THE 13 COLONIES by Ms. Brisco REVIEW Today we are learning about the 13 English colonies that would soon become the 1st 13 states of the United States. Before we get to the 13 colonies, lets review what has happened to lead up to the establishment of the 13 colonies…… Review So far, we have learned that many European nations began to send explorers around the world hoping to claim land, find riches, and spread their religion. Many nations were looking for the Northwest Passage which was a shortcut through North America to reach Asia for trade. Review In order to compete with Spain and France, England sent many people to the east coast of America to establish colonies. England must compete Nations Compete In fact, this competition for land and natural resources began as soon as the American continents were discovered. Each European nation competed with each other to claim the most land. Spain, France and England were all rivals and each wanted to become the most powerful and wealthy nation. England Happy To Colonize England was happy to support the growth of colonies (towns) in America because it helped England claim land in the New World. The First Colony After several early attempts, English colonization became a success in 1607 when the Virginia Company of England sent a group of men to Jamestown, Virginia to build a colony. Jamestown would become the first permanent and successful English colony in America. REVIEW Twenty years after the start of Jamestown, another group of people called the Pilgrims headed to America from England. Unlike the Jamestown colonists who wanted land and a chance to make money, these Pilgrims were looking for religious freedom. The Pilgrims landed far north of Virginia, in Plymouth Massachusetts, and began the Plymouth colony. PURITANS AND PILGRIMS Government in the Colonies All of the colonies were settled with The permission of the king of England. The King of England issued charters (formal documents) that outlined the colony’s boundaries and how it would be governed. • However, since the colonies were so far away from England they still needed to be able to make their own laws to keep peace and order. I’m the king of England! I control of the 13 colonies!! Early Government Since the colonies were so far from England, most of the colonies were allowed to have self-rule where they developed laws for themselves The first form of self-rule in the colonies began with the Pilgrims as they signed the Mayflower Compac on their way to Massachusetts. House of Burgesses and Representative Government Many of the colonies decided to create assemblies where members of the community could get together and discuss concerns in the colonies. Often people would elect representatives to speak on behave of the colony as a whole. The House of Burgesses became the first form of a representative government in America. THE HOUSE OF BURGESSES ( Representative Government- where voters elect representatives to act on their behalf) England claims the Atlantic Coastline • Over time, more and more people headed from Europe to America. The European country of England claimed most of the land along the east coast of America so many people who landed in what would become the 13 colonies were from the European nation of England. The 13 Colonies • By 1770 America had grown into 13 English colonies that stretched along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. These colonies developed distinctive (unique) ways of life that would affect the development of America for years to come. People in the Colonies Most of the colonists felt they were citizens of England even though they were in the American colonies. We are still English Reasons for Coming to America • Many colonists came to America for the chance to own land and start a new life in America. Others came to find religious freedom. There were some who did not have a choice. Debtors Prison Over in England, a person could be put in prison if he/she owed money or taxes. Since the prisoners were in debt (to be in debt means to owe money). The prison they were thrown into was called “debtors prison.” Conditions included starvation and abuse from other prisoners. If the father of a family was imprisoned for debt, the family business often suffered while the mother and children fell into poverty. Unable to pay the debt, the father often remained in debtors' prison for many years. People in the Colonies A number of English convicts (prisoners) and the poor were forced to go to America to work off their debts (money you owe) as indentured servants. Indentured Servant An indentured servant is a person who agrees to come to America and work as a servant for a certain period of time. Indentured Servants Often the master of the indentured servant helped the servant by paying for their way to America or by paying off their debt. In exchange for helping, the master expected the indentured servant to work with no pay until the servant paid them back. Indentured servants were not free until they completed their term of service. Most indentured servants were released from their master after they completed around 7 years of work. My master says I’m free as soon as I work for about 7 years to pay him back for helping me. Grouping the 13 Colonies By 1733, there were 13 British/English colonies along the Atlantic coastline. They can be grouped into three distinct regions: The New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies.. These regions had different climates and resources that encouraged settlers to develop different ways of life Map of the 13 colonies NEW ENGLAND MIDDLE SOUTHERN THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES New England Colonies ( The New England region included the colonies of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire.) In New England, farming was difficult because of the long, cold winters, rocky soil and hilly wilderness. However, the sea and forests produced useful resources and ways to make a living. NEW ENGLAND In the New England Colonies, religion and geography were two of the greatest influences of life in New England. The Puritans and Pilgrims of this region hoped to build model communities based on their religious faith. The New England Economy New England’s forests and coastline made several things vital to the New England way of life. Lumbering, fishing, shipbuilding and trade very important to the region’s economy. • pictures Middle Colonies Middle Colonies (New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. ) The landscape of this region ranged from rich soil to the wooded mountains. Farmers in the Middle Colonies raised a wide variety of crops and livestock. Jobs in the Middle Colonies In addition to farming, other jobs or occupations included blacksmiths, lumbering and mining. The middle colonies became a center for trade between the 3 colonial regions. Middle Colonies The Middle Colonies had rich soil, allowing the area to become a major exporter of wheat and other grains. Due to the regions production of wheat and grain, the Middle Colonies have also become known as the Bread Basket Colonies. Industries (Businesses) In the Middle Colonies The lumber and shipbuilding industries enjoyed success in the Middle Colonies, and Pennsylvania saw moderate success in the textile and iron industry. IRON INDUSTRY A Blacksmith apart of the Iron Industry The Quakers The Quakers believed in tolerance, equality and a simple lifestyle. They believed in treating Native Americans fairly and paying them for their land. They also refused to fight in wars or pay dues to the Church of England. Eventually, the Quakers would become a dominant group in the fight to end the slave trade. The Quakers were led by William Penn. The current state of Pennsylvania was named after him. William Penn and the Quakers • pictures The Southern Colonies ( Southern Colonies (Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. ) This region featured large rivers and vast wetlands that merged into the sea. Here in the Southern colonies, the soil was fertile and the hot wet climate made it an ideal region to grow tobacco, rice and other cash crops Cash Crop cash crops= crops that are grown only to make money/cash and not to just be eaten, like tobacco) Plantations in the South • As more and more people began to grow cash crops, giant farms called plantations began to appear in the South. At first European indentured servants worked on this large farms however, as time went on, slaves from Africa became the main source of labor in the Southern Colonies. They were needed to grow the cash crops. SLAVERY IN THE SOUTH • Although slavery could be found in all of the 13 colonies the majority of the slaves were found in the South working on the large plantations. For example in the Maryland Colony, African slaves made up more than 50 to 60 percent of the overall population Life for slaves working on the Southern plantations was very difficult. They were treated as though they were animals and had no rights. The slaves were often ripped apart from their families and forced to work long hard days in the fields. If they tried to fight back they were often brutally punished. What is a Plantation? A plantation is a large farm that slaves often worked on. ( In the picture below, these slaves are working on a cotton plantation) The Backcountry • pictures The Backcountry The Backcountry was the area back behind the Appalachian Mountains. It was distant from the dense coastal cities of the 13 colonies. This was the area away from the coast and closer to the dense woods of the Appalachian Mountains, far away from the big cities. Backcountry The people of the Backcountry faced more threats such as attacks from Native Americans and isolation. Their life was very rural and rugged. Postcard from the Colonies (letter and picture) Pretend you are an indentured servant and you have come to America to live in one of the 13 colonies. Write a postcard to your friend discussing the following things: 1) 2) 3) 4) Which colony do you live in now? What colonial region is that apart of ( New England, Middle or Southern)? Why did you have to come over from England as an indentured servant? What did you get (or are hoping to get) in exchange for your work as a servant? What is life for you? How do the climate and available resources impact the how you live? ( For example, do you farm, cut down trees, ship, trade, help with the slaves, etc? ……) Vocabulary Cash crop Indentured Servant Agriculture