Comparing and Contrasting Northern and Southern Colonies.
For this paper I chose to compare and contrast the Colonies of the North and South in the New World. Although they were related in some aspects, the different religious, economic and nationality influences made them very different.
The North and South were very unlike, especially before the American Revolution. The South had the least urbanization, so their economy had less variety. The crops that came out of the South were mostly rice, tobacco and indigo, which the Europeans favored. Although this seems like a small amount of crops, the tobacco industry was very strong at the time. In contrast, the Northern colonies had much less arable farm land, so their economy could not be like the Southern economy (based on crops). The North instead relied on industry. The few things Northern farmers could get out of the miserable soil were cattle, apples, grain and corn. People settled the North and South with the same goal in mind; grow and make a living, and each region had its strengths and weaknesses (land for agriculture vs. land for industry). .
The North and South were similar in that they were influenced by religious beliefs; however, the religions practiced were very different. The Northerners practiced more than seven different religions. These included Methodists, Roman Catholics, Quakers, and the Amish. Southern colonies had much less religious diversity. A majority were Anglican, but some were Baptists, Presbyterians, or Moravians. The great diversity of religions among colonies forced people to develop strong religious tolerance, allowing feelings of Nationalism to develop.
Social Structure of the North and South varied. The people of the north based lifestyle on equality, unlike the Southern colonies. The Southerners had a 3-part social structure: There were few wealthy landowners who stayed close to the aristocracy of England, the middle class farmers, and the slaves.
