During Colonial America, What were some major differences between North and South colonies?

Question

Plzz help i need to do my hw on this. I was to see the differences between the South and the North colonies. What was different between them? Religiously, Socially Economically.

Please help me name some ideas and stuff! thanks

Answer 1

There's a lot of overlap but I would say the New England colonies (then the north) were mostly Puritan, while the southern colonies (Chesapeake Bay and south) were more Cavalier. Look up the English Civil War for more on that. As far as religion that means the New England colonies were more Congregational and the south was more Anglican, but Rhode Island and Maryland both had freedom of religion, so you have to be careful not to overgeneralize. Economically the south had plantation economies because the climate was good for agriculture, while New England couldn't support itself with farming and so turned to the sea (fishing, whaling, commerce) to make a living. Socially most New England colonies were middle class dominated, but the south had a less egalitarian class structure, but more social mobility than England. Again, one shouldn't overgeneralize, since North Carolina had less of a large planter class, and New York was dominated by large estates like plantations. The middle belt colonies (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware) were somewhat in between. Good luck with this.

Answer 2

The Southern Colonies were more agriculturally based while the North was becoming more industrialized. Many people say that in Colonial America the Southern Colonies had slaves while the Northern colonies didnt. But actually the first slaves arrived in America though the New York Harbor, and made their way into the South because the Northern tier sold slaves to the South.

Answer 3

The southern colonies were wealthier because they grew, among other things, tobacco and sugar which are very profitable cash crops. The southerners had perfected the plantation system, thus enabling them to use slave labor to increase their profits.

The northerners were generally family farmers, some on the subsistence level, and money was scarce. They'd use the winters to set up industries, and generally make a nickel any way they could. Ultimately the industries began making more money than the farms, with the result that much of the agricultural tradition in the North was lost over the years. The result was a hungrier, though cleverer, population. The Northerners had one great advantage over the South in that they were better traders: most of the goods that came into the South were brought there on Northern ships.

There were slaves in both north and south, but the practice was abolished early on in the north.

Answer 4

A main difference was that the north was settled by the wealthy British and south was settled by the Scots and Irish (in general).

There was little travel amongst the early colonies, and the Southerners even referred to Northerners as "Yankees" (or worse) prior to the Revolution.

When the delegates to the First Continental Congress met, it was the first time most of them ever traveled that far from home.

Not enough to write a paper, but perhaps it will spark your imagination.

Answer 5

Wow, I don't know where some people come up with their stuff, but not from history books.
As some of my ancestors came over on the Mayflower, I will say that in the north there were small farms, family farms, people were independent, religious, did not believe in SLAVERY as was the case in Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia.
Believe me, they were NOT rich Englishmen; yes, some became rich through hard work and investments, but the really wealthy were in Virginia.
Find some good history books, not the type used in public schools or colleges.