Economic And Social Differences: The First Colonies In Early America

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The First Colonies in Early America The original colonies of the early Americas were settled on the east coast of present day United States. The land reached as far north as New Hampshire and as far south as Georgia. This means there were many differences in the land that controlled the way people lived. This effected the colonies economic and social differences, as well as their ethnic differences. Each of the colonies also settled there for different religious reasons. The differences between the Southern Colonies, Middle Colonies, and the New England Colonies were because of the land and the reasons for settling. The Southern Colonies consisted of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Maryland and Virginia. The original purpose of …show more content…
The first settlers in the area were Dutch and they settled along the Hudson River. In a poem by Richard Frame, he describes the area of Pennsylvania by saying, “The German-Town of which I spoke before, Which is, at last, in length one Mile and More, Where lives High-German People, and Low-Dutch.” Quakers settled in the Middle Colonies seeking religious freedom. This land was the most ethnically diverse between the original colonies of the early Americas. The colonies had fertile soil and were able to grow cash crops such as corn and fruit. The land and rivers allowed them to transport their goods throughout the colonies. The Middle colonies were known as the royal colonies and were governed by the elite. The New England Colonies consisted of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The first colonist that settled in the New England Colonies were Separatist Puritans who were looking for religious freedom. The land made it hard for the Pilgrims to grow crops. The land was rocky and the climate was unsuitable for farming. They stayed close to the shore where they excelled in the fishing and shipping industries. They bought luxury goods from England and were part of the slave trade to the southern