NEW ENGLAND
 

    In the New England colonies, the soil was thin and stony.  There was very little level land.  The winters were long making it difficult for people to make a living from farming.  The people of New England had to find other ways to make a living.     

    They discovered water power and built grain mills and sawmills.  They had lots of trees so they were able to build ships.  They had excellent harbors and they turned to trading.  The sea was their source of wealth.  The also found that they could catch and sell cod fish.  The shipbuilding, mills, and fishing was the way the New Englanders earned a living. 
 

    The early settlers lived in villagers and towns near the harbors.  With many of the settlers living in the towns and harbors, many people made a living from a trade or business that had to do with the seas.  The villagers were able to gather at nearby churches and schools.  They built a town hall and the got together to discuss different ideas and problems.

    Oak timber for ships' hulls, tall pines for spars and masts, and pitch for the seams of ships came from the Northeastern forests. Building their own vessels and sailing them to ports all over the world, the shipmasters of Massachusetts Bay laid the foundation for a trade that was to grow steadily in importance. By the end of the colonial period, one-third of all vessels under the British flag were built in New England. Fish, ship's stores and wooden ware swelled the exports.

    New England shippers soon discovered, that rum and slaves were very profitable. One of the most enterprising -- if unsavory -- trading practices of the time was the so-called "triangular trade." Merchants and shippers would purchase slaves off the coast of Africa for New England rum, then sell the slaves in the West Indies where they would buy molasses to bring home for sale to the local rum producers.