The “Spectrum of Settlement” in the Colonies, 1650-1700
Category	West Indies	Lower South	Chesapeake	Mid-Atlantic	New England	New France
Life expectancy for men, age 20	40	42	45	60+	Late 60s	60s
Family size	Below replacement rate	About 2 children	Rising after 1680	Very Large	Very Large	Very Large
Race & Ethnicity	Black majority by 1670s	Black majority by 1710	Growing black minority	Ethnic mix: NW Europe, ?English a minority	Almost all English	Almost all French
Economy	Sugar	Rice, 1690s	Tobacco	Furs and Farms	Farms, fishing, shipbuilding	Furs and Farms
Religious Tone	Irreverent	Contentious	Low-church Anglican	Competing sects, no established church	Congregational Church established	Catholic Church established