The Influence of the Climate in the Southern Colonies
The climate in the south, along with its geography, greatly influenced the development of families and the economy. People living in the South had short lifespans due to the hot, humid climate producing a variety of diseases. Additionally, due to the unfortunate lack of women, family life proved to be a herculean task. However, despite the health and family issues in the South, a strong economy made of cash crops like tobacco, indigo, and rice was established. The humid climate that crippled lifespan also turned out to be one of the most ideal climates for crops like tobacco to grow. Although life in the South was relatively short compared to England, many people, attracted by the large …show more content…
The disease-bearing climate of the southern colonies turned out to be one of the best climates for growing major cash crops such as tobacco, indigo, and rice. The demand for cash crops led to the creation of many plantations. Initially, these plantations relied on indentured servitude. However, eventually, a slave system was established. Slaves were more effective than indentured servants because they had more natural resistance to diseases in the South compared to indentured servants. More importantly, slaves did not have to be freed by their owners after a period of time. Over time, the rich members of the South came to own sprawling plantations, where up to hundreds of slaves toiled in the hot sun to harvest cash crops. Smaller farmers were also scattered throughout the country, most of them owning few or no slaves. Different colonies planted different cash crops due to differences in climate and geography. Tobacco, which was easy to plant and highly profitable, was mainly planted in Virginia and Maryland. By 1630, Virginia alone produced nearly 1.5 million pounds of tobacco annually and by the end of the century, that number increased to nearly 40 million pounds. However, tobacco was not without its downsides. The tobacco plant consumed large amounts of nitrogen to grow. As a result, each year, successive tobacco harvests from the same location diminished. Further south, the Carolinas profited off of rice and indigo. Due to the high amount of labor required to cultivate rice and indigo, slavery became extremely popular in the Carolinas. Overall, the economy in the South was primarily composed of a variety of cash crops, which led to the development of the plantation system and slavery. The South’s economy, while not very diverse, was high successful and
The climate in the south, along with its geography, greatly influenced the development of families and the economy. People living in the South had short lifespans due to the hot, humid climate producing a variety of diseases. Additionally, due to the unfortunate lack of women, family life proved to be a herculean task. However, despite the health and family issues in the South, a strong economy made of cash crops like tobacco, indigo, and rice was established. The humid climate that crippled lifespan also turned out to be one of the most ideal climates for crops like tobacco to grow. Although life in the South was relatively short compared to England, many people, attracted by the large …show more content…
The disease-bearing climate of the southern colonies turned out to be one of the best climates for growing major cash crops such as tobacco, indigo, and rice. The demand for cash crops led to the creation of many plantations. Initially, these plantations relied on indentured servitude. However, eventually, a slave system was established. Slaves were more effective than indentured servants because they had more natural resistance to diseases in the South compared to indentured servants. More importantly, slaves did not have to be freed by their owners after a period of time. Over time, the rich members of the South came to own sprawling plantations, where up to hundreds of slaves toiled in the hot sun to harvest cash crops. Smaller farmers were also scattered throughout the country, most of them owning few or no slaves. Different colonies planted different cash crops due to differences in climate and geography. Tobacco, which was easy to plant and highly profitable, was mainly planted in Virginia and Maryland. By 1630, Virginia alone produced nearly 1.5 million pounds of tobacco annually and by the end of the century, that number increased to nearly 40 million pounds. However, tobacco was not without its downsides. The tobacco plant consumed large amounts of nitrogen to grow. As a result, each year, successive tobacco harvests from the same location diminished. Further south, the Carolinas profited off of rice and indigo. Due to the high amount of labor required to cultivate rice and indigo, slavery became extremely popular in the Carolinas. Overall, the economy in the South was primarily composed of a variety of cash crops, which led to the development of the plantation system and slavery. The South’s economy, while not very diverse, was high successful and