Final answer:
The New England Colonies were largely dependent on the sea for economic survival, focusing on whaling, fishing, and shipbuilding due to the unsuitable land for large-scale farming.
Step-by-step explanation:
The New England Colonies during the 1700s were not primarily based on agricultural farming due to the rocky soil and long winters. Instead, their economic survival was greatly dependent on maritime activities. The colonies engaged extensively in whaling, fishing, and shipbuilding, with these industries being central to their economic output and trade practices.
They did farm, but mostly for self-sufficiency and not for large-scale market production. This contrasts with other colonies at the time, for instance, the middle colonies that produced grain crops and the southern colonies that produced tobacco, rice, and relied on slave labor for plantation work.