Thirteen Colonies Study Guide
(Test 12/18/14)
Name __Key_________________________________ Date _______________________
Fill out the chart below:
Region
Land
Climate/Growing
Season
cold and long winters
followed by short
summers (short growing
season)
Natural Resources
New England
Colonies
rocky with deep
valleys cut by
glaciers, poor soil
rocky, sand soil
forests
fish
Middle Colonies
flat land
wide rivers
rolling hills and
valleys
warmer than New
England
longer growing season
sunny with plenty of rain
fertile soil
animals
crops like wheat
(“breadbasket”)
rivers
Southern Colonies
tidewaters
rivers
wetlands
fertile soil
warm most of the year =
long growing season
Plenty of rain
fertile soil
rivers
tidewaters
crops like rice,
cotton, and tobacco
1. What is the name of the first English settlement (it failed) in the New World?
Roanoke Island
2. What is the name of the first permanent English settlement? Jamestown
3. Did the Jamestown colony succeed at first? No. Why or why not? Not all of the
colonists wanted to work for food, and they did not know how to plant crops. Who came
to the colony and taught the colonists how to grow crops and survive in the New World?
John Smith What crop did the Jamestown colony grow that made them a lot of money
when they sold it in England? tobacco
4. The Puritans(name of group) were Pilgrims who came to the New World from England
for religious freedom (reason they came).
5. Which day of the week was set aside purely for worship and church in Puritan culture?
Sunday
6. What are the jobs and industries in each of the different regions of the thirteen colonies?
a. New England Colonies ship building, fishing, whaling
b. Middle Colonies Country – Farming and agriculture; city – laborers, indentured
servants, apprentices, artisans
c. Southern Colonies Farming. Most people had small farms, some large farms
(plantations) where the crops were worked by slaves
7. Why did the Middle Colonies have such a diverse population? The proprietors believed
in religious tolerance. Many people wanted religious freedom.
8. Describe the roles of the following people in the thirteen colonies:
a. Men – plant and harvest crops, build and repair buildings and tools, take care of
the farm animals
b. Women – cook, clean house, preserve food, help plant and harvest crops, sew
clothing
c. Boys – bring in wood for the fireplace, take care of farm animals, gather wild
berries and vegetables, help plow fields and plant crops, help build and repair
buildings
d. Girls – weave cloth for clothing, preserve fruits and vegetables, cook food, make
soaps and candles, help with planting and harvesting.
9. How did the glaciers affect the land in the colonies? The glaciers pushed the rich, fertile
soil from the New England colonies down into the Middle colonies. This left the New
England colonies with poor, rocky soil and the Middle colonies with fertile soil.
10. Why was Roger Williams banished from Massachusetts? He was a dissenter, and he
believed that the government should not make you worship a certain way. Where did he
go, and what new colony did he found? He founded Rhode Island. What was different
about this new colony from Massachusetts? In Rhode Island, the church was separate
from the government and you could worship the way you wanted, whereas in
Massachusetts, the government dictated your religion.
11. The city of Philadelphia was in the colony of Pennsylvania.
12. Who founded the colony of Pennsylvania? William Penn
13. Why was Virginia’s government important? It was the first elected government made up
of representatives. * Similar to our government today!
14. Which colony was started as a place where debtors could start new lives? Georgia
Vocabulary – Find the definitions for the following words:
15 – 30. I will use the exact definitions from your textbook glossary.