The 13 Colonies and Colonial
Life
The New England Colonies
*Can you
find Boston
and the Erie
Canal on
your map?
Massachusetts
(Maine)
New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Connecticut
Rhode Island
New England Colonies Video
Climate




Summers were warm, but short
Winters were long and frigidly cold
Very short growing season
Soil and weather made farming very difficult
Land Features
o hilly terrain with mountains
and valleys
o thin and rocky soil
o jagged coastlines
Resources
Forests with an abundance
of wood
 Used wood to create ships and
buildings
 Access to fish and whales-used for food
and other products
 Shipped fish and lumber to Africa and
Europe
 Received spices and tea for imports
 Formed a triangular trade

Middle Colonies


NY
PA
NJ

DE
The Middle colonies
included:
New York (NY) ,
New Jersey (NJ) ,
Delaware (DE),
and Pennsylvania
(PA).
* Can you find New
York City and
Philadelphia on
your map?
Middle Colonies Video
Climate




More balanced summers and winters
Longer growing season
Soil was very fertile
Sunny days and plenty of rainy days to feed
crops
Land Features
o Rolling hills and valleys
o Wide rivers like the Delaware
and the Hudson were perfect
to transport crops and receive
farm supplies
Resources



Forests rich with wildlife
Many hunted and trapped deer and beaver
Perfectly fertile soil for growing
MD
VA
Southern
Colonies
NC

SC
GA
The Southern Colonies
included: Maryland
(MD), Virginia (VA),
North Carolina (NC),
South Carolina
(SC), and Georgia
(GA).
Southern Colonies Video
Climate


Rich land, plenty of
rain, and a long
growing season
Warm weather for
much of the year
Land Features
• Coastal plains,
swamps, forests, and
harbors
• Many rivers, bays, and
wetlands
• Tidewater- the water levels rise
and fall everyday
with the ocean tide
Resources


Forests in the backcountry
Due to rich and fertile soil, many cash
crops are grown
Colonial Life
Large Landowners



A plantation is a large farm
on which crops are raised
by workers who live on the
farm
Landowners gained wealth
by selling cash crops
Needed help from
indentured servants and
slaves to keep the farm
running
Colonial Farms Video
Farmers



Struggled in New
England Colonies-more
prosperous in Middle and
Southern colonies
Raised livestock such as
cattle and pigs
Grew vegetables, fruit,
and grains
Artisans



Were skilled at making
something by hand
such as silver spoons
or wooden chairs
Either owned their
own store or worked
from home
Examples of artisans
include blacksmiths,
carpenters, and
jewelers
Women


Roles depended on
where they lived
Had tough lives full of
spinning, sewing, food
preservation, cooking,
cleaning, and caring
for their families
Indentured Servants




Wanted a better life in America,
but did not have the money to
pay for their passage
Got their passage paid for along
with room and board in
exchange for promising labor for
4-7 years
Had few rights without the
permission
Most worked on large
plantations working long, hard
days
Slaves and Indentured
Servants
Slaves




Got here through the
triangular trade
Worked on Southern
plantations as field
laborers or servants
Slowly replaced
indentured slave labor
Bought and sold like
pieces of propertyoftentimes families are
split apart
Struggles of Slaves





Were given poor shelter,
food, and clothing-many
died early
Often punished by
overseers
Created a community of
support
Lived under harsh
punishment and laws
Some ran away or resisted
in other ways
Native Americans




At first, colonists and Native
Americans had a good
relationship
Native Americans taught
colonists how to grow crops
and survive the winter
They traded with one
another
Once colonies were
established, Indians were
pushed West