Location
What locations did the Southern Colonies include?
The Southern Colonies included Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
What types of jobs did the people have in the Southern Colonies?
People in the southern colonies who owned land made money by running large plantations. They would farm cash crops, like cotton, tobacco, and rice, and trade those goods with countries around the world. Although plantation owners were wealthy, most of the other people in the South lived in poverty. Small farmers struggled to make a profit. The enslaved people that worked on the plantations were not paid for their work and lived in terrible conditions. The enslaved people did all the hard work, but the plantation owners earned the money.
What religion was in the Southern Colonies?
There were a few large towns or cities in the southern colonies. Farmers lived far apart and rarely saw each other people. Wealthy landowners held social events at their plantations. Many different religions were practiced in the southern colonies. The religions were not as strict as those in New England, but they were tolerant as those in the Mid-Atlantic.
What was the geography of the Southern Colonies?
The Southern colonies are the warmest of all three regions of colonies. They receive the most rain of all the colonies, too. The soil is very fertile which means it is perfect for growing crops. Many farmers grew cash crops. Cash crops were items to make a profit. Some cash crops were cotton, tobacco, and rice. These crops were traded with other colonies and countries. Cash crops were grown on large farms call plantations. Plantation owners were wealthy and powerful. Their plantations required a lot of labor. They mostly used slave labor. Enslaved people were kidnapped people from Africa who were forced to work and live on plantations. Their working and living conditions were terrible. Trade was an important part of the economy of the southern colonies. Large rivers were used to transport cash crops to the coast. At the coast, cash crops were loaded onto ships and sent to the Mid-Atlantic and New England colonies. Cotton, the most valuable crops, was sent to Britain and other countries around the world.