One important motive for colonization was religious freedom and reprieve from persecution. Although it was rare to find absolute religious freedom, many southern colonies provided tolerance for certain religious groups. Virginia provided its colonists with some religious freedom, but many of its settlers remained members of the Church of England. Maryland was created as a safe haven, which provided Catholics with religious freedom and freedom from persecution. It was founded by Lord Baltimore, a wealthy Catholic aristocrat. The local representative assembly also passed the Act of Toleration, which granted religious freedom to all Christians but did not tolerate Jews and Atheists. South Carolina was an Anglican dominant colony; it was, however, a very diverse community, providing Protestants with refuge and protection, allowing a great amount of religious toleration. North Carolina was thought to be the most liberal of all the five southern colonies; it gave its people a great amount of independence and religious freedom. The colonists of North Carolina were thought to be irreligious and immoral. Georgia also allowed a great deal of religious freedom. It served as a safe haven for all Christian worshipers, except Catholics. It is apparent therefore that among the southern colonies settlers seeking religious freedoms could find safety and refuge. .
The use of slave labor was prominent in the ever-expanding colonies. The growth and prosperity of the plantation economy required a large number of laborers to cultivate the land. It was more efficient for large plantation owners to buy imported slaves than to employ poor farmers. The large tobacco plantations of Virginia made it among the first southern colonies to exploit African Americans for the purpose of slave labor. Slave labor was prominent on Maryland tobacco plantations as well. Slaves were imported in increasingly large numbers and soon accounted for a considerable portion of the population.