Who settled the southern colonies?

The southern colonies were primarily settled by English colonists seeking economic opportunities, religious freedom, and land ownership. The Virginia Company established the first successful colony at Jamestown in 1607, followed by the founding of Maryland by Lord Baltimore in 1634. The Carolinas were settled by English planters in the late 17th century, while Georgia was established as a buffer colony by James Oglethorpe in 1732. These colonies relied heavily on cash crops such as tobacco, rice, and indigo, and utilized enslaved labor from Africa to support their agricultural economies.