English Colonies

Essay by bluepanda123A, November 2014

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English Colonies Essay

English colonies had many differences, although they each had several traits that were similar to each other colony. They are divided up into three parts: New England, the Middle colonies, and the Southern colonies. The New England colonies consist of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The Middle colonies include New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The Southern colonies are Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. They each have their own reason for settlement, and their own background. The economic activities in each section of colonies are different also. Each colony was very unique and differed greatly in its ways from the others. The English colonies left a mark on America that can never be erased.

New England colonies were mainly founded by English Puritans who wanted religious freedom. The people who settled there wanted the freedom to practice their beliefs without being persecuted by King Charles I.

The New Englanders made and kept covenants, and they were eager to work. They shared their material wealth with each other. They were mainly farmers who exported furs, fish, and farm products, but there was a diversified economy, or an economy with many different trades and occupations. Commerce (large scale trade) thrived in New England. The power laid mainly in the towns, and there was a central government with a representative assembly.

Like the New England colonies, the Middle colonies were settled for religious freedom and the prospect of land grants. The settlers were mainly interested in farming and making money. The majority of settlers in the Middle colonies were foreign. They came from many countries in Europe, including Germany, France, Ireland, Scotland, The Netherlands, and Sweden. In the Middle colonies, there were many port cities and trading posts. They were known as the...