Ch. 4 Lesson 1: Life in the colonies (M)

In New England, long winters and thin, rocky soil made large-scale farming difficult. Most farmers here practiced subsistence farming (suhb • SIS • tuhns)—producing enough to meet the needs of their families, with little left over to sell or trade.

Why did most New England farmers practice subsistence farming?

• they had fertile soil

• long winters and thin, rocky soil

• they did not know how to farm

Throughout New England were many small businesses. Nearly every town had a mill for grinding grain or sawing lumber.

Shipbuilding was an important New England industry. The lumber for building ships came from the region's forests.

Which was NOT a way of making money in New England?

• growing cotton

• shipbuilding

• running a grain mill

Fishing was also important. Some New Englanders ventured far out to sea to hunt whales for oil and whalebone.

Why did colonists from New England hunt whales?

• to make clothing

• for the meat

• for oil and whalebone

Most people in the Middle Colonies were farmers. This region enjoyed more fertile soil and a slightly milder climate than New England. Farmers here plowed and planted larger areas of land and produced bigger harvests than did New Englanders.

What 2 conditions made farming in the Middle Colonies better than in the New England colonies?

• cold winters and many harbors

• fertile soil and slightly milder climate

• more land and better workers

Farmers in the Middle Colonies sent wheat and livestock for shipment to New York City and Philadelphia, which became busy ports. By 1760, New York, with 14,000 people, and Philadelphia, with 19,000 people, were two of the largest cities in the American colonies.

By 1760, which city was larger, New York or Philadelphia?

• New York

• Philadelphia

• Boston

Farmers in the Middle Colonies sent wheat and livestock for shipment to New York City and Philadelphia, which became busy ports. By 1760, New York, with 14,000 people, and Philadelphia, with 19,000 people, were two of the largest cities in the American colonies.

Which was an important cash crop in the Middle Colonies?

• wheat

• cotton

• rice

The Middle Colonies attracted many Scotch-Irish, German, Dutch, and Swedish settlers. Using agricultural methods developed in Europe, these immigrants became successful farmers. They gave the Middle Colonies a cultural diversity (duh • VUHR • suh • tee), or variety, not found in New England.

Based what you read above, how were the Middle Colonies different from the New England colonies?

• methods of farming

• types of industries

• cultural diversity

The Southern Colonies had rich soil and a warm climate well suited to certain kinds of farming. Southern farmers could plant large areas and produce harvests of cash crops, such as tobacco or rice. Most settlers in the Southern Colonies made their living from farming.

What made the Southern Colonies well suited for certain kinds of farming?

• rich soil and warm climate

• many rivers and trees

• many southerners liked to farm and raise cattle

The Southern Colonies had rich soil and a warm climate well suited to certain kinds of farming. Southern farmers could plant large areas and produce harvests of cash crops, such as tobacco or rice. Most settlers in the Southern Colonies made their living from farming.

What were two cash crops from the Southern Colonies?

• wheat and fish

• lumber and whales

• tobacco and rice

Most large plantations in the Southern Colonies were located in the Tidewater, a region of flat, low-lying plains along the seacoast. Planters built their plantations on rivers so they could ship their crops to market by boat. A plantation was like a small village.

Which one is NOT a characteristic of the Tidewater?

• mountainous

• flat land

• low-lying plains