The Middle Colonies

• Prior to the American Revolution, America was comprised of 13 colonies which were divided into three regions: the New England Colonies (Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire), the Southern Colonies (Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia) and the Middle Colonies (Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey). The Middle Colonies (also called the Middle Atlantic Colonies) were originally called New Netherlands. The settlers who founded the Middle Colonies sought both religious freedom and the opportunity to make money.
  
  

Agriculture

• The economy of the Middle Colonies was based largely on agriculture, due to a number of factors. Known as the "bread basket" of the 13 colonies, the chief export of the Middle Colonies was grain. This was due to the region's topography, which was flatter and less rocky than the terrain in the New England colonies. Weather in the Middle Colonies was also typically milder, resulting in a longer growing season. In addition to wheat and other grains, cash crops grown by farmers in the Middle Colonies included corn, various vegetables, fruit and livestock.
  
  

Manufacturing

• Although not as important as agriculture, manufacturing was also an economic factor in the Middle Colonies. While farming was the primary occupation in rural areas, many citizens in cities such as Philadelphia and New York worked in factories. Some factories produced iron products such as tools, nails, kettles and plows, as well as blocks of iron ore that were exported to England. Others, especially those in Philadelphia, manufactured such items as textiles and paper goods.
  
  

Trade and Transportation

• The rivers and waterways of the Middle Colonies were important to the region's economy due to their role in transporting harvested crops from farms to urban centers such as Philadelphia and New York, where they could be traded. Some of the primary rivers used to transport crops in the Middle Colonies were the Delaware River, the Hudson River, the St. Lawrence River and the Susquehanna River, which could transport goods between New York and Philadelphia.