The Middle Colonies included New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Farmers in these colonies prospered due to rich soil, a mild climate, and long growing seasons. They produced surplus crops like grains to sell for profit, earning the region the name "bread basket colonies." Major port cities like Philadelphia and New York developed where farmers shipped their goods via rivers to be exported. Life in the Middle Colonies was diverse, with people of many religions and backgrounds living together in a spirit of cooperation.

1. The Middle Colonies
Chapter 6 section 2
Pages 157-162

2. The middle colonies:
• Included:
– New York
– Pennsylvania
– New Jersey
– Delaware

3. Farming
• Farmers in the middle colonies had many
advantages:
– Rich soil
– Mild climate
– Long growing season
– Deep rivers

4. Crops for sale
• Because of good soil
and climate people
could produce crops to
sell
• These became known
as Cash Crops- crops
grown to sell for profit
• They produced so
much grain they
became known as the
bread basket colonies

5. Port cities
• Many farmers in the
middle colonies
shipped their goods
through Philadelphia
and New York
• They shipped them
via the Delaware
river and the Hudson
river

6. Conestoga Wagon
• Many of the Pennsylvania Dutch utilized the
Conestoga wagon
• It was:
– Larger
– More sturdy
– Covered
– Large wheels

7. New York farmers
• Owning land was very important to the
colonists
• 5 families owned most of the land (their
estates could cover up to 2 million acres)
• The owner or Patroon ran their estates like
tiny kingdoms
• People who farmed the land had to pay rent

8. Business, Trade, and Cities
Page 159

9. Cities Grow Quickly
• By the mid 1700’s Philadelphia and New York
were the two largest cities in the colonies
• They were important trading and
manufacturing centers
• Cities were a contrast to the quiet countryside
– Streets were paved with brick or cobblestone
– They were lined with shops and inns
– Crowds of people spoke many languages

10. A different kind of community:
• The middle colonies were settled by people
from many countries with different:
– Beliefs
– Customs
– languages

11. Many Religions:
• The colonies did not have any single religion that
was more powerful then the others
• Religions included
– Roman catholic
– Jewish
– Amish
– Mennonite
– Calvinists
– Quaker
– Lutherans

12. Country Customs and Fun
• People worked together to:
– Clear land
– Barn raising
– Sheep shearing
– Quilting

13. The Frontier
• Early colonists settled along the Atlantic coast
and the banks of large rivers
• As more people arrived they moved further
inland
• Frontier- a thinly settled area on the outer
limits of the colonies
• For the middle colonies the frontier was the
foothills of the Appalachian Mountains

14. People on the frontier
• People who settled here were mainly seeking
new adventure and freedom
• They had to partake in extra chores like:
– Cutting logs for their house and fires
– Make furniture
– Make candles
– Make clothes
– Educate their children

15. Dangers on the frontier
• Because families on the frontier all faced
many dangers and hardships:
– They gained a spirit of independence and equality
– Women worked alongside men
– Different culture groups shared thoughts and
ideas
– There were no social class distinctions