Most colonists in New England grew just enough crops
to feed their families. The rocky coast had good harbors. The thick forests provided wood to build ships. Boston became the center for the shipbuilding industry. The fishing industry grew rapidly in the 1600s. Cod and whales were key resources. By the 1700s, whaling was an important industry.
Merchants shipped exports of fish and lumber to Europe, the West Indies, and Africa. They traded for imports of tea, spices, and manufactured goods. These shipping routes were called the triangular trade. The slave trade was part of the triangular trade. Merchants forced captured people from Africa to travel the Middle Passage from Africa to the West Indies. They were packed in crowded ships. Many died on the way. During the 1600s and 1700s, hundreds of thousands of Africans were forced to work as slaves in the colonies.
