Thirteen Colonies
NEW ENGLAND COLONIES
Colonies - Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island
Climate/Geography - Colonists in the New England colonies endured bitterly cold
winters and mild summers. Land was flat close to the coastline but became hilly
and mountainous farther inland. Soil was generally rocky, making farming
difficult. Cold winters reduced the spread of disease.
Religion - The New England colonies were dominated by the Puritans, reformers
seeking to "purify" Christianity, who came over from England to practice religion
without persecution. Puritans followed strict rules and were intolerant of other
religions, eventually absorbing the separatist Pilgrims in Massachusetts by 1629.
Life in New England was dominated by church, and there were severe
consequences for those who failed to attend, or, those who spoke out against the
Puritan ways. Singing and celebrating holidays were among things prohibited in
Puritan New England.
Economy - New England's economy was largely dependent on the ocean. Fishing
(especially codfish) was most important to the New England economy, though
whaling, trapping, shipbuilding, and logging were important also. Eventually,
many New England shippers grew wealthy buying slaves from West Africa in
return for rum, and selling the slaves to the West Indies in return for molasses.
This process was called the "triangular trade."
MIDDLE COLONIES
Colonies - New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware
Climate/Geography - The Middle colonies spanned the Mid-Atlantic region of
America and were temperate in climate with warm summers and cold winters.
Geography ranged from coastal plains along the coastline, piedmont (rolling hills)
in the middle, and mountains farther inland. This area had good coastal harbors
for shipping. Climate and land were ideal for agriculture. These colonies were
known as the "breadbasket" because the of the large amounts of barley, wheat,
oats, and rye that were grown here.
Religion - Religion in the Middle Colonies was varied as no single religion
seemed to dominate the entire region. Religious tolerance attracted immigrants
from a wide-range of foreign countries who practiced many different religions.
Quakers, Catholics, Jews, Lutherans and Presbyterians were among those
religious groups that had significant numbers in the middle colonies.
Economy - The Middle Colonies enjoyed a successful and diverse economy.
Largely agricultural, farms in this region grew numerous kinds of crops, most
notably grains and oats. Logging, shipbuilding, textiles production, and
papermaking were also important in the Middle Colonies. Big cities such as
Philadelphia and New York were major shipping hubs, and craftsmen such as
blacksmiths, silversmiths, cobblers, wheelwrights, wigmakers, milliners, and
others contributed to the economies of such cities.
SOUTHERN COLONIES
Colonies - Maryland, Virginia, North and south Carolina, Georgia
Climate/Geography - The Southern Colonies enjoyed warm climate with hot
summers and mild winters. Geography ranged from coastal plains in the east to
piedmont farther inland. The westernmost regions were mountainous. The soil
was perfect for farming and the growing season was longer than in any other
region. Hot summers, however, propagated diseases such as malaria and yellow
fever.
Religion - Most people in the Southern Colonies were Anglican (Baptist or
Presbyterian), though most of the original settlers from the Maryland colony were
Catholic, as Lord Baltimore founded it as a refuge for English Catholics. Religion
did not have the same impact on communities as in the New England colonies or
the Mid-Atlantic colonies because people lived on plantations that were often
distant and spread out from one another.
Economy - The Southern economy was almost entirely based on farming. Rice,
indigo, tobacco, sugarcane, and cotton were cash crops. Crops were grown on
large plantations where slaves and indentured servants worked the land. In fact,
Charleston, South Carolina became one of the centers of the American slave
trade in the 1700's.
Read the passage and answer the questions.
The holiday of Thanksgiving was born from the Puritan settlement of Plymouth,
on the coast of present-day Massachusetts.
Puritan separatists, desperate for religious freedom, left England in 1607 for the
Netherlands under increasing pressure from the crown to conform. Although they
were allowed religious freedom, they were not granted citizenship in the
Netherlands, and hence, could not secure meaningful jobs and were restricted to
those that were low-paying and unskilled. Some Puritans, disheartened by the
drifting of their children from the church, made arrangements with the Merchant
Adventurers (a London joint-stock company) to relocate to America. Payment for
their passage was made in exchange for future repayment and a percentage of
future profits made by the settlement.
35 Pilgrims (as they would come to be known) boarded the Mayflower with 67
other passengers and set sail for Virginia on September 16, 1620. The
treacherous voyage across the stormy Atlantic Ocean lasted 10 weeks. When the
Mayflower finally approached America, it was no where near Jamestown or even
Virginia. On November 11, 1620, the Mayflower reached land off present-day Cape
Cod. Some historians believe the Mayflower never intended to sail to Virginia, but
rather had secretly planned to sail to New England. Many of the passengers
threatened mutiny because they were supposed to be brought to Virginia. As a
result, the Mayflower Compact was drafted which guaranteed the equal treatment
of all settlers in the new colony. The Mayflower Compact further documented the
colony's continued allegiance to England, but also called for the establishment of
an independent, civil government.
The Compact was signed by 41 male passengers and the decision to remain at
Plymouth, rather than to spend more time at sea was made. The settlers
organized themselves into a group known as the Council of New England. The
council promised one hundred acres of land to those settlers who remained at
Plymouth for seven years. The Mayflower and its passengers explored the coast
of Massachusetts for several weeks before finding the perfect spot at Plymouth
on December 21, 1620.
Life in Massachusetts was difficult for the settlers. Half of the original passengers
on the Mayflower died of disease , starvation, and the harsh Massachusetts
winter. Unlike Jamestown, however, Indian attacks were not a constant threat.
Rather, the local Wampanoag Indians were responsible for the colonists survival.
Squanto, who was kidnapped and had experienced life in Europe as a slave and
later as an observer of European culture in a monastery, had recently returned to
Massachusetts only to find his former village ravaged by death and disease. He
assimilated into the Wampanoag village located at Plymouth and later joined the
Pilgrim colony at Plymouth when they learned he could speak English. Squanto
taught the Pilgrims how to establish friendly relations with the Indians and how to
plant crops, fish, and trap mammals for the fur trade. If it wasn't for Squanto, the
Wampanoags and their sachem Massasoit, all of the settlers would have surely
perished. One year after the landing of the Mayflower, the surviving Pilgrims
celebrated their first fall harvest with a prodigious feast. They invited 91 of their
Indian friends. The feast was the first ever Thanksgiving.
1. What phrase best describes the Puritans of Plymouth.
A. Dependent on their Indian neighbors.
B. They were able to survive because of their resourcefulness.
C. Interested in gold and riches.
D. They probably wanted to go back to England.
2. What hoilday was born from the settlement of Plymouth?
_________________________________________________________
3. Why did some passengers threaten to mutiny?
A.The trip took too long.
B. They were criminals.
CThey thought they were going to Virginia but were actually going to Mass.
D. They thought they were going to Mass. but were actually going to Virginia.
4. About how many passengers died of disease, winter and starvation?
a. 35
b. 67
c. 102
d. 51
5. What did the Mayflower Compact not do?
a. Proclaim allegiance to England.
b. Guarantee that all settlers would be treated as equals.
c. Called for the establishment of an independent government.
d. Proclaim independence from England.
6. Why did the Puritans leave England?
a. They wanted more money
b. They wanted religious freedom
c. They wanted new scenery
d. They were kicked out
7. What does "conform" mean?
a. To be the same as
b. To be different from
c. To give money
Interactive Scavenger Hunt:
1. Log onto the website below and click on the link: Interactive
Scaveger Hunt.
http://www.mrnussbaum.com/wordsearch/13search.htm
2. Complete worksheet
Apothecary
Colonial apothecaries were what we think of as doctors. They treated patients,
made and prescribed medicines, made house calls, and taught apprentices.
Some even performed surgeries - and remember most surgeries occurred at the
time without anesthesia. Even in the 1600s and 1700s, apothecaries were
sophisticated in their knowledge of remedies. For example, they knew that
calamine could be used to treat itchy skin problems and that heartburn could be
cured with chalk (similar to modern-day Tums). Apothecaries often used leeches
to "bleed" people and chinchona bark to treat fevers. Some Apothecaries crafted
their own remedies from any number of substances, herbs, animal parts, and
other mixtures.
Wigmaker
In affluent villages and cities, full of wealthy landowners and plantations, the
wigmaker was very important. Wigmakers made perukes (wigs) and fashioned
the hair of the elite. Wigs were made of horse, goat, or yak hair and skillful
wigmakers could customize a wig to the preferences of the customer or to the
styles popular in London. The wigmaker was especially busy when the courts
were in session as the judges and attorneys each required their own specialized
hair pieces.
Harness/Saddle Maker
Because few colonists could had much money, let alone owned a carriage,
harness makers catered to the rich. A custom-made harness could cost a
month's wages, take thirty hours to fashion, and would last 25-30 years. Harness
makers also made and repaired other leather goods such as couch cushions,
pistol buckets, razor cases, cartridge cases, bags and pouches, water buckets,
and horse riding accessories.
Becoming a harness or saddle maker was hard work. Apprenticeships usually
started around age 13, and apprentices had to learn the complexities of
fashioning systems of cutting, stitching, and assembly that connected a horse to
a carriage. They also had to learn to make the special thread used in leatherwork
that was made of flax or hemp and coated in beeswax. Harness and
saddlemakers learned to use specialized knives, awls, and dividers that cut
leather. Such craftsman also knew how to make different saddles such as
sidesaddles for ladies, racing saddles, saddles for luggage (called
portmanteaus) and saddles for carriage drivers (called postilions) and how to
make saddles of different colors, textures, and waterproofing strength.
Blacksmith
The Blacksmith was an essential merchant and craftsman in a colonial town. He
made indispensable items such as horseshoes, pots, pans, and nails.
Blacksmiths (sometimes called ferriers) made numerous goods for farmers
including axes, plowshares, cowbells, and hoes. They also made hammers,
candleholders, tools, files, locks, fireplace racks, and anvils. Most of the
blacksmith's work was done in his personal forge in which scalding bars of iron
were hammered with heavy sledges to fashion the iron into various shapes.
The road to becoming a successful blacksmith was long and hard.
Apprenticeships started at age 14 or 15 and could last up to seven years. At first,
an apprentice would simply observe his master before helping with easy tasks.
Eventually, the apprentice would learn more complicated tasks like heating and
bending iron. Finally, the apprentice would be tasked with fashioning some kind
of metal "master piece" that would be judged by his master. If the piece was
adequate, the apprentice would pass his apprenticeship and became a
journeyman - a traveling blacksmith who would repair metal goods in nearby
villages. If all went well, the journeyman would have earned enough money
through his work to open his own shop.
Milliner
A milliner's business was much like a modern-day clothing store. Here, men and
women could shop for the day's fashionable clothes and accessories.
Interestingly enough, a millinery was just about the only business in colonial
times that could be owned and managed by a woman. A milliner sold a variety of
things such as fabric, hats, ribbons, hair pieces, dolls, jewelry, lottery tickets,
games, and medicines. Most of the items for sale were imported from England. In
addition, milliners hired people called mantua makers, who would craft
customized outfits, costumes, dresses, and jackets for women, and tailors who
would perform similar duties for men.
Hatter
In colonial times, nearly everyone wore some kind of head covering, making the
hat industry very important. A man’s hat advertised his social status. Hats that
were more elaborate represented greater wealth or status. Colonial hats were
made of beaver skin, wool, cotton, or straw. Colonial hatters knew how to make
many different kinds of hats such as a knitted caps, broad-brimmed hats (which
was the most popular), or upturned brim-tricorne hats (three-cornered hats).
Because beaver furs were so numerous in the New World, the hat industry was
one of the first that actually took business away from Great Britain.
Danbury, Connecticut would become the epicenter of hat production in the
colonies. At one point, the city produced five million hats in one year.
Interestingly, part of the process of making hats involved “carroting” or washing
the furs with a type of steaming hot, orange liquid. The liquid was full of
mercury, which would attack the central nervous systems of the workers when it
became airborne. Such workers would experience blurring of vision, loss of
balance, delusions, and uncontrolled twitching of the muscles. Known as the
Danbury Shakes, this phenomenon would give rise to the statement “mad as a
hatter.”
Cooper
Coopers were tradesman who made casks, buckets, barrels, and containers for
flour, gunpowder, tobacco, shipping, wine, milk, and other liquids. One kind of
container, the hogshead, was used to ship huge quantities of tobacco from the
colonies to England. Because the demand for containers was high, colonial
coopers made millions of such containers every year. Although coopers are
traditionally known for creating barrels (casks), it was actually the “tight cooper”
who made them. Other coopers began specializing in making specific types of
containers that they could mass produce quickly.
The construction of a barrel (more accurately called a cask) took skill,
experience, and significant manual labor. It was very difficult to construct the
perfect cask, with a bulging round center and with sides that taper inward toward
both ends. Clear white oak staves (wooden planks for barrels) were split from
the centers of mature trees. The tight cooper would then fashion the wooden
parts with axes and knives before gathering them in a circular formation and
securing them with iron rings. The staves were then heated to make them pliant
(flexible) and pulled together with a special tool called a windlass. They were
then banded with hickory hoops. Grooves were cut into lips that were formed to
make sure the barrelheads fit tightly. Next, the lid was made. Finally, the cooper
would cut a hole in the top and side and then fit the holes with plugs. This was
done so people could see what was in the barrel.
The word cooper comes from the Middle English word “couper,” which means
tub or container.
Brickmaker
Brickmakers were important in colonial towns and their trade contributed to the
overall appearance of the village or city. Brickmakers made their products by
digging clay from the ground. They would then mix the clay with water and mash
it with their feet to produce the right consistency in an area called a treading pit.
Debris such as sticks, rocks, and leaves would then be removed. Different
colored bricks were made by adding sand or ashes to the mixture.
The mixture would then be placed in a wooden mold to make the right shape.
Within the molds, the brick mixtures would dry for a week or so before being
moved to a drying shed where they would be stored for up to six weeks. When
they were fully dried, they would be fired in a brick kiln sealed with clay for up to
six days at temperatures approaching 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit where they
would glow yellow from the intense heat. Up to 20,000 bricks could be fired at a
time, though not all would be usable.
Printer
Colonial printers printed books, newspapers, pamphlets and other publications.
Their shops sometimes served as mail centers as well. Printers who printed
newspapers bought their paper from a paper mill and made the ink in their
shops. Paper was made from linen and cloth and ink was made from tannin, iron
sulfate, gum, and water.
Printing a publication such a newspaper was a comprehensive and complicated
task. First, the type was set. A type was a single piece of metal with a letter,
number, or point of punctuation. Setting the time was a taxing, cumbersome
task. A single page of a colonial newspaper could take up to 25 hours of labor to
produce. The type setting process was done by an employee or apprentice of the
printer known as the compositor. An inking pad or “beater” was used to spread
the ink over the type. The type would be arranged and held with an apparatus
called a composing stick. The stone was a large flat surface that held the work to
be printed, and the press was the machine that transferred the arranged lettering
to a page. The press itself functioned by squeezing the paper against the
arranged type with about 200 pounds of pressure to ensure the ink was
deposited boldly and evenly on the paper. The paper was then set aside to dry
before the other side was printed.
Among the most famous of colonial printers was Benjamin Franklin, who
published newspapers and books from his printing press in Philadelphia. One of
Franklin’s most famous publications was called Poor Richard’s Almanac, a book
of predictions, information, and advice, in which popular sayings were first
published such as “a penny saved is a penny earned” and “three may keep a
secret if two of them are dea
Cobbler
Shoemaking was one of the earliest industries in the original 13 colonies.
Shoemakers may have been with John Smith on one of the maiden voyages to
the New World that resulted in the establishment of the Jamestown colony. At
the latest, shoemakers arrived in the New World in 1610. Shoemakers made
shoes first by making wooden “lasts,” or blocks of foot-shaped wood carved
into different sizes. Next, a leather “upper” was stretched over the last and
fastened with glue until it was ready to be fastened to the sole. The sole would
be pounded with metal tools and an awl was used to cut holes. Then the upper
was removed from the last and the sole and upper were sewn together before the
shoe was cleaned, polished, and fitted with a heel. Finally, the shoes were hung
in the shoemaker’s store. A standard pair of shoes would take between eight and
ten hours to make. Early shoemakers used the same pattern to make a pair of
shoes, meaning the left and right shoes were exactly the same.
Interestingly, the making of boots and shoes for men was a completely different
trend than making ladies shoes. Bootmaking was the most prestigious pursuit in
the shoe industry and competition was often fierce among rival bootmakers. To
make matters worse, local factories began mass producing shoes and many
wealthy citizens would have their shoes imported from England.
Tavern Keeper
Early American taverns were important gathering places for townspeople and for
travelers. Because of the arduous conditions in early colonial travel, taverns
were generally erected every few miles on main roads to accommodate weary
and hungry travelers. Although people could certainly buy and drink beer, ale,
wine, and other liquors, as well as enjoy a good meal and get a good night’s
sleep, taverns were places where townspeople socialized, exchanged ideas,
talked about local politics, and even made laws and declared action. For
example, the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia, served as the staging
grounds for Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and other Virginians to form
Committees of Correspondence with other colonial leaders to protest and
monitor actions of the British Crown against them.
Wheelwright
The wheelwright was important tradesman in colonial towns. They made wheels
for wagons, carriages, and riding chairs. Because colonial roads were rocky and
rugged, wheels had to be made to handle the rough conditions. Wheelwrights
also built or repaired carts, wheelbarrows and wagons. Wheelwrights had to
have precise measuring skills as well as knowledge of basic geometry.
Wheelwrights were very important in farming regions, where farmers needed
wheeled vehicles to
Constructing such a wheel was considerably difficult and took the skills of metal
working and carpentry. Wheelwrights cut, chiseled, fashioned, and shaped
wheels from wood. The spokes and hubs were also made of wood. They used
iron rims, often made by local blacksmiths, to fit around the exterior of the
wheels. Of particular difficulty was the process of perfecting the mortise and
tenon process, where the wheelwright carves a cavity (mortise) in a piece of
wood and shapes the tenon to fit in the cavity snugly. This is how the spokes are
fastened in the hub and rim.
Candlemaker (Chandler)
Being that electric lights did not exist at the time, candlemaking in colonial times
was an important trade. Although women made candles in smaller towns and
villages, a tradesman called a chandler made candles in larger towns.
To make a candle, a chandler would first craft the wick with thin pieces of cotton
or linen. Next, he would heat up tallow or animal fat before dipping the wick into
it. The wick would be dipped into the burning animal fat several times. This
“dipping” was done until the candle was the desired size. Once the candle had
hardened, the wick was trimmed and the candle was ready to be used. Such
candles, made from tallow, gave off unpleasant odors. Chandlers also made
candles from whale oil. These kind of candles didn’t smell any better than tallow
candles but were more durable
Wealthy people could buy candles made of beeswax, but these were expensive
and not available to everyone. Some chandlers attempted to make candles using
berries from the bayberry shrub, but this process of very time consuming and
not cost-effective.
Gunsmith
Being a gunsmith in colonial America required several specialized skills in
working with metal and wood. Apprenticeships for learning the trade could take
up to seven years. Colonial gunsmiths mainly repaired guns, axes, and other
metal tools because most firearms were imported from England because they
were cheaper. In England, gunsmiths specialized in making one or two parts
such as the barrel (the long tube through which the bullet passes), stock (the
wooden part of the gun that serves as the grip and holds the firing mechanisms),
or firelock (the firing mechanism). This kept production high and costs low and
also marked the infancy stage of what came to be known as the assembly line
system of production. In colonial America and England, most of the guns in
existence were flintlocks. A flintlock was a piece of flint set in a moveable cock.
When the trigger was pulled, the cock fell causing the flint to strike a piece of
steel, creating sparks. The sparks would come in contact with the gunpowder
which would ignite the main charge in the barrel. Guns were more important in
colonial America than they are today in America. Colonists needed guns to hunt
for their food, and if necessary, protect themselves from Native Americans (in
frontier lands).
American gunsmiths, however, did produce the long rifle, a hunting rifle used in
America’s frontier lands, particularly Pennsylvania and Kentucky. The long rifle
allowed hunters to kill deer from long distances.
General Store Keeper
The General Store was an important part of any colonial town or community. It
often served as a gathering point where people could debate politics, or sift
through the latest European imports. Coffee, produce, cheeses, and candles
were among the many products sold at the general store. Merchants at general
stores also sold metal goods, tins, wrought-iron decorations, playing cards,
barrels, furs, guns, clothing, and anything else imaginable that could be sold.
Farmers would often come with their extra meat, vegetables, and eggs to sell or
trade.
Silversmith
Silversmiths were among the most numerous of colonial craftsman. Business
could often be difficult as many wealthy citizens imported their silver objects
from England. Some silversmiths in America were forced to make their livings by
importing silverware from England and selling it. Furthermore, it was very
difficult to obtain unfinished silver and colonial silversmiths often had to buy the
old silver pieces from citizens just to have silver to work with. Many silversmiths
(who also called themselves goldsmiths) made relatively few original items such
as spoons, buttons, and shoe buckles. They would also repair items.
Silversmiths fashioned their objects from thick pieces of metal called ingots.
Upon an anvil, the ingot would be hammered until it was thin enough. It was then
placed over a stake where it was shaped and smoothed. The last step was
polishing the piece with pumice, decomposed limestone (known as tripoli) and
powdered red iron ore (known as jeweler’s rouge).