How Did Geography Affect The Chesapeake Economy

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In the 17th centuries early settlers came to America in the hope of taking their custom and traditions forward. However, the environment and geography brought changes to their lifestyles. Soon, people became to alter their pattern of living in the different colonies. During the 17th and 18th centuries, geography and the environment profoundly influenced the economic development and overall health and success of the two regions called the Chesapeake and the New England, which began to form in the early 17th century. The natural environment and the differences of life and lifestyle dictated by geography and resources determined the development of the regional economies. In New England, the lack of good soil and the colder climate made it difficult for the colonists to farm. For these reason, the major industries of tobacco that existed in the Chesapeake region did not …show more content…

Exports of tobacco rose to 10 million in 1660.(Henretta,54) There was a economic boom in the Chesapeake region as a result of the demand of tobacco.The geography in the Chesapeake region was great for farming and profiting off of. The people in the region had large slots of land. The climate of the region was warm and the land was fertile, which made it it easier for them to grow crops like tobacco and corns. The farmland was so large that they needed slaves and servants to work on the land. This need for labor brought about the slave trade in which African slaves were sold at high prices to rich plantation owners. In the Chesapeake region the ratio of indentured servants was above 40 percent. (Hawke, 120) SInce, more tobacco was cultivated the need for labor was high compared to the New England. The tobacco farming made Chesapeake different than the New England. Farming in New England can only be done “when the fields had

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