The middle classes of colonial America consisted mostly of yeomanfarmers and skilled craftsmen.Differentiate between the economic activities of the middle classes of the New England, midAtlantic,and Southern colonies
In an agriculturebasedeconomy, most of the middle class was engaged in some type of farming,with yeoman farmersowning their own land and supporting families on its products.In cities, those in the middle class were skilled craftsmen and artisans.Economic patterns in the MidAtlanticregion were similar to those in New England, with somevariations for the ethnic origins of various immigrant communities.The Southern Colonies were mainly dominated by the wealthy planters but manysmall subsistence farms were family owned and operated.animal husbandryAnimal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.yeomanA former class of small freeholders who farm their own land; a commoner of good standing.craftsmenAn artisan or craftsman (craftsperson) is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may befunctional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewelry, household items, and toolsor even machines such as the handmade devices of a watchmaker.Give us feedback on this content:FULL TEXT [ edit ]The Colonial Middle ClassNew England: Farmers, Craftsmen, MerchantsIn New England, the Puritans created selfgoverningcommunities ofreligious congregations of farmers (yeomen) and their families. Highlevelpoliticians gaveout plots of land to male settlers, or proprietors, who then divided the land amongthemselves. Every white man was intended to have enough land to support a family.Most New England parents tried to help their sons establish farms of their own. When sonsmarried, fathers gave them gifts of land, livestock, or farming equipment; daughters receivedhousehold goods, farm animals, and/or cash. Families increased their productivity byexchanging goods and labor with each other. They loaned livestock and grazing land to oneanother and worked together to spin yarn, sew quilts, and shuck corn. Migration, agriculturalinnovation, and economic cooperation were creative measures that preserved New England'syeoman society until the 19 century.By 1750, a variety of artisans, shopkeepers, and merchants provided services to the growingfarming population. Blacksmiths, wheelwrights, and furniture makers set up shops in ruralvillages. There they built and repaired goods needed by farm families.MidAtlanticEconomic patterns in the MidAtlanticregion were very similar to those in New England,with some variations for the ethnic origins of various immigrant communities. Forinstance, German immigrants were renowned for their skill with animal husbandry andwomen in German immigrant communities worked in the fields.Before 1720, most colonists in the midAtlanticregion worked with smallscalefarming andpaid for imported manufactures by supplying the West Indies with corn and flour. In NewYork, a furpeltexport trade to Europe flourished adding additional wealth to the region.After 1720, midAtlanticfarming was stimulated by the international demand for wheat. Athmassive population explosion in Europe brought wheat prices up. By 1770, a bushel of wheatcost twice as much as it did in 1720. Farmers also expanded their production of flax seed andcorn, since flax was in high demand in the Irish linen industry and a demand for corn existedin the West Indies.
