Which group was NOT commonly found among the types of settlers in the south?

Gold prospectors were not commonly found among the types of settlers in the south during the colonial and antebellum periods. The southern economy primarily centered around agriculture, with a focus on crops like tobacco, rice, and cotton. This agricultural emphasis attracted small farmers, English aristocrats, and planters, who established large plantations and worked the land, often utilizing enslaved labor.

Small farmers cultivated land for subsistence or local markets, while planters owned large estates and produced cash crops for export. English aristocrats often settled in the South to take advantage of the fertile land and establish an economic foothold through plantation agriculture. On the other hand, gold prospectors, while prominent in other areas during the Gold Rush periods, were more associated with regions that had gold discoveries, such as California, rather than the southern states, where agriculture was the dominant focus. This distinction highlights why gold prospectors did not play a significant role in southern settlement patterns compared to other agricultural-focused groups.