SECTION 3: Comparing Regional Cultures
▲ In a portrait by John Singleton Copley, Paul Revere holds a silver teapot.
Silver mug ►
WITNESS HISTORY 
AUDIO
Paul Revere: A Silversmith
Paul Revere is best remembered as a Patriot during the American Revolution. But even before the Revolution, Revere made outstanding contributions to the growing colonial economy. Like most boys, Revere learned a trade. His father taught him to be a silversmith, and when Revere achieved master craftsman status, he produced fine works of silver. Silver working was just one of his talents. Revere also learned to engrave copper plates for printing, make surgical instruments, clean teeth and replace missing teeth, and make and sell eyeglasses. After the American Revolution, Revere opened a hardware store, foundry, and a copper-rolling mill.
Clever and ambitious business owners like Revere contributed to a growing colonial economy. His contributions were acknowledged in his obituary, which read in part, “seldom has the tomb closed upon a life so honorable and useful.”
Objectives
- Explain the impact of geography on the economies of the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies.
- Compare and contrast differences in the social structure of the three major colonial regions.
- Describe the cultural life in the British colonies.
Terms and People
- staple crop
- cash crop
- dame school
NoteTaking
Reading Skill: Compare and Contrast Complete a chart like this one comparing the three regions of the 13 colonies.
| New England | Middle Colonies | Southern Colonies | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy |
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| Society |
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Why It Matters By the early 1700s, the economic and social foundations of Britain’s 13 colonies were in place. As the colonies developed, three distinct regions emerged, each with its own economic and social structure: New England, the Middle Colonies, and the South. Despite their differences, the regions were part of Britain’s North American empire. Later in the eighteenth century, events would cause the colonies to unite against a common cause: British rule. Section Focus Question: How did life differ in each of the three main regions of the British colonies?
Regional Economic Patterns
The vast majority of people in the 13 colonies made their living as farmers. Other than shipbuilding and some ironworks, the colonies lacked industries. The few small cities were all seaports that focused on trade with England.
In spite of these broad similarities, the colonies had by the mid-1700s developed important regional distinctions. Variations in geography and climate helped explain the differences between life in New England, the Middle Colonies, and the South.
New England
New England is an area with cold winters, a short growing season, and a rugged landscape. For these reasons, New Englanders could not raise the crops most in demand by Europeans: tobacco, sugar, rice, and indigo. Instead, most New Englanders worked
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