flat land, easily-navigable rivers, and wide valleys. (New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware) The Middle Colonies had a diverse population with settlers from many European countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and German states. They were more religiously tolerant than the Puritan colonies in the North, and were home to Quakers, Mennonites, and Lutherans. major exporter of wheat and other grains, and were also involved in mining, trading, lumbering, and shipbuilding. The Southern Colonies had a warm climate, rich soil, and broad coastal plains (Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia). The economy was based on agriculture, with cash crops like tobacco, cotton, rice, and indigo grown on large plantations. This is where wealthy Europeans established plantations with Slavery and indentured servitude.