Who, how, and why the colonies were settled made a big difference in the lifestyles amongst the three different regions. These differences were became more pronounced when it came time to create a government that would include these people with different beliefs and livelihoods.
New England came into existence with the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620. Ten years later the Puritans came to New England for religious reasons as well. The climate and geography dictated the lives of the New England settlers. The rocky soil and cold winters enabled its residents to specialize in fishing, shipbuilding, and manufacturing metal goods.
The middle colonies were settled by several European nations in the middle of the 17th century. In the middle colonies there was much diversity in how the people lived, from the religion they practices to the food they ate to how they made their living. The middle colonies’ geography and climate dictated how the settlers lived there as well. The winters were cold, but the summers contained moderate temperatures, creating a great environment for growing many crops. The forests in this region provided timber. The land also contained many valuable minerals to be mined. Colonists who didn’t farm or mine, might become artisans who worked in the market towns.
