The Thirteen Colonies

    I would like to give you a general overview of Colonial America. The first thing you need to know is that the colonies were split up into three different parts: The Southern, Middle, and New England Colonies. Each region was a little different.

    The Southern Colonies were Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Farming was very important to the colonists, and the soil was very good for it. They farmed tobacco, corn, etc. The South had many slaves, big plantations, and factories. Many of the southerners were rich plantation owners. Malaria and other diseases were very common, and many settlers died.

    The Middle Colonies were New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. The Middle colonies were a mix of the Southern and New England Colonies. These colonists traded and farmed a little bit. There were a few hills, but no big mountains. There were a few plantations and a few slaves. There were a couple big cities besides all the farmhouses. The Middle Colonies were sometimes called the "Bread Basket Colonies."

    The New England Colonies were Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. The colonists traded beaver pelts and other various items. There were big trading ports here such as Boston Harbor. There were big cities and very few, if any, farmhouses. There were many mountains, and the soil was rocky and not good for farming.

I hope you learned something about the Colonies by reading these paragraphs!!!!!

Armento, J. Beverly, Gary B. Nash, Christopher L. Slater, Karen K. Wixon.America Will Be. Boston:Houghton Mifflin Company, 1991.

                                                                By Sarah C.

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