The Southern Colonies

The Southern Colonies

The Southern Colonies• Much warmer climate than either the New

England or Middle colonies

• Long growing seasons made it perfect for cash crops (i.e. tobacco, indigo, rice, and sugar.)

The Plantation Economy• With a large amount of good soil, the south

relied on agriculture

• Large farms, called Plantations, became common.

Plantations . . .• Large farms require a large labor force to

operate.

• Southern plantations owners had two forms of labor for their farms.

Indentured Servants• Some people wanted to move to the colonies,

but could not afford the journey.

• They became indentured servants. They signed a contract with plantation owners, agreeing to work for them for a period of time in exchange for the trip to America.

The African slave trade• In the 1700’s, Slaves were brought from Africa

to work on southern plantations

• More to come on the slave trade later. . .

The Exception - Georgia• The southern colony that did not fit this mold

was Georgia

Doin’ time ‘cause you owe a dime• In England, people who could not afford to

pay their debts off would be arrested and thrown in jail.

James Oglethorpe• To clean out

Britain’s debtor prisons (jails for people who owe $) the king gave James Oglethorpe a land grant for Georgia.

Georgia• Georgia also provided a defensive buffer

between the colonies and Spanish Florida.

Summary Activity• Using the chart provided, fill in each column

with the Political, Economic, Geographic and Social characteristics of all 3 colonial regions.

New England Colonies Middle Colonies Southern Colonies

P P P

E E E

G G G

S S S