The Middle Colonies

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The geography of the Middle Colonies was a mixture of the Southern and New England colonies. There was fertile soil and the land was suitable for farming, which made the Middle Colonies an ideal place for farmers to grow crops and sell the surplus for money. However, the Middle Colonies were better known for their mills and bread supply. On average, people in the Middle Colonies ate about 1 pound of bread products a day. The mills, powered by water wheels, were used to produce the bread the colonists ate. The mills would crush grain between heavy stones and mill it into a fine powder, which was then used to make the bread. This method was very important in the Middle Colonies because bread was the colonists’ main food source. It was also an excellent way for the colonies to make money. The Middle Colonies had very strong economic activity. They had large farms, varying between 50 to 150 acres, that consisted of a house, barn, yard, and fields. They would grow cash crops, which consisted of fruits, vegetables, and, predominantly, wheat, that would be exported to England. The Middle Colonies also had many natural resources that they could profit off of, including iron ore. This was significant because they were able to manufacture by products of the iron ore and export them in exchange for money or other goods. Some of these by products included plows, tools, kettles, nails, and large blocks of iron which they also exported to England. Because the Middle Colonies had such a wealth of resources, it was an ideal place for colonists to live. In addition to the resources and the production of mills, the Middle Colonies also had prospering cities. Along the coast of the Middle Colonies were excellent harbors, which were supreme sites for cities. These port cities imported manufactured goods and exported cash crops. These cities also brought great wealth, which then
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