Download The Middle Colonies flourished economically due to

The Middle Colonies flourished economically due to fertile soil, broad
navigable rivers, and abundant forests.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Examine how geography shaped the economy of the Middle Colonies.
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
Commerce in the Middle Colonies revolved around sawmills and gristmills, the textile
industry, pig iron and its products, printing, publishing, and papermaking.
Abundant forests attracted both the lumbering andshipbuilding industries to the Middle
Colonies.
While the Middle Colonies had far more industry than the Southern Colonies, they still did not
rival the industry of New England.
William Penn's colony also became a major producer of pig iron and its products, including
the Pennsylvania long rifle and the Conestoga wagon.
TERMS [ edit ]
Conestoga wagon
A heavy, broad­wheeled covered wagon that was used extensively during the late 18th century and
the 19th century in the United States. It was named after the "Conestoga River" or "Conestoga
Township" in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and is thought to have been introduced by
Mennonite German settlers.
Dutch East India Company
A chartered company established in 1602, when the States­General of the Netherlands granted it
a 21­year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia.
pig iron
The intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high­carbon fuel such as coke, usually with
limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite have also been used as fuel.
Give us feedback on this content: FULL TEXT [ edit ]
The Middle Colonies comprised the middle region of the Thirteen Colonies of the British
Empire in North America. During the American Revolution, the Middle Colonies became
independent of Britain as the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware.
The partly unglaciated Middle Colonies enjoyed fertile soil vastly different from the nearby
New England colonies, which contained more rocky soil. Because of the large
grain exportsresulting from this soil, the colonies came to be known as the Bread Basket
Colonies. Pennsylvania became a leading exporter of wheat, corn, rye, hemp, and flax,
making it the leading food producer in the colonies (and later states) between the years of
1725 and 1840 . Broad navigable rivers of relaxed current like the Susquehanna River, the
Delaware River, and the Hudson River attracted diverse business. Fur trappers moved along
these rivers, and there was enough flow to enable milling with water wheel power.
Flax Wheel
A flax wheel
Abundant forests attracted both the lumbering and shipbuilding industries to the Middle
Colonies. These industries, along with the presence of deep river estuaries, led to the
appearance of important ports like New York andPhiladelphia. While the Middle Colonies
had far more industry than the Southern Colonies, they still did not rival the industry of New
England. In Pennsylvania, sawmills and gristmills were abundant, and the textile industry
grew quickly. The colony also became a major producer of pig iron and its products,
including the Pennsylvania long rifle and the Conestoga wagon. Other important industries
included printing, publishing, and the related industry of papermaking.
The Netherlands granted an exclusive patent for trade in theNew World to the Dutch East
India Company. This monopolywould be valid for 4 voyages, all of which had to be
undertaken within three years after the patent was awarded. Soon after, traders built Ft.
Nassau in the area of present­day Albany.