Life in the Southern Colonies

1. Life in the Southern Colonies

2. VA, MD, NC, SC, GA • Urban – city (middle colonies) • Rural – farms (southern colonies) • Charles Town – only large city in South • Settlers - wealthy aristocrats and friends of the King; later came from Scotland, Ireland, and France • Rich, upper class – owned most of land

3. Lower class – farmers • Cash crops – tobacco, rice, indigo; needed slaves • Tobacco – first grown in VA; later in NC and MD • Large plantations – along Chesapeake, Potomac, the James, the York • Tidewater – slow flowing rivers affected by ocean tides

4. had docks near rivers • Rice – brought to SC in 1680 from Madagascar; Savannah River good for rice because swampy; introduced irrigation system • Indigo – rich blue dye; valuable export to England • Africans were treated as slaves for life (property); mostly from West Africa; kidnapped

5. 1760 – 250,000 Africans in colonies; mostly in Southern Colonies • Middle Passage – slave trading route between Africa and America • Slaves lived in dark, filthy, cramped quarters on boat; many died in route • Some settlers believed doing Africans a favor by teaching them Christianity • Slave codes – laws that denied enslaved Africans most of their rights; couldn’t learn to read or write

6. Slaves sometimes ran away; rebelled; resisted; lived with Indians • Slaves sometimes paid for their freedom or were given it by master • “Big House” – family mansion; on hill, overlooking river; 2 stories and made of brick; staircase; kitchen in separate building; other buildings - laundries, barns, stables, slave quarters; self-sufficient with help of slaves