How the Early Colonists Gained Their Independence

The southern colonies were slightly more religious. Being ruled by the Church of Englands Catholics, still religion only played a minor role in politics and economy. The New England colonies, however, were incredibly religious than its counterparts. Throughout the New England colonies, religion was strictly Calvinist and superstitious Puritans dictated politics, economy, and even the social lives of colonists. .
             The economy and local government of each of the regions was significantly different from one another. The southern colonies owned a plantation supported economy with their cash crops being tobacco and rice with little other industry crafts. Because of the major growth in plantations, this initiated a dependence on slaves. Most people lived on small and large plantations which led to the rule of the wealthy at the country level. Southern colonies used counties as a system of local government. Sheriffs were also appointed by the governor. The middle and New England colonies economy and local government, on the other hand, were set to a much smaller scale. The middle colonies earned most of their money through small farms which relied much on indentured servants to produce their cash crop corn and wheat. Farmers would also raise livestock. Mining and trading were other ways the middle colonies created a more stable economy. Those who lived in the middle colonies lived in small dispersed settlements that encouraged the growth of county government. Local government was a mixture of town meetings and county governments as opposed to the southern colonies which relied on country governments alone. Finally, the New England colonies comprise of small family run farms and merchants which created little need for indentured servants or slaves compared to the middle and southern colonies which relied on one or the other. Boatbuilding, whaling, lumber, and fishing were all major contributors to the New England colonies.