Comparison on New England and the Southern Colonies

The culture and economy in New England was centered on family, the Puritan lifestyle, and the coasts; culture and economy in the South was centered on large plantations, cash crops, and who had the most land and slaves. In the South those who had the biggest plantations and the most slaves were at the top of the social ladder and also at the top of the economy. Below those people were the farmers, who were the largest social group in the South. Even lower than them were landless whites and last, the slaves. Small towns were prevalent in the South, these were organized around very large plantations. The South was very hot, plagued by disease and mosquitoes; which is why Southerners needed Africans to do their labor. As a result of living in such unhealthy conditions many men died young, so a women would often be left with a family to raise. Women were generally allowed to keep their property.
In New England the culture was based around family, the various Churches (mostly Puritan) and safety in numbers from the natives and other nation's colonies. Since the land would only support a small number of crops and in small amounts the New Englanders had to rely on the resources the land offered. Their economy consisted of mainly cod fishing, timber, and livestock. There were more cities in New England than in the South, yet most of society was built around small villages and farms. The Church was often the clue that held communities together as they all shared such deep belief in their faith. Families were the center of New England life,they were often large because women bore many children and many lived to be adults. Since so many people lived to an old age, women were usually taken care of their whole lives and signed away their rights to property once married. Education was valued in New England, most adults could read and write. New Englanders respected hard work and often penny-pinched so as not to waste anything.
In both the South and New England colonies people generally did the same thing. They woke at dawn, slept at dusk. The men worked the land, cut firewood, and butchered animals. The women cooked, cleaned, sewed, and tended to children. The children helped with everything, learning all the while. Most people were from the same social class in England, so even though there were attempts; a real social caste was never established.