Living the Slow Life

The settlers who carve out farms in the American colonies are a hardy lot. They work hard, and quickly transform the wilderness into farmland, but managing finances remains a continuing problem.

While the land is called America, the colonies are still owned and managed by England. The settlers are English citizens, but are left pretty much to fend for themselves. Anything shipped to the colonies has to be paid for.

The English are keen to protect businesses back in England from competition with their American colonies. They witaaold anything that might help colonists become self-sufficient, especially in manufacturing or finance.
Simple life, 1700

  Simple Farm Life
Colonists are denied the means to set up even rudimentary manufacturing by the restrictive policies of the distant English Parliament, so they spend their time raising food and tending their animals the hard way, by hand. Women keep tidy vegetable gardens close to the house, while men work small outlying fields. There is little time to relax, but no need to hurry.

Northern farming, 1700

  Do-it-yourself Farming
Farms have small, simple barns, and sheds that often contain tools for both carpentry and metal-working. Farmers need many skills to survive, using simple tools and materials that are close at hand. The workbench at lower left is used to smooth cedar shingles for the roof. Blacksmiths can make horseshoes, nails and simple hardware, but almost anything else made from metal must be imported. Some wives have a loom to weave coarse fabric from home-grown flax.


Virginia tobacco plantations, 1700

  Tending Tobacco
Farm work on southern plantations is almost completely different. Tobacco plants need special care under a blazing sun, the work is hard, and hired help is impossible to find. Slaves are only just beginning to become available, at great expense, but loans can only be obtained by those born to wealth, with pre-existing ties to London bankers. Farmers focus all their efforts on the main export crop, which is tobacco. Even more so than up north, southern farmers are on their own.