What formed the economic basis of colonial New England?
Farming was difficult in New England because of the rocky soil. Most New England farms and homes were surrounded by rock walls, as there was nothing else to do with the rocks once they were cleared from the land for farming. Most of the crops consisted of grains, corn, squash, beans, nuts, and fruits. The farms were small family farms, nothing commercial. Whaling was an important economic activity. Fishing and trade were also important. There was also some ship building and supplying supplies for ships.
