Compare and contrast economic development in the eighteeenth-century America among the three major regions: New England, the mid-Atlantic, and the...

The thirteen British colonies in North America have
historically been divided into three regions, Southern Colonies, New England Colonies,
and Middle Colonies.  Each had its unique qualities.  Geography played a big role in how
each region developed.  The Southern colonies had rich soil, mild winters, a long
growing season, and abundant rainfall.  This led the Southern colonies to turn primarily
to agriculture and the creation of large plantations and reliance on slave labor. The
New England colonies had harsh winters, a short growing season, and good harbors.  This
led them to turn more to manufacturing and commerce, and farming on a much smaller scale
than the South.  And then there were the Middle colonies.  They had fertile soil,
moderate winters, rolling hills, and mineral deposits. This led the Middle colonies to
have a much more diverse economy than the Southern or New England colonies.  The Middle
colonies developed an economy that was based on a combination of agriculture similar to
the Southern colonies and manufacturing and commerce similar to the New England
colonies.