The Southern colonies were the 5 southernmost colonies in the 13 colonies of North America. They consisted of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
Maryland was founded by Cevil Calvert for a safe place for catholics to avoid religous persecution. North and South Carolina were both founded by 8 aristocrats who were given a grant of land by King Charles. The Carolinas were founded for economic reasons. Virginia was founded by Virginia Company for economic reasons. Georgia was founded George II for protection from Spanish Florida, but was later changed by James Oglethorpe to a safe place for debtors. The most wealthy people in the Southern Colonies were Plantation owners, followed by merchants, lawyers, and doctors. Subsistence farmers and slaves were the least wealthy in the South. Jobs in The Southern Colonies included lots of farming, and there were shoemakers, tailers, silversmiths, furniture makers, craftsmen, people in the lumber businness, mining, raising cattle, and fishing. The main businesses were farming, lumber, and shipping. The Main products imported/exported were rice, tobacco, and indigo, but cotton flax and grains were also big in the south. In the South, there were small mountain ranges, creeks, rivers, estuaries, lots of farmland, and bays. The climate was very warm all year round. Long growing seasons and great soil made farming a very important industry in the southern colonies. The main religious groups in the south were Baptist, Anglican, and Catholic. Most of the south had religious freedom. Virginia had a Church of England and had to attend church twice on Sunday. |