![]() ![]() They emphasized subsistence farming to grow food for their large families. Outside the plantations, land was farmed by independent farmers who rented from the proprietors, or (most often) owned it outright. The main feature of the economy in Virginia, Maryland and South Carolina was large plantations growing staples for export, especially tobacco and rice. Nearly all were at least third-generation natives. New Jersey and Delaware had a majority of British with 20% German-descended colonists, about a 6% black population, and a small contingent of Swedish descendants of New Sweden. The rest were mostly English with a mixture of other Europeans and about 6% Blacks. New Jersey was home to the remaining Dutch and they constituted 14% of the population of 140,000. By 1780 about 27% of New York's population were descendants of Dutch settlers (55,000 of 204,000). These settlers were of about 60% German and 33% English extraction. Many more settlers arrived in the middle colonies starting in about 1680, when Pennsylvania was founded, and many Protestant sects were encouraged to settle there for freedom of religion and good, cheap land. The main commercial center of Philadelphia was run mostly by prosperous Quakers, supplemented by many small farming and trading communities with strong German contingents located in the Delaware River valley. Pennsylvania was dominated by the Quakers for decades after they emigrated there, mainly from the North Midlands of England, from about 1680 to 1725. The Dutch-started colony of New York had an eclectic collection of residents from many different nations and prospered as a major trading and commercial center after about 1700. 1626 by Dutch, taken over by the English in 1664) and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (est. The middle colonies' settlements were scattered west of New York City, New York (est. The rapid growth of the New England colonies (total population ≈700,000 by 1790) was almost entirely due to the high birth rate (>3%) and low death rate (<1%) per year. Emigration to the New England colonies after 1640 and the start of the English Civil War decreased to less than 1% (about equal to the death rate) in nearly all years before 1845. The eastern and northern frontier around the initial New England settlements was mainly settled by the Yankee descendants of the original New Englanders. New England's healthy climate (the cold winters killed mosquitoes and other disease-bearing insects), and abundant food supply resulted in the lowest death rate and highest birth rate of any place in the world (marriage was expected and birth control was not, and a much higher than average number of children and mothers survived). Shipbuilding, commerce, and fisheries were important in coastal towns. They were mostly farmers and settled in small villages for common religious activity. The New England colonists included some educated men as well as many skilled farmers, tradesmen and craftsmen. Nearly all colonies and, later, states in the United States were settled by migration from another colony or state, as foreign immigration usually only played a minor role after first initial settlements were established. They established their own popularly elected governments and courts and were mostly self-governing, self-supporting, and self-replicating. They nearly all used English Common Law as their basic code of law and, except for the French, Dutch and Germans spoke some dialect of English. Probably close to 80% of the families owned the land they lived and farmed on. Most settlements were created by complete family groups with several generations often present. Most settlements were nearly independent of trade with Britain as most grew or made nearly everything they needed-the average cost of imports for most households was only about 5-15 English pounds per year. Nearly all non-Native American commercial activity was run in small privately owned businesses with good credit both at home and in England being essential since they were often cash poor. ![]() Main articles: History of immigration to the United States and Colonial history of the United States English transfer-printed Staffordshire pottery jug with US population by state, c. ![]()
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