In the early beginnings of British North America, three colonial regions were developed. The New England colonies, the Middle colonies, and the Southern colonies. Although the British founded them all, the three colonial regions developed their own forms of economy, social practices, government systems, and philosophies. The only thing that kept the three colonial regions together was their tie to England. The three colonial regions have slightly different origins. The New England colonies began with English pilgrims and Puritans (who were fleeing from religious persecution in England) sailing over to the New World and creating the Plymouth colony. ” (New England History) Puritan influence also helped to shape the New England colonies, although many came to the New World to escape religious persecution Puritans soon overtook the New England colonies. Dutch and Swedish Lutherans settled the Middle colonies at first before Quaker William Penn brought over many more different people of different ethnicities, which caused the Middle colonies to become a melting pot.
The fact that many different races lived in the Middle colonies caused them not to have one religion. The Southern colonies began with the settlement of Jamestown. “The Virginia Company of London who sent 104 English men and boys to begin a settlement on the banks of Virginia James River sponsored the settlement. ” (Jamestown Settlement) Although it was hard work of settling the colony it respectively earned the right to being called Americas first permanent English Colony. The economy varied throughout the colonial regions.
The New England colonies primary source of income included fishing, whaling, shipbuilding, and trading. Since their geographical location was not fit to have farms they were the “first region to experience the Industrial Revolution in America. ” (New England History) The primary source of labor in New England was “indentured servants. ” (New England Colonies) The Middle colonies although being able to farm could not produce as much as the Southern colonies so other sources of income for people in the Middle colonies included being “farmers, shipping, trading, and having small industries. (Three Regions of Colonial America) The Middle colonies primary source of labor also included indentured servants and slaves for the farms they had. The Southern colonies had the most farmland and had major cash crops that grew quickly including tobacco, rice, indigo, and cotton. Soon Southern colonies began to prosper which a major factor of that reason going to their tobacco that people became addicted to and was able to be grown very quickly. The Southern colonies since consisting mostly of farms had their primary source of labor being slaves.
Throughout the ever growing colonial regions their attitudes toward men, woman, children, natives, and Africans. In New England white men were the head of their families and ruled the economic & religious views of the house. Women had no rights and were the property of their father until they got married, then they became the property of their husband. Many women were also accused of being witches. Children had to obey their parents or they could in many cases be put to death, for example if they disrespected their parents they could be killed.
Also, if they were stubborn or rebellious, their parents could hit them or take them to court. There were not many Africans in the New England colonies so they did not have to much of an attitude towards them. Natives gave New England colonists hard times because colonists kicked them out of their land so the Natives were constantly fighting the colonists. The religious views in New England were strictly Puritan because puritans were some of the first settlers they dominated the religion in New England and became the main church in the New England colonies.
In the Middle colonies attitudes did not differ too much for some people. Men in the middle colonies again were the head of the household and picked the families religious views. Women who really had no rights had many jobs to do including caring for the family, listening to their husband, and being able to cook meals for their family. Children received very little education because in the early days of the colonies not many schools were set up and they had to listen to their parents or it could mean death. Africans were mainly slaves in the early days who were used on the farms in the Middle colonies.
Many people were easily able to trade with the natives and since the Middle colonies became a melting pot there was really no prejudice against the natives as long as they lived together peacefully. The religion in the Middle colonies varied and there was no main church because the Middle colonies was a melting pot with to many different people sticking to their religion to have a main church like in the New England colonies. The different religions included “Dutch & Sweden Lutherans (who first settled the Middle Colonies), Jews, Calvinists, and German Lutherans. (Religion in the Colonies, Middle Colonies) The Southern colonies like the New England & Middle colonies had similar attitudes toward men, woman, children, Africans, and natives. Men were the head of the family. Woman took care of the household and provided food if they were poor. If they were rich woman they most likely had slaves do many of the tasks they would otherwise have to do. Children of plantation owners often had private tutors to teach them because the distance for a school would not be beneficial for many and would be a long trip. They also had to be respectful to their parents.
Natives were kicked out of their land and either enslaved or they fought with the settlers in the south until they were killed. Africans being the main source of labor in the Southern colonies were treated very harshly by many people, few treated them with respect. “People in the South were not very religious and did not have any main church. ” (Three Regions of Colonial America) Government practices in the regional colonies were shaped around many things. One of the New England government practice was the “Mayflower Compact. This used the Puritans’ self-governing religious congregations as the model for its political structure. (Henretta, James A. , David Brody) In the Middle colonies, William Penn set up a government for Pennsylvania. In the Southern colonies the wealthy plantation owners had much of the political power and influence. The Southern colonies also had the House of Burgesses. Philosophy about society was majorly affected by religion in the New England colonies. Puritans who were the main religion in the New England colonies believed that both man and woman should be educated.
They also believed in frugality. In the Middle colonies philosophy about society was affected by the diversity in the colonies. They accepted the idea that a society in which each man was permitted to retain his past heritage and allowed to contribute to his unique talent would ultimately benefit by extracting from each of his best contributions. (The Middle Colonies) In the Southern colonies the wealthy plantation owners and Anglicans that settled the South influenced philosophy about society. “The South was like a feudalistic system and the only ones that had power was plantation owners, everyone else was under them. ”( Feudalistic Culture In the Southern Colonies) Although the three colonial regions have so much in ommon they also differ so much. The three colonial regions developed their own forms of economy, social practices, government systems, and philosophies. The colonial regions were the base of what is now present day America, without them developing the way they did we would not be living the freedom filled lives we live. “Feudalistic Culture In the Southern Colonies. “
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