Lesson One: What were the British colonies in

America like in the 1770s?Unit One

Founders Government Indentured servants Self-sufficient Subject

TERMS TO UNDERSTAND

subject

Being under the rule of a monarch or leader

subject

government

The people and institutions with authority to make and enforce the laws and manage disputes about laws

government

self-sufficient

People had to provide for their own needs (food, clothing, medicines, furniture and tools)

self-sufficient

indentured servants

Men and women who sold their labor in exchange for the cost of the trip from Europe to the colonies.

indentured servants

Founders

The political leaders of the colonies

Founders

Note taking hints Key words and phrases are in red

◦ These should be on the left of the page Details are in black

◦ Can be abbreviated (but still makes sense)◦ Your notes will not look like exactly like this

PowerPoint but they should have this information

13 British colonies In 1770, King George III was the ruler Our nation did not yet exist Learning about the way the colonists lived

helps us understand why they developed certain ideas about government that still affect our lives today

Why study the British colonies in North America?

• Along the eastern seacoast, the native Indian people lived in well-organized tribes– Known as the Eastern Woodland tribes– Fished, hunted, gathered wild plants, tended

small crops of corn• The Native peoples maintained loose

political ties– The best known league was the Iroquois League• Made up of five tribes in what today is the state of

New York

How did American Indians live before the Europeans came?

1200 miles along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean

Two hundred miles inland Great Britain was only slightly larger than

the colony of New York In 1790 the population was almost 4 million

◦ More than 300 million today

Where did the British colonists settle?

• People in cities or towns worked in professions, trades, crafts, or small factories

• Most colonists lived in small communities or villages or farms

• 90% of colonists were farmers– Farms usually were between 90-160 acres– Traded with neighbors, were self-sufficient–Most included a hired laborer or indentured

servant or slave labor (slaves mostly in the South)• Some colonists worked as hired laborers

How did people in the colonies earn a living?

A typical colonial family in the 1770s◦ Worked hard◦ Had the highest standard of living◦ Had good diets, thus healthier people◦ Better educated than most Europeans◦ Four times as many newspapers were published

in the colonies than in France

How did people in the colonies earn a living? (cont.)

Not everyone lived as well as families on the family farms◦ One-fifth of the population was held in slavery◦ Slavery was permitted in all the colonies, North

and South

How did people in the colonies earn a living? (cont. some more…)

• Most colonists were British or Irish– As a result, most spoke English

• Settlers also came from– France– Germany– The Netherlands– Spain– Sweden– And other countries

• Different religious beliefs– Many different groups of Protestants– Catholics– Jews– Compared to most nations of the time the colonies were very

diverse

How were the people living in the colonies different from one another?

After you’re done… read pages 10 & 11

Not divided into a large group of poor with only a few rich bossing everyone around

No royalty (king, queen, etc.) The difference between wealthy and poor

was less important in colonial society A poor person could become wealthy by

using knowledge, skills, and opportunities

Why were class differences not important in the colonies?

Everyone but adult white men◦ Women◦ Native peoples◦ African slaves◦ Non-land-owning white men

Whose Opportunities were Limited?

Freedom Virtuous Hardworking Simplicity Sensitive to British government limiting

colonial rights

What rights did the colonists value?

• Political leaders of the colonies• Led the fight to free the American colonies

from British rule• Helped create the state gov’ts• Ideas influenced the writing of the

Constitution• John and Abigail Adams, Ben Franklin,

Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Mercy Otis Warren, George Washington

Who were the Founders?

P.12 “LESSON REVIEW” #1-5 You can look back through the lesson and

read to find answers to these questions

Complete sentences, restate the question in your answer

Lesson One assignment

Terms to Understand How “class” worked in the Colonies Colonial values Founders

You Need to Know