County Seats

In the Southern Colonies there were very few towns. Southern colonies had very large plantations.

These colonies were divided into large parts called a county. Each county had a county seat which was the main town of the county. Located at the county seat were the community and government buildings. The church, general store, courthouse and jail were also at the county seat.

Several times each year, plantation families would pack their bags, dress in

their best clothes, and travel to the county seat. At the county seat, the
planters would attend church and dances, and visit with other plantation owners. During their visit to the county seat, the planter would trade crops for goods they needed. Slaves were bought and sold at the county seat. Male landowners would meet to make laws and elect government leaders.