In the New England towns along the coast, the colonists made their living fishing, whaling, and shipbuilding. Middle colonies had streams,thick forest,rich farm land and use river to transport goods.The Southern Colonies concentrated on agriculture and developed the plantations exporting tobacco, cotton, corn, vegetables, grain, fruit and livestock .Southern Colonies had the largest slave population who worked on the Slave Plantations. Plantations grew cotton, tobacco, indigo (a purple dye), and other crops..