The colonists first work was raising food for themselves, and the main occupation of their
families. Commerce was important because commercial activity was an important part for
the progress of colonists. Some European people, with the idea of progress in investment
and also to earn a big fortune, sent researchers to America, but some settlers were also
investigating, so this create a big commercial activity.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Commerce was an important activity for colonial life. For example
Tobacco was an important cultive because it was so profitable that
the colonies went from near failure to permanent prosperity, also
the trade with the indians was the first succesfull business.
(Important imported products like tea and coffe.)
ECONOMY
The economy was based on pre-industrial products and subsistance
farming and the market economy was based on extracting and processing
natural resources and the agricultural products for local consuption, such
us mining or fishing.The most important agricultural products were raw
and processed feed grains, corn, wheat and cotton.
SERVANTS AND SLAVES
The planters were the first colonists to be able to afford
servants. The original need was for farmerhands to work on
the tobacco fields. Contracts were made to them to to work for
a certain term of years to repply the planter.
TRANSPORT
The transportation of the colonists was based in water by boats
called shallops, and on land by trails and roads, that were made for
bringing timber
QUESTIONS: 1-¿on what was based the economy? 2-¿which was an important cultive? 3-¿who were the planters?