Most immigrants arriving to the
New World between 1892 and 1954
landed at Ellis Island. After standing
in long lines, being checked by
doctors, and answering questions, the
newcomers were allowed to cross the
harbor to enter New York City.
When the colonists were upset
with England’s Tea Tax, they dressed
as Mohawk Indians and dumped 342
crates of tea into the Boston Harbor.
This protest became known as the
Boston Tea Party.
Over 90% of the nation’s lobsters
are caught along the coast of the
Atlantic Ocean. They are caught in
traps baited with fresh crabs, clams,
mussels, and worms. To cook a
lobster, it is steamed in salt water for
10-15 minutes.
Plymouth is on Cape Cod south of
Boston. After the Mayflower
anchored, it is believed the colonists
stepped ashore on a large rock in the
bay. Scientists believe the rock of
1620 was three times larger than it is
today. Plymouth Rock is now
considered a national treasure with
many tourists visiting every year.
Thomas Edison is known as the
“Wizard of Menlo Park” because he
was one of the greatest inventors in
the world. His factory in Menlo Park
was where he invented the
phonograph, the light bulb, and the
movie projector.
The Iroquois Indians built
longhouses made of evergreen and
elm trees. Each longhouse was large
enough for 20 families. The Iroquois
grew corn, beans, and squash. They
hunted deer in the forests. Their
clothes were made of elk, deer, bear,
and raccoon animal skins.
Paul Revere was a silversmith who
lived in Boston in the mid 1700’s. He
used a signal of 2 lanterns hung in the
bell tower of a Boston church to alert
colonists that British troops were
coming by sea. He is best
remembered for riding his horse to
Lexington to warn Samuel Adams,
John Hancock, and colonists that the
British were coming.
The colonists in the New World
wanted independence from England,
especially King George’s many taxes
and rules. Representatives from the 13
colonies met in the Continental Congress
held in Philadelphia. Thomas Jefferson
helped write a document, the Declaration
of Independence, stating that the colonies
wanted to be free from England.
Soldiers from England fought against
colonists in the Revolutionary War.
Benjamin Franklin was the
youngest son in a family of 17
children. He grew up in Boston and
worked as a writer, printer, and
inventor. His inventions included
bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove,
and the lightning rod. He is known
for his experiments with electricity.
He also signed the Declaration of
Independence.
Dewitt Clinton was a governor of a
state in this region. He was
instrumental in starting the
construction of the Erie Canal. They
began digging on July 4, 1817. Many
people made fun of the canal and
called it “Clinton’s Big Ditch”.
America, The New World, the “Land of
Opportunity” was a desirable place to live.
People who had difficult lives in European
and Asian countries often decided to move
to America. In the past, these people
brought only what they could carry in a
suitcase or trunk and crossed the ocean to
settle in America. European immigrants
passed through Ellis Island. Asian
immigrants arrived at Angel Island. Even
today immigrants continue to move from
other countries to live in the United States.
In order for goods to be transported
from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, a
363 mile long waterway was dug. It was
40 feet wide and only 4 feet deep. Along
the way, a series of locks were built so
boats could navigate safely. Boats were
pulled through the Erie Canal by mules
or horses that walked alongside the canal
on a footpath. The Erie Canal was used
1825 to 1920 as a major waterway for
transportation. It has been filled in to
create Erie
Boulevard.
The Appalachian Mountains are a very
old mountain range that stretch through two
regions. These mountain peaks have worn
down through years of wind and water
erosion so the Appalachian Mountains are
not very high. They are covered with thick
forests and plant vegetation. There is a long
hiking trail that extends over 2,100 miles
along the mountain range. Other mountain
ranges that are a part of the Appalachian
Mountains include: the Catskills, the White
Mountains, the Green Mountains, and the
Allegheny Mountains.
Sugar maple trees are the natural
resource used to make the product
maple syrup. Each fall, trees are
tapped to collect the sap. The sap is
boiled so the liquid evaporates and the
sugar remains. Maple syrup is used
on pancakes, waffles, French toast,
ice cream and in many recipes.
The Granite State once had a large
industry quarrying granite. Granite is
an igneous rock. It is used in building
monuments, statues and even on
kitchen counters.
Cranberries are a part of many
Thanksgiving dinners. They are also
used in muffins, desserts, and beverages.
Cranberries are grown in wetlands called
bogs. They are harvested in the fall
when the bogs are flooded. The berries
come off the vine and float on the
surface of the water where they are
collected. Cranberry bogs are found
throughout many states in this region.
Did you know toothpicks are a
chief product of a state in this region?
Birch trees are used to manufacture
toothpicks. Forests cover 90% of this
state’s land area. The lumber from
the forests is also used to produce
paper, paper products, and furniture.
Alfred Bulltop Stormalong is a tall
tale character who lived on the shores
of Cape Cod and Boston. Even as a
newborn, Stormy was 18 feet tall! He
loved the ocean and decided to
become a sailor. Because he was so
tall and strong, he was able to perform
amazing feats, including wrestling an
octopus. Many tales were told about
this remarkable sailor.
The Statue of Liberty was a gift
from France to the American people
to symbolize freedom. It was given in
1888. It had to be taken apart to be
shipped across the Atlantic Ocean.
Then it was reassembled in the New
York Harbor.
Immigrants long
ago saw it on their
way to Ellis
Island. Today
visitors to the
United States see
the 151 foot tall
Statue of Liberty.
Squanto was a Wampanoag Indian
who lived in the early 1600’s. He
spent some time living in England so
he was able to communicate easily
with the Pilgrims by speaking
English. He helped them learn how to
live in the “New World” by teaching
them about the soil and weather. He
also helped the
colonists
communicate with
other Native
Americans. Many
stories tell that
Squanto celebrated
the first
Thanksgiving with
the Pilgrims, but
he did not.
The cod is a fish found in the
Atlantic Ocean. Christopher
Columbus noticed cod on his voyage
to the New World. Cod are primarily
found off the New England coast. It
was caught, salted, and dried in order
to be traded for slaves from Africa.
Today cod is eaten as fillets or in
chowder.
A pilgrim is a person who makes a
journey for religious reasons. A
group of people from England was
upset about the lack of religious
freedom. These Pilgrims decided to
go to the New World. They sailed on
the Mayflower in September, 1620,
and landed at Cape Cod in December.
The Pilgrims established Plymouth
colony.
When William Penn established the
government, he allowed citizens to take part
in making laws and choosing religion. The
bell was ordered to represent the pride the
people felt in having that freedom. It was
built in London, England, in 1751. The
Liberty Bell is made of copper and weighs
2000 pounds. It was sent to Philadelphia
and cracked soon after its arrival. The crack
was repaired several times, but it remains
cracked. It was rung for public
announcements. On July 8, 176, it was rung
for the first public reading of the Declaration
of Independence. Today it is on display for
visitors.
Lighthouses are found along the
shore of the Atlantic coast. They are
tall towers with a bright light inside.
Their main purposes are as a
navigation aid and to warn sailors of
dangerous areas.
Originally they were all
red brick, but then they
were each painted with
a different color or
design. The first one
was built in 1716 in the
Boston Harbor.
Milton Hershey only completed
fourth grade. He established the
Lancaster Caramel Company. He chose
Lancaster because there was a large
quantity of fresh milk available for
making milk chocolate. In 1903 he built
the world’s largest chocolate
manufacturing plant. Today there are a
number of places with the Hershey
name: Hershey Museum, Hershey
Gardens, Hershey Medical Center,
Hershey School Trust, and Hershey
Entertainment and Resorts.
Jamestown was settled in 1607,
even before the Pilgrims arrived.
Captain John Smith was the leader.
The settlement suffered much
sickness and death. The settlers had
trouble getting along with the Native
American Indians in the area. Later
they tried to grow tobacco but they
were not successful. Right when they
decided to abandon Jamestown, more
settlers and supplies arrived from
England.