Southern Colonies: Society and Economy

Which geographic combination best describes the Southern colonies’ physical features that supported agriculture and trade?

• Desert plains and few rivers

• Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont

• Rocky highlands and shallow creeks

• Volcanic slopes and dry basins

What factor most enabled long growing seasons and intensive crop cultivation in the Southern colonies?

• Cool summers with light rainfall

• Humid climate with warm temperatures

• Frequent frosts and short summers

• High elevations with thin soils

Which set lists major cash-crop and labor features of the plantation economy?

• Large plantations with enslaved labor

• Small towns with artisan workshops

• Cash crops requiring intensive care

• Subsistence farming by yeoman families

Match each physical feature or resource to its primary role in the Southern colonies.

• High-yield crop production

• Harbors

• Timber and building materials

• Fertile farmland

• Transportation routes

• Forests

• Shipping and trade hubs

• Rivers

Which statement best explains why counties, not towns, organized politics in the Southern colonies?

• Town charters were banned by Parliament

• Plantations were spread out geographically

• Military forts replaced local governments

• Church leaders controlled all councils

Who made up most of the agricultural workforce on Southern plantations?

• Clergy and county magistrates

• Native traders and ship captains

• Free artisans and urban merchants

• Enslaved Africans and indentured servants

Which description captures the social hierarchy in the Southern colonies?

• Equal landownership among farmers

• Urban guilds dominated politics

• Church congregations chose governors

• Wealthy landowners held notable power

Which religious institution was most influential in the Southern colonies?

• Quaker meeting

• Church of England

• Baptist revival

• Puritan meetinghouse

Correctly label the South Colonies.

b

c

d

e

a

North Carolina

Georgia

Maryland

South Carolina

Virginia

Tags

South Colonies

Locate and select the Southern Colonies on the map.