New England / Middle / South
Geography / Rocky soil
Harsh winters
Short growing seasons
Many trees
Ports / Fertile soil
Ports
Rivers
Forests
Moderate climate / Good soil
Humid
Long growing seasons
Flat terrain
Development / Diverse economy
Lumber shipbuilding, fishing, trading
Diverse professions
Small farms only
Towns/communities / Bread colonies
Beaver colonies
Fur trade
Lumber
Medium farms
Some industry and commerce
Trade and shipping / Large plantations
Headright system
Cash crops (tobacco, rice, indigo)
Reliance on large labor force
Planter aristocracy
Social stratification
Slavery
Fear of slave rebellion
Isolated, rural communities
Other factors / Religion / Proprietor ownership / Motivations for money (joint stock)

Sample #1

The colonies of British North America developed distinct characteristics throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. New England’s rocky soil and harsh climate limited farming and encouraged the development of a diverse economy and close knit communities. The fertile soil, sea ports, and rivers of the Middle Colonies allowed them to evolve into the “bread and beaver” colonies, focusing heavily on the production of grains and development of commerce. The colonies of the Chesapeake and Deep South profited from their fertile soil and long growing season, and cash crops like tobacco, rice, and indigo soon created a socially stratified, slave society. Thus, geography laid the groundwork for the growth of each of these three regions and was the primary factor in the development of colonial America.

Sample #2

The colonies of British North America developed distinct characteristics throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. While the fertile soil and long growing seasons of the Chesapeake allowed for the emergence of tobacco as a cash crop - and with it a socially stratified, slave society - the desire for wealth of the early colonists played an equally significant role in the colony’s development. The fertile soil, seaports, and rivers of the Middle Colonies allowed them to evolve into the “bread and beaver” colonies, with a diversity of both economy and population encouraged by colonial proprietors. New England’s rocky soil and harsh climate limited farming, prompting a diverse economy and close knit communities, but their religious motivations for settlement played the most shaping role in the colony’s development. Thus, while geography laid the groundwork for the growth of Chesapeake, Middle, and New England colonies, the motives of the earliest colonists played an equally significant role in shaping the distinct colonial societies.