New England Harsh rocky soil made farming difficult, led to subsistence farms New England Land was granted to a group and towns were subdivided among families New England Fishing including whaling (lighting oil) New England Shipbuilding and small-scale factories New England Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Conneticut, New Hampshire Middle Blended other two Middle "Bread Basket" of the colonies Middle River system and ports provided access to back country and Atlantic Southern Favorable agricultural climate Middle New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware Southern Plantation system developed Southern Export crops: "cash crops" such as tobacco grown Southern Larger slave population was needed as labor Southern Farms tended to be scattered, less urban development. Southern Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia