Geography’s Impact on British Colonies
In order for the British colonies in North America to thrive and develop, four key elements were necessary. First, a relatively even topography with fertile land and a steady source with availability of natural resources. Second, a proper climate and weather suitable for the growth of crops. Third, accessibility to ports and roads, to facilitate trade and transport of crops, goods, and people. Fourth, the access to labor to work on plantations, and to grow and sustain crops. The Colonists on the Eastern seaboard, where the English had settled, had an variety of these four elements, and by having them they were able to thrive and develop. These four elements are directly linked to the geography of the British colonies, and therefore, without the right geography, the British colonists would have struggled to grow and develop successfully. The British colonial footprint on the Atlantic seaboard in the 1600's stretched from the North (modern day Massachusetts and Rhode Island), to the South (modern day Maryland, Virginias, and Carolinas). This vast geographical space did have variations in topography and climate, but the colonists were able to adapt and utilize these variations to their advantage and build a thriving colony stretching across the North and the South.
The access and availability of food and natural resources was the first and the most important element in the settlement of colonies. In the South, the land was very fertile, which meant that the colonists were be able to farm and grow crops easily ensuring a steady supply of food. In the North on the other hand, the soil was relatively infertile and rocky. The colonists in the North could not undertake commercial farming. Even though the soil in the South was much more fertile the, North had an abundance of natural resources. This enabled colonists in the North to provide themselves with a steady supply of food in different ways other than farming. For...