Assignment
Geography was the primary factor in shaping the development of the British colonies in North America. Assess the validity of this statement for the 1660s.

Response
Out of all the factors involved in creating the colonies and shaping the lifestyle of the people living in them, geography is the biggest factor of all of them. Geography influences everything about a settlement, affecting living conditions, food, architecture, economy, and a lot of other things. In the New England region, the geography affected the settlers in many
ways, mostly harsh and unforgiving. The colonists in New England colonists had to face harsh and cold winters and mild summers. Most of the land was hilly and mountainous and the soil was very rocky, which made farming hard. New England
adopted the Puritan religion to purify Christianity. Since farming was very difficult and provided no income the settlers had to base their economy on the ocean.
The most important source was Fishing but others such as logging, whaling, and shipbuilding. New England was also part of the Triangular Trade. This was a term used to describe trade between three regions of the world. New England was
involved by buying slaves and trading them for rum in Africa, then selling them to West Indies for molasses. As you go a bit south to the middle colonies, you find that the climate is temperate with warm Summers, and cold Winters. The geography of the area ranges from coastal plains to mountains. The middle colonies were ideal for shipping and farming. Farming included crops such as wheat, oats and rye, thus providing the nickname “Bread Basket." As opposed to just one religion in New England, the middle colonies were more diverse including Catholics, Jews, Quakers, etc. The economy was also diverse, providing a lot of different ways to gain money obtain/sell goods. Logging, shipping, textile creation, papermaking were just some of the different things you could do outside...