Life in Colonial America

By 1700, more than 250,000 people of European origin or descent lived within what is now the United States. These settlers covered much of the eastern seaboard. Each region of colonization was economically and socially distinct, as each area developed differently based on geography, immigration trends, and other factors. The New England Colonies The New England colonies spanned modern-day Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. New England's economy centered on small farming, fishing, and home …

…in size and demand for workers increased, slavery became the preferred source of labor: it proved economically profitable and eased the class struggles. Slavery was officially sanctioned by law in 1660. At this time, fewer than 1,000 slaves lived in Maryland and Virginia. Over the next forty years, that number grew to nearly 20,000. Slavery later spread to the Carolinas, and by the early eighteenth century it was so entrenched in these areas that slaves outnumbered free whites.