Which of the following was a major economic activity in the New England Colonies?

• A. Lumbering
• B. Mining
• C. Plantations
• D. Tobacco farming

Answer: (A)

New England’s economy grew from what the land and seas offered: thick forests and busy ports. The rocky soil and long winters made large-scale farming difficult, so people turned to harvesting timber. Lumbering became a major economic activity because timber could be sold domestically and abroad, and it also fed the region’s booming shipbuilding industry, which relied on ready access to quality lumber. That combination—timber and ships—made lumbering a defining economic activity for New England.

Mining did occur in some areas, but it was not the region’s defining industry. Plantations and tobacco farming are associated with the Southern colonies, where warm climates and long growing seasons supported large-scale crops.