SOL REVIEW—COLONIZATION AND EARLY INSTITUTIONS TAKE ROOT
Colonization  New
Institutions Take Root
Economic and political institutions
in the colonies developed in ways
that were typically European or
distinctively American .
Influence of Geography
Economic activity and political
institutions of the three
colonial regions reflect the
resources and climate as well
as the European origins of
their settlers.
There was a strong belief in
private ownership of property
and free enterprise in all
colonies.
1. What 2 things influence both
the economics and politics of
the colonies?


2. How did Indian and European
ideas of property ownership
differ?
This was unlike the Indians’ idea of property.
New England Colonies
New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Connecticut,
and Rhode Island are the
New England colonies.
Economic Characteristics:
Shipbuilding, fishing,
lumbering, small-scale
subsistence farming, and
later, manufacturing.
Reflects poor soil, cold
climate.
4. Be able to recognize New England
colonies.
5. Why didn’t New England colonists
farm on a large scale?
6. Note: subsistence farming means
growing only enough to feed your
family, not enough to sell for profit.
New England Colonies (cont’d)
The New England colonies prospered,
reflecting Puritans belief in values of hard
work and thrift.
New England’s society was
based on religious standing.
Puritans grew intolerant of
dissenters. Rhode Island
was founded by dissenters
fleeing Massachusetts.
New England Colonies (cont’d)
New England used town meetings in the
operation of their government. This was
a form of direct democracy like ancient
Athens (Greece) had developed.
7. New England colonies were settled for religious freedom. What religion were New Englanders
and how did the values of their religion help them to prosper?
8. How did New Englander’s intolerance lead to the creation of Rhode Island?
9. What are the two important political characteristics of the New England colonies?
Middle Colonies
Middle Colonies cont’d
New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania and
Delaware are the Middle
Colonies.
Economic characteristics:
Shipbuilding, small-scale
farming, and trading.
Cities like New York and
Philadelphia grew as
seaports and commercial
centers.
Middle Colonies cont’d
They used a number
of democratic
principles in their
political life that
were based, in a
large part, on rights
of Englishmen.
Home to many religions, the region
believed in religious tolerance.
They had a more flexible social structure
with a middle class of skilled artisans,
entrepreneurs and small farmers.
+
+
10. These are the “commercial” colonies and they also are
involved in small-scale farming.
12. Why are cities important in the Middle Colonies?
13. What is different about the social structure in these
colonies?
14. They base their government on what principles?
Southern Colonies
Jamestown was the first
permanent settlement in North
America. It was created by the
1607
London Company as a business
venture.
The House of Burgesses
established by the 1640s was
1640s
the New World’s first elected
assembly. Today it is known as
the General Assembly of Virginia
Southern Colonies cont’d
Inland = in the Appalachian
foothills, the economy was
based on subsistence farming,
hunting and trading. Many
settlers were Scots-Irish.
Plantation agriculture required
cheap labor on a large scale 
indentured servants who agreed
to work for a period of time for
passage from Europe.
Southern Colonies cont’d
Most plantation
labor needs came
to be filled by the
forcible
importation of
Africans. At first
they worked as indentured servants and
earned their freedom. Later the slave-based
economy of the South would lead to conflict
with the North in the American Civil War.
Southern Colonies cont’d
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, and Georgia were the
southern colonies.
Economic
Characteristics: Coastal
Plain = cash crops such
as tobacco, rice and
indigo were grown for
export on large
plantations.
15. What is important about Jamestown and
what was the purpose for this colony?
16. Why was the House of Burgesses a “big deal”
and what is it called today?
17. How do the economic characteristics of the
Coastal Plain differ from the inland part of
the Southern colonies?
 Coastal Plain =
 Inland =
18. Who were indentured servants?
19. When more workers were needed, who were
brought to do it and did they come voluntarily?
20. What was the ultimate outcome of this
southern slave-based system?
Southern Colonies cont’d
Plantation owners
dominated colonial
government and society.
They maintained ties to
the Church of England
and closer social ties to
England than other
colonies.
The Great Awakening
Stressed
importance
of individual
in God’s
eyes and in
government.
The “Great Awakening was a
religious movement that spread
from England throughout the
colonies in the 1730s and 1740s.
Growth of Methodist and Baptist
church denominations
Challenge to the established
religious and governmental order
Laying of social foundation for
American Revolution
21. Which class of people were “in charge” of
southern colonial society?
22. Were they more or less like England than
the settlers of the other colonies?
23. What were the 2 major impacts of
the Great Awakening?


24. What kind of movement was the
Great Awakening?
25. Historians call it a foundation to what
major American event?
EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT AND COLONIES
Cause/Effect
Early European explorationcultural interactions
Redistribution of world’s population (African-Am, Native Am)
Indians died of disease
European strong belief in private propertyIndians lost traditional territories
Climate, soil conditions, and natural resourcesEconomic institutions
Geographic conditionsNE fishing, lumbering, small-scale subsistence farming, shipbuilding, later manufacturing
Middle shipbuilding, farming, bread-basket colonies, trade
Southern-large plantations for cash crops
MA Puritan intoleranceRhode Island founding and Connecticut
MA religious standing importantconnection of government and religion
Commercial focus, diverse population origins religious tolerance in Middle Colonies, flexible social structure, strong
middle class
Motive for settlementtype government, economics
Religious freedomclose connection gov’t and religion and intolerance
Economic opportunitygreater tolerance, belief in free enterprise
(NE religious freedom; Middle religious freedom, economic opportunity, South economic opportunity
Need for more cheap workers, laborers on a large scaleindentured servants and forcible importation of slaves
Differing labor systems (free/slave)conflict between North and South
Large plantation land grants to nobilityrigid social structure based on land and family status, strong allegiance to
Church of Eng.
Great Awakeninggrowth of new evangelical religions (Methodists, Baptists), challenged established religious and gov’t
order
laid one of foundations for Am Rev. (with Enlightenment)
Terms
Puritans—religious group desiring to purify Anglican Church, large group migrated to MA for religious freedom
Puritan values--work hard and thrift
Covenant community-based on principles of Mayflower Compact and Puritan beliefs
Mayflower Compact—government agreement for MA. colony
Direct democracy/town meetings—each citizen participates directly, not through representative
Middle colonies (NY, NJ, MD, DE, PA) settled by Dutch, English, German
Commercial centers NYC, Baltimore, Philadelphia
Cavaliers-English nobility who got large land grants in eastern Virginia from King
Indentured servants--agreed to work on tobacco plantations for a period of time to pay for passage
Jamestown 1607—first permanent English colony in North America
Virginia House of Burgesses--first elected assembly
Great Awakening--religious movement in Europe and colonies mid 1700s
Matching:
__ Colonial America
__ Southern Colonies
__ New England Colonies
__ Middle Colonies
__ House of Burgesses
__ Tobacco
__ Mercantilism
__ Quakers
__ Cavaliers
__ Great Awakening
A. Bread Basket, commercial, tolerant colonies of PA, NY, NJ, DE
B. English nobility with royal land grants in eastern VA
C. Located in NE, NH, MA, CT, RI, Puritans, intolerant
D. MD, VA, NC, SC, GA—tobacco, indigo, rice, more slavery
E. Religious movement challenging gov’t order, foundation for Revolution
F. Found home and religious freedom in “Penn’s Woods” (PA)
G. Economic theory—export > import, colonies benefit mother country
H. “That filthy weed” cash crop of VA, MD
I. Period of 13 colonies before Revolution
J. Legislative assembly of VA, first in colonies