All About the Colonies: Venn Diagram

Your Name: ______

Directions: Read through the descriptions of the Northern and Southern Colonies and fill in the Venn Diagram below with as much detail as possible. Use a dictionary to look up words you do not understand. You will have to use some critical thinking in order to fill in the “Both” section of the diagram. Think “outside the box”!

The Agricultural South: -The southern colonists inhabited the fertile soil that extended from Virginia’s Chesapeake region to Georgia - Along the rivers, plantations and small farms developed in place of cities and towns - Planters began to specialize in raising a single cash crop (one grown primarily for sale rather than for the farmer’s own use); i.e. tobacco- North Carolina, indigo- South Carolina - Planters controlled the South’s economy as well as its political and social institutions - Life in the South was not the same for everyone -Women could not vote, own property or preach -Indentured servants had very little rights while in bondage and experienced many hardships after bondage -African slaves, who supplied the labor force after the indentured servants, were treated as property and made to work for life without pay

The Commercial North (and Middle Colonies): -Farms in the New England and Middle colonies produced several cash crops as opposed to one -Rocky soil and colder temperatures limited New Englanders to small farms but areas, such as Pennsylvania, that were more fertile produced a variety of crops and animals - A diversified commercial economy developed in the New England and Middle colonies (i.e. grinding wheat, harvesting fish and sawing lumber) -Shipbuilding and producing iron were huge industries in the North due to mercantilism -Merchants held most of the power and influential positions in the North -Due to the industries, urban life grew and cities faced many problems due to the over crowdedness (i.e. scarce water, disposing of garbage and human waste, spread of disease, poverty, etc.) -The North not only had a diversified economy, it also had a diverse population: -Immigrants were more attracted to the North than the South; Germans, Scot-Irish, Dutch, Scandinavians, and Jews were some of the ethnic groups that inhabited the North; a variety of religious groups were also represented (i.e. Quakers, Methodists, Moravians, Anglicans) -Slaves were also considered property but had more rights in New England than elsewhere -Women could not vote, own property or enter into contracts; only single women or widows could operate their own business