What were the main similarities and differences between the three colonial regions

David O. answered • 09/08/20

Make History come Alive

In terms of similarities, the northern and southern colonies shared some basic structural and social institutions that were in place for much of British North America. They each would have a colonial legislature, though the details for each one would vary. By the 18th Century, at least one variant of Protestant Christianity would be the predominant faith of all 13 colonies that would eventually become the United States. Perhaps most important of all, slavery was legal in all 13 of those colonies.

For differences, there are many differences that are more by degree rather than in absolutes. It's easier to split those differences into overall topics.

1. Slavery: Though slavery was legal and in practice in all 13 colonies, the number of slaves as well as their percentage of the overall population in each colony were substantially higher in the southern colonies than in the northern ones. This owes almost entirely to the large-scale presence of export agriculture, otherwise known as the plantation system, in the South, meaning that a set of crops (initially tobacco, rice, and indigo dyes) were produced essentially on an industrial scale for transport back to Britain or anywhere else in the world where they could wind up. This system had already been in use in the British colonies in the Caribbean for the cultivation and transport of sugar, the most significant trade good of the 18th Century, and now it had been brought over to the southern colonies that had more coastal plain land that could be used for such export agriculture than was present in the North. Between the difference in suitable terrain for export agriculture as well as the differing social structures of each colony (which I will refer to in a later point), these were some of the primary reasons for the difference in how many slaves lived in each part of British North America.
2. Social/Economic Structure: Generally speaking, the southern colonies bore a closer resemblance to the existing social structure back in Britain with a small percentage of wealthy landowners at the top of society with a great mass of people below them. This included not only the aforementioned slaves but also a great number of indentured servants as well as smaller yeoman farmers who typically moved further inland. While there was still social stratification as well as slavery in the northern colonies, there was a relatively greater share of what we would call middle class people as well as those who participated in sectors other than agriculture. This was especially the case in New England, whose initial colonists had disproportionately come from middle class British families compared to the other colonies.
3. Urbanization: Between the export agriculture and small scale yeoman farmers in the South, those colonies typically had far fewer urban areas than were present in the North. Neither the export agriculture system nor the yeoman farmers were conducive toward the creation of larger social centers that would be necessary for early towns or cities. There were only a few major exceptions to this such as Charleston in South Carolina and Baltimore in Maryland. By comparison, the diversity of trades as well as the larger share of middle class residents made cities more likely in the North, though those colonies were still largely rural as well.
4. Religion: Once again, generally speaking, the leading citizens in the southern colonies brought with them the Anglican Church of England, and many political leaders were also leading members of their parish community, including religious dissenters such as President Thomas Jefferson. By comparison, the religious picture in the North was, relatively speaking, more mixed. A cornucopia of various religious groups (once again, usually Protestant Christian) settled in different parts of the northern colonies, including Congregationalists in New England, Quakers in Pennsylvania, etc. This wasn't to the exclusion of the Church of England, but such groups had a larger presence in the northern colonies.
5. Ethnicity: Beyond the African American slaves as well as free people that were already mentioned, the ethnic background of the colonies varied as well. In the South as well as New England, the primary ethnic groups of European arrivals generally came from the British Isles (English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish). Within the middle colonies such as New York and Pennsylvania, there were other ethnic groups that had arrived as well both before the British as well as later on, including the Dutch in New York as well as Germans in Pennsylvania. The Dutch would leave a significant cultural impact on New York as they had been the chief forerunners of a more Capitalistic economic and cultural system that would form the bedrock of New York's self-conception. The Germans in Pennsylvania as well as the Quakers would form a significant share of the roots for a decent share of the Midwest. Once again, there were many people in the middle colonies who came from the British Isles as well, but the overall percentage was lower.

Joaquin B. answered • 09/08/20

Experienced Ivy League tutor specializing in Test Prep and Mathematics

There are a few key differences between the Northern and the Southern Colonies:

1. The Northern Colonies (Particularly the group of colonies known as New England) were initially settled for religious reasons (think Pilgrims). The Southern Colonies were mostly settled for economic reasons (plantation agriculture. Georgia was established as a colony for debtors).
2. The Economy of the Northern Colonies was based on manufacturing (especially shipbuilding) and trade. The Southern colonies developed an economy built on Plantation agriculture (Rice and Indigo in SC and GA, Tobacco in Virginia and Maryland).
3. The Southern Colonies developed a larger dependence on slavery due to the plantation system.
4. The Northern colonies became more urbanised, largely because of the trade based economy. The cities of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia were the largest in the colonies.