Introduction
When British colonists came to America, they chose strategic locations they thought were fit to create a stronghold for them over the Native Americans. The British drove the natives out of land that they felt was more valuable and occupied it. The places they chose were either fertile land with many slaves flowing in, like the South near towns they wanted to develop, or near rivers with adequate water flow. The colonists thus kept moving from state to state, looking for the best place to establish their business, farming lands, and also connecting with the natives who controlled the profitability of established businesses. Geography hence dictated the type of income-generating activity that the colonists indulged in.
Main body
There was a vast difference between the colonies when it came to agriculture; different colonies had different crops and agricultural activities that they earned income from. In Virginia, the land there favored rice and tobacco, which were the main cash crops (Shi 118). Initially, rice was only profitable in South Carolina and not the Northern Colonies where the colonies wanted to expand to. Still, the colonists realized that the tropical climate in Virginia was supportive of the rice trade, plus there was plenty of water from rivers James and Appomattox. Rice farmers, therefore, initially preferred South Carolina but eventually moved to Virginia and Maryland when the discovery about tropical climate supporting rice farming and the availability of water was made.
The farms also required labor which was not adequate in most colonies. The Southern States, especially South Carolina, supported slavery which was a form of free labor for the family farms that the colonists owned. Living in the South for the colonists thus meant that they benefited from the free slave labor that was readily available. The colonists never had to spend on farm labor that Virginia used, such as indentured servants; they, therefore, had substantial profit margins from agricultural activities. The North England colonies in Virginia were hugely affected by this deficit in labor; for example, there were 100,000 slaves in West Indies while there were only 5000 slaves in North America (Shi 118). Most colonists, therefore, preferred where they would spend less on labor while maximizing profits.
The geographical location of the colonies also affected the trade activities of the colonies. From the English trade custom records recorded between 1698 and 1717, there is evidence that South Carolina and Chesapeake were favored as they mostly traded with England (Shi 126). This trade balance ensured that colonists maintained a good relationship with the Southern States because most of their revenue came from the South. In return, the Northern States became famous with other colonists since they resented the favoritism showed to the Southerners. Profitability and earnings thus depended on whether colonists inhabited the South, which had a good rapport with England through good trade relationships.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the best geographical location that strengthened the economy for the colonists was the South, which included West Indies and South Carolina. The first reason for this is that the South had a good relationship with England that bolstered trade between the colonists and the Native Americans; the Northern Colonies never had this good relationship. Secondly, the South supported the slavery of Africans, which led to free African labor being used in their family-owned farms. At the same time, the North had indentured servants supported by a few African slaves. Lastly, Agriculture was primarily kept in the fertile lands of the South before colonists realized that tropical climate could also support farming such as rice farming. Therefore, the Southern States had free labor, a good business environment, and had fertile land for agriculture. In contrast, even after taking note of the advantages, the North was not as profitable as the South.
Work Cited
Shi, David E. “Colonial Ways of Life.” America: A Narrative History, 11th ed., W. W. Norton, 2018, pp. 114-153.