Colonial Life

New England ColoniesMiddle Colonies

Southern ColoniesColonial Culture

Activities:

1. Colonies & Colonial Region Map2. Colonial Regions Power Points3. Colonial Regions Chart4. Colonial Quiz5. Colonial Book Project

Map of the Colonial Regions

New England

Location

Colonies• New Hampshire-

1622– Included present-day

Vermont

• Massachusetts- 1620– Included present-day

Maine

• Rhode Island- 1636• Connecticut- 1635

Climate• Four Seasons• Winters– Long and cold– A lot of snow– Average Temp. in January: 22-

36– Record low of -50

• Summers– Short and mild– Average Temp. in July: 65-82

Geography

• Rocky Hills & Low Mountains• Jagged Coastlines• Thin, rocky soil (least fertile)• Many forests• Close to the ocean• Connecticut River

Climate &Geography: How did they affect the

colonists?• Climate– Fewer colonists died from diseases like

malaria, which are common in warmer areas.

– Long winters made farming difficult.• Geography– Rocky soil made farming difficult.– Nearness to ocean was great for fishing

and trade.– Forests were used for lumber.

Resources Map

Resources• Location-Trade• Fish• Lumber• Whales• Livestock• Grain• Furs• Iron

New England Economy

1. Bad farmland– Most practiced subsistence farming;

growing only enough for their families.2. Trade/Merchants– Trade was vital to the economy.– Nearness to the oceans and many ports, or

harbors, made trade easy.– Many merchants traded good locally and

overseas.– Trade increased the growth of cities in New

England.

Economy Cont.3. Fishing

– Rich waters had great fishing grounds.

– Whales provided oil for lighting.4. Shipbuilding– Abundant timber, trade, and

fishing made shipbuilding part of the economy.

5. Craftspeople– Blacksmiths, weaving,

shipbuilding, and printing

Slavery in New

England• Very few slaves, some free

blacks• Slaves who lived here usually

worked as servants and cooks.

• Some worked with craftsmen.

Triangular Trade

Rum, rice, tobacco, indigo, fur, iron,

tools, sugar, molasses

Cloth, manufactured

goods,

Slaves

Middle Passage

The Middle Passage

• The Middle Passage was the leg of the triangular trade route where slaves were shipped to the Americas.

• It was a horrific journey to the Americas.• Slaves were chained together for over a month.• They could barely sit or stand.• They were given little food or water.• Those who died or were sick were thrown

overboard.• It is estimated that over 12 million slaves were

brought to the Americas between the late 1400s and mid-1800s.

Olaudah Equiano said…

• “We were all put under deck…The closeness…the heat…added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us…The shrieks…the groans of the dying, rendered (made) the whole a scene of horror.”

History:Why People Settled

• Most who settled in the New England area were searching for religious freedom.

• Religion became very important to their lifestyles.

The Pilgrims

• In England a group of people wanted to practice Christianity in their own way.

• These people were called Separatists.• We know them as Pilgrims, because

their journey had a religious purpose.• They were persecuted, or treated badly,

for their beliefs.• In 1620, 102 Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower.

The Mayflower

• 66 days at sea• Baby born on the ship- Oceanus• 12% of the population claim to be

descendants of Mayflower passengers• Famous Descendants: – Presidents Adams, J.Q. Adams, Taylor,

Grant, Garfield, FDR, Bush, & G.W. Bush– Clint Eastwood–Marilyn Monroe

Mayflower Compact• While on the ship, the

Pilgrims wrote the Mayflower Compact.

• It was a law and order contract.

• The 41 signers agreed to have fair laws to protect the good of the group.

• It was the first document in which colonists claimed the right to govern themselves.

Plymouth Colony

• The Pilgrims planned on landing in Virginia.

• They landed in present-day Cape Cod, Massachusetts in November.

• They called the land Plymouth.• After the first winter, nearly half had died

from malnutrition, disease, and cold.

The First Thanksgiving• Two Natives, Squanto and Samoset, became

friends with the Pilgrims.• They showed them how to grow corn,

beans, and pumpkins and how to hunt and fish.

• That fall, the Pilgrims set aside a day to celebrate their good harvest.

Life as a Pilgrim

• Most were farmers, but the land was not that good.

• Many began to trade furs and fish.• Family life was very important. • Religion and education were central to

their lives.• Men worked in fields, chopped wood,

built shelters, fished, and hunted.• Women cooked, spun and wove wool,

sewed clothing, made soap and butter, and cared for livestock.

If you were a teenage pilgrim girl…

• You would help your mother clean, cook, do laundry, and raise younger children.

• You would stand quietly behind the table while the men and boys ate their meals.

• In church you could not talk.• You would keep your head

covered with a bonnet.• You would wear a skirt, apron,

and shirt with long sleeves.

Great Migration• In England the economy was

suffering, taxes were raised, and the Church was punishing those who argued with official opinions.

• This led to the Great Migration.• 40,000 people moved to New

England and the Caribbean.• 15,000 Puritans moved to Massachusetts.

The Puritans• The Puritans were a group that was

unhappy with the Church of England.• They were Protestants that wanted to

reform the Anglican Church.• In 1630, about 900 Puritans traveled to

New England.• They were led by John Winthrop.• They believed that they had a promise with God to build the ideal Christian community.• “City on the Hill”

Massachusetts Bay Colony

• By 1643, about 20,000 people lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

• Boston was their main city, which was located on a harbor.

Prepared Puritans

• They brought tools and livestock with them.

• They traded with the Natives and the Plymouth Colony.

• The Puritans were very hard-working, which contributed to their success.

Puritan Government/Religion

• The General Court was their elected assembly.

• The assembly set taxes and passed laws.

• Adult male church members were allowed to vote, and later they also had to own property to get to vote.

• Though they came for religious freedom, the Puritans did not tolerate other religions.

Puritan Lifestyle

• Everything revolved around religion.

• There were very strict rules regarding behavior.

• Men were in charge and women were subordinate.

• Children did not often play with toys or play games, they worked.

Education

• Education was important and revolved around religion.

• Children learned to read so they could understand the Bible.

• Puritan communities typically had schoolhouses.

• Colleges were opened as well, including Harvard in 1636.

• By 1700, 70% of New Englanders could read and write.

Puritan Decline

• The younger generations concentrated more on businesses and running farms more than religion.

• Puritan lifestyle started to change.

Rhode Island

• Roger Williams, a minister, and others founded Rhode Island as a place of religious freedom.

• They thought you should be free to practice any religion and that land should not be taken from Natives.

• This was the first place in America that allowed freedom of religion.

Connecticut

• Founded by Thomas Hooker, who left the Puritans.

• They formed the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, the first written constitution in America.

• The land here was more fertile than Boston because of the Connecticut River.

New Hampshire

• In 1679, John Wheelwright led a group of people out of Massachusetts into New Hampshire.

Relations with Natives

• Most settlers traded pots, blankets, and guns in exchange for furs.

• Conflict arose when settlers moved into Native American land.

• King Phillip’s War- Wampanoag chief, King Phillip, wanted to stop settlers from moving into Native land

• Natives lost, and land was open for settlement in New England

Review: New England

• Describe the climate.– Long, cold winters– Short, warm summers

• Geography?– Rocky hills and mountains– Rocky soil, not fertile– Connecticut River– Close to ocean

• Resources/Economy?– Timber, Shipbuilding, Fishing, Trade,

Craftspeople• Why did people settle in New England?– Religious freedom

Review: New England

• Who were the Pilgrims?– Separatists group that journeyed to America to

practice their own religion• What was the Mayflower Compact?– Law and order contract the Pilgrims signed

• Who helped the Pilgrims?– Native Americans: Squanto and Samoset

• What was the Great Migration?– Movement of 15,000 Puritans to Massachusetts

• What was route slaves took to the Americas?– Middle Passage

Review: New England

• Who were the Puritans?– Protestants that wanted to reform the

Anglican Church

• Why were the Puritans successful?– Came prepared, worked hard

• What was the most important part of the Puritan lifestyle?– Religion

Review: New England

• What made Rhode Island different from other colonies?– Allowed religious freedom

• What were the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut?– First written constitution in the colonies

• What caused King Phillip’s War?– Land was being taken from Natives

Chart

ColoniesN. HampshireMassachusettsRhode IslandConnecticut

ClimateLong, cold wintersShort, warm summers

Geography(Rivers, Soil, Landforms)

Rocky hills, rocky soil, many trees, least fertile soil, Connecticut River

Economic Resources

Fish, Whale oil, timber, livestock, trade

PeoplePilgrims, Puritans, lived near a town, Baptists, Anglicans

SlaveryVery few- servants, cooksMany free blacks