- English settlers: The majority of the population in the southern colonies were English settlers, who came to the Americas for a variety of reasons, including religious freedom, economic opportunity, and adventure.
- African slaves: African slaves were brought to the southern colonies in large numbers to work on plantations and other agricultural enterprises. They made up a significant portion of the population in the southern colonies, and their labor was essential to the region's economy.
- Native Americans: Native Americans were the original inhabitants of the Americas, and they continued to live in the southern colonies after the arrival of European settlers. They had a variety of relationships with the English settlers, ranging from cooperation to conflict.
- Scots-Irish: Scots-Irish immigrants began arriving in the southern colonies in the 18th century. They were primarily from Ulster, in northern Ireland, and they were attracted to the southern colonies by the availability of land and religious freedom.
- French Huguenots: French Huguenots were Protestant refugees who fled France in the 17th century due to religious persecution. Many of them settled in the southern colonies, where they established their own churches and communities.
- Germans: Germans were another group of immigrants who came to the southern colonies in the 18th century. They were primarily from the Rhineland region of Germany, and they were attracted to the southern colonies by the availability of land and the opportunity for economic advancement.