The reason people in the north middle and southern colonies made their living in different ways is because of their resources. In the South they made their living off of plants and other things that they grew such as cotton, they were more in the textile field. People in the North were more Industrial this was due to the lack of a good environment for farming. They used there machines and metals as a source of income. Luckily for people in the middle they had access to both but they weren't as industrial as the north. All of them traded resources to make a good economy.