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