United States History Student Edition

06

An American Identity Grows

Colonial Economy GUIDING QUESTION How did regional geography influence the economic development of the Thirteen Colonies? Life in colonial America was based mainly on agriculture. Most colonists farmed or made a living from businesses related to farming, such as milling flour or making farm equipment. Geography played an important role in the colonies’ economic development. Colonists learned to adapt to the climate and terrain of the region where they lived. They used locally available resources such as plants, animals, land, and water to meet nearly all of their survival needs. Commercial New England Each of the three regions of the Thirteen Colonies provided settlers with useful resources, but each region presented challenges as well. In New England, long winters and rocky soil made large-scale farming difficult. Most farmers in the region practiced subsistence farming , meaning they produced just enough to feed their families with none left over to sell or trade. New England was also home to many small businesses. Towns were numerous in the region, and most had at least one mill for grinding grain or sawing lumber. People used waterpower from New England’s many rivers to run the mills. Towns were also home to skilled craftspeople such as blacksmiths, shoemakers, and carpenters. Whaling and shipbuilding were important industries in New England. The lumber for building ships came from the region’s plentiful forests. subsistence farming producing just enough to feed the family with none left over to sell or trade

READING STRATEGY Analyzing Key Ideas and Details As you read, take notes about the people and products involved in the triangular trade, and identify them in a diagram like this one.

FLORIDA BENCHMARKS

• SS.8.A.1.4 • SS.8.A.2.4 • SS.8.A.2.5 • SS.8.A.2.7 • SS.8.A.3.15 • SS.8.CG.1.1 • SS.8.CG.1.4

• SS.8.E.1.1 • SS.8.E.3.1 • SS.8.G.5.1 • SS.8.G.6.1 • ELA.K12.EE.5.1

Shipbuilding was an important economic activity in New England and in the other colonial regions, as well. This illustration shows shipbuilding along the coast of New York.

North Wind Picture Archives/Alamy Stock Photo

89

GO ONLINE

Explore the Student Edition eBook and find interactive maps, time lines, and tools.