Thirteen English Colonies Colonies are founded for religious freedom OR to make money! o Need land to have wealth and voting rights, there is a lot of cheap land in the colonies, allows for social mobility (able to change social classes) All colonies use a representative/elected assembly for their government Colonies divided into three regions based on geography. o Geography (climate, resources, and physical features) will influence the different type of economy (way of making money) in each region. o New England Colonies (MA, RI, NH, CT) . Geography: Long, cold winters, soil is not good for farming, irregular coastline provides many natural harbors, mountainous, thick forests . Economy: Fishing, whaling, shipbuilding, trade . Social: Pilgrims and Puritans NOT TOLERANT of different religions, believe that they only correct way in life is to be Puritan, Puritans lead a strictly religious life, fight with Native Americans for control of land . Political: All use a representative assembly, local self-government as established by the Mayflower Compact, town meetings where citizens can share their opinions and help make laws, representative assembly, only adult male church members could vote . Massachusetts: Pilgrims are oppressed/persecuted in England, form Plymouth as a safe place to practice religion Puritans arrive in 1630, they are also oppressed/persecuted in England so they create the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a safe place to practice their religion o Very religious, NOT tolerant, hold town meetings (local self-government) o Believe God will help them succeed if they work hard o Believe God will free the land of Natives before they arrive in the New World . Rhode Island: Founded by Roger Williams who is kicked out of Massachusetts for disagreeing with the Puritans Establishes a separation of church and state Freedom of religion . Connecticut: Founded by Thomas Hooker who is kicked out of Massachusetts for disagreeing with the Puritans Established a separation of church and state Fundamental Orders of CT: Limits the power of the leader o Middle Colonies (NY, NJ, PA, DE) . Geography: Four seasons, longer growing season than New England, fertile soil, rivers, natural harbors . Economy: Farming wheat/grains/fruit/vegetables (aka “The Breadbasket Colonies”), trade . Social: Very DIVERSE, much more diverse than the other regions, lots of different types of people, the Dutch are very tolerant and so are the Quakers so many different types of people will settle in this region, better relationship with Native Americans than in other regions but they do still fight over land . Political: All use a representative assembly, representative government . Pennsylvania: Founded by William Penn for Quakers who were oppressed/persecuted in England and needed a safe place to practice their religion Quakers are very TOLERANT and believe everybody is equal Help contribute towards the diversity of the middle region . New York: Begins as a Dutch colony (New Amsterdam), thriving economy through farming and trade so the English take it over and re-name it New York o Southern Colonies (Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia) . Geography: Long summers, long growing season, fertile soil . Economy: AGRICULTURE – grow cash crops such as tobacco, cotton, rice . Social: Strict social classes: Tidewater: Wealthy plantation owners with many slaves, control business and politics Piedmont/Backcountry: Small, poor farmers, few slaves . Political: All use a representative assembly, Virginia House of Burgesses: first representative government in the US, have to be a landowning male to vote . Virginia: First successful English colony in North America, founded by people looking to get rich!, make money through growing tobacco which leads to start of slavery . Maryland: Established as a safe place for Catholics to practice their religion Maryland Act of Toleration: Givers religious freedom to all Christians . Georgia: Created as a buffer between Spanish Florida and 13 Colonies, debtors from England are sent there to start a new life o Labor sources in the 13 Colonies: . Indentured servants: poor people who agree to work for a period of time (usually 7 years) in exchange for passage to the colonies . Slaves: Africans who are brought, by force, to the colonies to work, serve for life Colonists will prefer to use slaves over indentured servants because you keep slaves forever and indentured servants leave and become competition Mercantilism: economic theory that states that countries can gain power by building up their wealth, in order to build up wealth they must maintain a favorable balance of trade o Favorable balance of trade: Must EXPORT (sell) more than they IMPORT (buy) . Colonies help the Mother Country achieve mercantilism Colonies produce raw materials which the Mother Country then turns into manufactured products/finished products and sells back to the colonies at a profit Colonies provide a source of raw materials AND serve as a marketplace to sell manufactured products – this allows the Mother Country (mom) to sell more than it buys. Navigation Acts: laws passed to control the trade of the colonies and help the Mother Country (England) achieve mercantilism. o Major parts of the Navigation Acts: . Colonies could only buy manufactured products from England . Colonies could only sell raw materials to England . England would set price for all raw materials and manufactured products .