<P> On the other side of the agricultural coin were the small yeoman farmers . They did not have the capability or wealth to operate large plantations . Instead, they worked small tracts of land and developed a political activism in response to the growing oligarchy of the plantation owners . Many politicians from this era were yeoman farmers speaking out to protect their rights as free men . </P> <P> Charleston became a booming trade town for the southern colonies . The abundance of pine trees in the area provided raw materials for shipyards to develop, and the harbor provided a safe port for English ships bringing in imported goods . The colonists exported tobacco, cotton and textiles and imported tea, sugar, and slaves . The fact that these colonies maintained an independent trade relation with England and the rest of Europe became a major factor later on as tension mounted leading up to the American Revolutionary War . </P> <P> After the late 17th century, the economies of the North and the South began to diverge, especially in coastal areas . The Southern emphasis on export production contrasted with the Northern emphasis on food production . </P> <P> By the mid-18th century, the colonies of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia had been established . In the upper colonies, that is, Maryland, Virginia, and portions of North Carolina, the tobacco culture prevailed . However, in the lower colonies of South Carolina and Georgia, cultivation focused more on cotton and rice . </P>

Who stood at the top of society in the southern colonies