1. USI.5b: Colonial Regions
Social Studies Instructional Specialist
Portsmouth Public Schools

2. Essential Knowledge
Life
in the colonies reflected the
geographical features of the settlements.
Economic
specialization and
interdependence existed in the
production of goods and services in the
colonies.

3. Essential Questions
How
did climate and geographic features
and other available resources distinguish
the three regions from each other?
How did people use the natural
resources of their region to earn a living?
What are the benefits of specialization
and trade?
How did political and social life evolve in
each of the three regions?

4. Economic Terms
Resources:
natural, capital, human
Specialization: focusing on one or more
products
Interdependence: two or more people
depending on each other for goods and
services.
Specialization
made the colonies
interdependent.

5. Colonial Regions
 The
three colonial
regions are:
 New England (New
Hampshire, Rhode
Island, Massachusetts,
Connecticut)
 Middle/Mid-Atlantic
(New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware)
 Southern (Maryland,
Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia)

6. New England: Resources
Natural
resources:
timber, fish, deep
harbors

7. New England: Resources
Human
resources:
skilled craftsmen,
shopkeepers,
shipbuilders
Candle maker

8. New England: Geography and
Climate
Appalachian
Mountains, Boston
Harbor, hilly terrain,
rocky soil, jagged
coastline.
Moderate
summers,
cold winters

9. New England: Geography and
Climate
Boston Harbor

10. New England: Geography and
Climate

11. New England: Specialization
Fishing,
shipbuilding,
industry, naval
supplies
What items would be needed to supply
ships? (Food, weapons, ammunition,
clothing, soap, etc. These items are
part of the naval supplies industry.)

12. New England: Specialization

13. New England: Examples of
Interdependence
New
England
depended on the
Southern colonies
for raw materials
such as cotton and
on the Middle
Colonies for grain
and livestock.

14. New England: Social/Political and
Civic Life
Social/Political:
Village and church as
the center of life.
Religious reformers
and separatists.
Civic Life: Town
meetings

15. New England: Social/Political and
Civic Life
Town hall
Church
In the New England communities, if
you did not belong to the village
church, you were excluded from town
meetings and votes. Many times the
leader of the church led the village.

16. Mid Atlantic: Resources
Natural
resources:
rich farmlands, rivers.

17. Mid Atlantic: Resources
Human
resources:
unskilled and skilled
workers, fishermen.

18. Mid Atlantic: Geography and
Climate
Appalachian
Mountains, coastal
lowlands, harbors
and bays, wide and
deep rivers.
Mild
winters and
moderate climate.

19. Mid Atlantic: Specialization
Livestock,
grain, fish.

20. Mid Atlantic: Examples of
Interdependence
The
Mid Atlantic
colonies traded with
both New England
and Southern
colonies to get the
products they did
not produce.

21. Mid Atlantic: Social/Political and
Civic Life
Social/Political:
villages and cities
varied; diverse
lifestyles, diverse
religions.
Civic
Life: Market
towns
Market town

22. South: Resources
Natural
resources:
fertile land, rivers,
harbors.

23. South: Resources
Human
resources:
farmers, enslaved
African Americans

24. South: Specialization
Tobacco,
Indigo
cotton, indigo, wood products.
Cotton

25. South: Specialization
Tobacco
Wood products

26. South: Examples of
Interdependence
The
Southern
colonies depended
on the New England
colonies for
manufactured goods,
including tools and
equipment.

27. South: Social/Political and Civic Life
Social/Political:
Plantations, slavery,
mansions, indentured
servants, few cities,
few schools, Church
of England.
Civic
Life: counties