The Southern Colonies

The Southern Colonies Chapter 6 section 3 pages 163-166

The southern colonies • Included: • Virginia • Maryland • North Carolina • South Carolina • Georgia

Middle vs. Southern • Middle colonies: • Urban- cities • First settlers were poor English looking for religious freedom and acceptance • First settlers were from many different religions • Southern Colonies: • Rural- farm land • Most of the first settlers were rich English aristocrats looking for profit • First settlers belonged to the Anglican Church

An agricultural Economy: • Most settlers made their living from the land • A few wealthy planters owned thousands of acres of land • They made up the rich upper class • The rest were farmers, lower class • Most farmers grew corn and raised cattle for their own use • They also plated cash crops such as: • Tobacco • Rice • indego

Tobacco Growing • As a result of the enormous farms many planters became reliant on slave labor • Half of all the tobacco that was shipped to England was grown in the southern colonies • Large plantations began to form along the banks of rivers • This region became known as tidewater • Many of the plantations had their own docks along these rivers

Rice and Indigo • The swampy lands near savanna were perfect for growing rice • Each year while the rice was still growing the colonies would harvest their indigo • At first, in order to maintain their farms planters used indentured servants • Soon they began using slave labor

The African Population • By 1760 there were almost 250,000 Africans in the colonies • 200,000 worked in the fields and homes of the southern colonies • The rest lived in the middle and New England colonies either as slaves or artisans • Enslaved Africans were shipped directly from West Africa

Slave Trade • The demand for slaves gave merchants a new job opportunity • They would go to West Africa armed with guns • Capture slaves and place them on small over crowded boats • Using the middle passage (route between Africa and the colonies)they would bring them to the southern colonies

Slave codes • Many colonists did not think slavery was wrong • The need for labor was more important then the welfare of the Africans • Some believed they were doing them a favor by teaching them Christianity • Eventually they passed the slave codes, (laws that denied enslaved Africans most of their rights)

Reactions to slavery • Some enslaved Africans tried to escape (some found refuge with local Native Americans) but most were returned to their owners • European colonists were suspicious of any African they did not know • Rebellions occurred on both slave ships and on plantations

Free Africans: • Some enslaved Africans became skilled workers • Generous slave holders may allow them to work for their families and keep part of the profit • If they earned enough money they could buy their freedom • Eventually small communities of free Africans grew up through out the colonies

The southern plantation Page 166

The Southern Colonies