Comparing the Southern and New England Colonies

Which region had tobacco, rice, and indigo as its main cash crops?

• New England Colonies
• Southern Colonies
• Both regions equally
• Neither region

Which region was founded primarily for religious reasons?

• Southern Colonies
• New England Colonies
• Both regions equally
• Neither — both were founded for profit

Which region had cold winters, rocky soil, and short growing seasons?

• Southern Colonies
• New England Colonies
• Both regions equally
• Neither region

Which region developed fishing, shipbuilding, and trade as its main economy?

• Southern Colonies
• New England Colonies
• Both regions equally
• Neither region

Which statement best explains WHY the two regions developed different economies?

• England wanted different things from each region
• Geography and climate forced different economic choices
• The colonists in each region spoke different languages
• New England had more colonists than the South

The Southern Colonies used enslaved African labor on plantations. New England did NOT develop the same labor system primarily because:

• England passed laws preventing slavery in New England
• New England colonists were morally opposed to slavery
• Cold climate and rocky soil made plantation agriculture impossible
• New England colonists preferred to trade rather than farm

Both the Southern Colonies and New England had conflicts with American Indians. What was the PRIMARY cause of conflict in BOTH regions?

• Religious differences between colonists and American Indians
• English expansion onto American Indian land
• American Indians refused to trade with English colonists
• Disease spread from American Indians to colonists

Which statement correctly compares the social structure of the two regions?

• Both regions organized society around plantation agriculture
• Both regions organized society around fishing and trade
• The South built dispersed plantation communities while New England built town-centered communities
• The South built town-centered communities while New England built plantation estates

A historian argues: "The biggest difference between New England and the Southern Colonies was not what they produced — it was why people came." Do you agree or disagree?

• Agree — religious motivation shaped everything about New England including its economy and social structure
• Disagree — geography was the real driver because cold soil made cash crops impossible regardless of motivation
• Agree — profit motivation explains everything about the South
• Disagree — both regions came for exactly the same reasons

Open Response — Synthesis Sentence
Complete this sentence using evidence from your research chart: The biggest difference between New England and the Southern Colonies was ________, caused primarily by ________ [religion OR geography OR both], as shown by ________ [specific chart evidence], which tells us that ________.