Northern Jigg
AppetizersDuring the 17th century, New England became a religious refuge
for Protestant followers of John Calvin, whose beliefs differed from those of
the Church of England. One such group, the Pilgrims, established the Plymouth
Colony in 1620 to escape persecution in England. The Puritans, another Calvinist
sect, arrived nine years later in Massachusetts. The Puritans eventually
absorbed the Pilgrims and spread into Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, upstate
New York, and eastern Ohio. The religious freedom these pioneers sought for
themselves, however, was not extended to others. They allowed only Puritan
churches, which were supported by taxes, and only church members had political
rights. Advocates of other beliefs were punished, sometimes harshly.
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Climate & GeographyDuring the Ice Age, large glaciers scraped away all the fertile soil, and moved
it south to the Middle Colonies. This left a rocky landscape that made farming
difficult. In addition, there was a short growing season, meant that farmers
usually only grew enough crops to feel their own family. However, there were a
numerous other natural resources such as lumber and cod. The forest could
provide lumber for New England, which led to a large shipbuilding industry. The
Atlantic Ocean had lots of cod, so the fishing industry also grew to be very
important. Lumber and cod were also major exports.
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FoodColonial food in the late 1700's was varied and abundant. By 1775 all of the 13
colonies had been established and there was a population of 2.5 million people.
Life in the New England colonies focussed on town life and people worked in
industries such as whaling and ship building. New England imported agricultural
products from other colonies. The majority of people in the Middle Colonies
worked on small farms and home-grown food was in good supply. The warm climate
made it possible to grow crops throughout the year in the Southern colonies and
was ideally suited for plantations and farming. Food in Colonial America was
plentiful and included a lot of meat and vegetables.
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