Why was shipbuilding an important industry in new england?

The shipbuilding industry was extremely important to the New England Colonies back in Colonial Times. The first ships that were built were used for fishing, but trade was also mostly conducted by water now, which in turn led to the REAL demand in shipbuilding. But since these settlers were colonizing new land, the amount of timber and lumber made shipbuilding very cheap in the colonies. :) I hope this helped! Have a good day! 

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