Southern Colonies

Colonies- Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia

Climate/Geography – The Southern Colonies enjoyed warm climate with hot summers and mild winters. Geography ranged from coastal plains in the east to rolling hills farther inland. The westernmost regions were mountainous. The soil was perfect for farming and the growing season was longer than in any other region. Hot summers, however, propagated diseases such as malaria and yellow fever.

Religion – Most people in the Southern Colonies were Anglican (Baptist or Presbyterian), though most of the original settlers from the Maryland colony were Catholic, as Lord Baltimore founded it as a refuge for English Catholics. Religion did not have the same impact on communities as in the New England colonies or the Mid-Atlantic colonies because people lived on plantations that were often distant and spread out from one another.

Economy – The Southern economy was almost entirely based on farming. Rice, indigo, tobacco, sugarcane, and cotton were cash crops. Crops were grown on large plantations where slaves and indentured servants worked the land. In fact, Charleston, South Carolina became one of the centers of the American slave trade in the 1700′s.

Important Founders:

James Oglethorpe (Georgia) As visionary, social reformer, and military leader, James Oglethorpe conceived of and implemented his plan to establish the colony of Georgia as a haven for debtors. His idea began when a friend was placed in prison for not being able to pay his debts which resulted in Oglethorpe’s friend dying of smallpoxs that he contracted from another prisoner. As a result, Oglethorpe began a campaign for prison reform. Prison reform did not, however, solve the larger plight of the large number of poor people in England. Oglethorpe and several colleagues from the jails committee began exploring the possibility of creating a new colony in America. They believed that if given a chance, England's "worthy poor" could be transformed into farmers, merchants, and artisans.

Above information from: http://mrstolentinohistory.weebly.com/southern-colonies.html