In the seventeenth century, New England's economy

A) grew at a very slow rate because few settlers moved to the region.
B) suffered because most early settlers were poor and could not gain access to land.
C) centered on family farms and also involved the export of fish and timber.
D) boasted a significant manufacturing component that employed close to one-third of all men.
E) relied heavily on indentured servants in the labor force.

The New England economy in the seventeenth century was centered on family farms, which were typically small and produced a variety of crops. In addition, New Englanders relied on the export of fish caught off the coast and timber harvested from the region's forests. There was some manufacturing, particularly of goods like shoes, but it did not make up a significant portion of the economy. Indentured servants were present in New England, but they were not a major part of the labor force.