The Middle Colonies

1. The Middle Colonies Chapter 6 section 2 Pages 157-162

2. The middle colonies: • Included: • New York • Pennsylvania • New Jersey • Delaware

3. Farming • Farmers in the middle colonies had many advantages: • Rich soil • Mild climate • Long growing season • Deep rivers

4. Crops for sale • Because of good soil and climate people could produce crops to sell • These became known as Cash Crops- crops grown to sell for profit • They produced so much grain they became known as the bread basket colonies

5. Port cities • Many farmers in the middle colonies shipped their goods through Philadelphia and New York • They shipped them via the Delaware river and the Hudson river

6. Conestoga Wagon • Many of the Pennsylvania Dutch utilized the Conestoga wagon • It was: • Larger • More sturdy • Covered • Large wheels

7. New York farmers • Owning land was very important to the colonists • 5 families owned most of the land (their estates could cover up to 2 million acres) • The owner or Patroon ran their estates like tiny kingdoms • People who farmed the land had to pay rent

8. Business, Trade, and Cities Page 159

9. Cities Grow Quickly • By the mid 1700’s Philadelphia and New York were the two largest cities in the colonies • They were important trading and manufacturing centers • Cities were a contrast to the quiet countryside • Streets were paved with brick or cobblestone • They were lined with shops and inns • Crowds of people spoke many languages

10. A different kind of community: • The middle colonies were settled by people from many countries with different: • Beliefs • Customs • languages

11. Many Religions: • The colonies did not have any single religion that was more powerful then the others • Religions included • Roman catholic • Jewish • Amish • Mennonite • Calvinists • Quaker • Lutherans

12. Country Customs and Fun • People worked together to: • Clear land • Barn raising • Sheep shearing • Quilting

13. The Frontier • Early colonists settled along the Atlantic coast and the banks of large rivers • As more people arrived they moved further inland • Frontier- a thinly settled area on the outer limits of the colonies • For the middle colonies the frontier was the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains

14. People on the frontier • People who settled here were mainly seeking new adventure and freedom • They had to partake in extra chores like: • Cutting logs for their house and fires • Make furniture • Make candles • Make clothes • Educate their children

15. Dangers on the frontier • Because families on the frontier all faced many dangers and hardships: • They gained a spirit of independence and equality • Women worked alongside men • Different culture groups shared thoughts and ideas • There were no social class distinctions