The Southern Colonies
By: Colin Sharpe
Settling the Southern Colonies
The Only Southern Colonies were Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The Calverts established the Maryland Colony in 1632. King Charles II gave wealthy men permission to start a colony South of Virginia in 1663. They later called the south state, Carolina. Later in 1712 they separated it into North and South Carolina. With their broad Rivers, good harbors, fertile land, and humid climate, this place was perfect for the Colonists.
Cash Crops
In the Southern States the main cash crop was Tobacco. Only in Georgia and South Carolina did they not grow tobacco, they grew rice because their climate was too warm and wet. The forests were also an important natural resource to the Southern Colonies. Wilmington, North Carolina, became a Shipping Center for forest goods and naval stores. New England gave the Southern States manufactured goods. (Tools and Other Necessities) New England and the Mid-Atlantic colonies bought cash crops from the Southern Colonies. In return, the Southern States bought grain from the Mid-Atlantic.
Plantation Economy
Most parts of the Southern States had Plantations. A Plantation is an area of land with crops being grown on it. Back then, if you lived on a Plantation you would have slaves out in your field, working all day. If you owned a plantation you would be a Planter. Some planters started their farming days as Indentured Servants. An Indentured Servant is a person under contract to work for another person for a definite period of time. Sometimes they had no pay, while others were wealthy and were given land. The longer your family had a plantation the bigger your field got and the bigger your plantation is, the richer you become. The main part of the plantation was the Planter's house.
Cities and County Seats
The Southern States weren't much of a City area. (Unlike the New England and Mid-Atlantic Colonies) They had many spread out plantations. Around the middle of the 1700s towns along the Atlantic Coast had grown into large cities, known as Norfolk, Baltimore, and Savannah. Some Large towns had County Seats. A County Seat is a place where the County Government, general stores, a courthouse, and a Jail were located. Many times a year plantation families would go to a County Seat to be at Church Services, dances, and they would trade crops for goods. A lot of plantation owners belonged to the Church of England. Some planters bought and sold enslaved African Americans at a County Seat.
Summary Of the Southern States
The Southern States were Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. In the Southern States they sold a cash crop called tobacco. The Southern States were a good place for the Colonists because of its broad rivers, good harbors, humid climate, and fertile land. Georgia and South Carolina grew rice (Not Tobacco) because their climate was too warm and wet. The Southern States were mostly covered in Plantations that had slaves working on them. Along the Atlantic Coast there were big cities. Those big Cities were, Norfolk, Baltimore, and Savannah. General Stores, Jails, Courthouses, Church Services, Dances, and Trading all were in the County Seat. The Southern States were a very successful accomplishment for the Colonists.