southern colonies

1. KEY ECONOMIC, POLITICAL
AND SOCIAL
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
SOUTHERN COLONIES
BY: HYSTORIAN VIVIANE HARLE

2. SOUTHERN COLONIES/ FOUNDERS
THE SOUTHERN COLONIES ARE MADE UP OF MARYLAND, VIRGINIA, NORTH
CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA. MARYLAND WAS FOUNDED BY LORD
BALTIMORE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ESPECIALLY FOR CATHOLICS. VIRGINIA WAS
FOUNDED BY THE VIRGINIA COMPANY OF LONDON WHICH WAS THE FIRST GROUP
TO SETTLE IN THE ENGLISH COLONIES, THEY SETTLED TO SEARCH FOR WEALTH
AND TO TRADE FOR GOODS. NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA
ORIGINALLY WERE ONE CAROLINA, BUT THEN IN 1739 THEY SPLIT INTO TWO
SEPARATE COLONIES. NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA WERE BOTH RULED BY
PROPRIETORS AND THE CAROLINAS WERE GIVEN AS A GIFT FOR THERE LOYALTY
TO KING CHARLES II. GEORGIA WAS FOUNDED BY JAMES OGLETHORPE BECAUSE HE
WANTED A PLACE WERE DEBTORS COULD PAY OF THERE DEBT AND START NEW.

3. ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
SOUTHERN COLONIES
THE SOUTHERN COLONIES ARE MOSTLY MADE UP OF AGRICULTURE AND A LOT
OF PLANTATIONS. BECAUSE OF ITS GREAT SOIL IT HAS A LOT OF CASH CROPS.
BUT BECAUSE OF ITS SUCCESSFUL FARMING IT NEEDED A LOT OF LABORERS TO
DO THE WORK. THIS LEAD TO SLAVERY IN THE SOUTHERN COLONIES.

4. GOVERNMENT IN THE SOUTHERN COLONIES
THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SOUTH STARTED IN VIRGINIA. THE VIRGINIA HOUSE OF
BURGESSES WAS THE FIRST FORM OF GOVERNMENT IN ALL THE ENGLISH
COLONIES. THE VIRGINIA HOUSE OF BURGESSES WAS A REPRESENTATIVE
GOVERNMENT WHICH IS A GOVERNMENT RUN BY THE PEOPLE AND IT GIVES
VOTING RIGHTS AS WELL.

5. SLAVERY IN THE SOUTHERN COLONIES
BECAUSE OF LARGE PLANTATIONS IN THE SOUTH LABORERS WERE NEEDED MORE
OFTEN. SO PEOPLE WOULD TRAVEL TO AFRICA IN LARGE SLAVE SHIPS TO GATHER
HUNDREDS OF SLAVES AT A TIME, AND THE SLAVES WOULD BE TREATED THE
WORST OF CONDITIONS LIKE CATTLE AND BE ABUSED ON THE SHIP AND ON THE
PLANTATION. THE SLAVES WERE ABUSED TO THE POINT OF DEATH AND THEY
RATHER HAVE DIED THAN LIVE. THIS WAS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT THE
AMERICAN CIVIL WAR HAPPENED.

6. THOUGH THE SOUTHERN COLONIES HAD
SLAVERY THEY ARE STILL IMPORTANT IN
THE AMERICAN HISTORY TO THIS DAY