Final answer:
Agriculture was more crucial in the Southern Colonies than in the New England colonies due to mild climates, fertile soils, and the profitability of cash crops like tobacco, rice, indigo, and particularly cotton after the invention of the cotton gin. The mercantilist system further supported the Southern agrarian economy as colonies exported raw materials to England, establishing the dominance of agriculture over other sectors in the South.
Step-by-step explanation:
Agriculture was more important in the Southern Colonies compared to the New England colonies due to a variety of factors including climate, soil fidelity, and the development of cash crops. The New England colonies had long winters and rocky soil, making farming for market challenging; instead, they focused on whaling, fishing, and shipbuilding. The Southern Colonies, with their fertile soil and longer growing seasons, were ideal for agriculture and developed a plantation system primarily centered on cash crops like tobacco, rice, indigo, and, later, cotton. This agricultural focus was further enhanced during the antebellum era with the invention of the cotton gin, making cotton the dominant crop.
The economic systems of colonial America were also influenced by the mercantilist system, where colonies provided raw materials like tobacco, rice, and indigo that were then exported to England. These crops became the backbone of the Southern economy, with established colonies such as Maryland focusing on tobacco, the Carolinas on rice and indigo, and later, cotton, which eclipsed other crops in economic importance.
Consequently, the short winters, fertile land, and agricultural economy in the Southern Colonies allowed them to focus on agriculture more so than in the New England colonies, where industrial activities like shipbuilding played a larger role due to the less hospitable farming conditions.