Settlement, Culture, and Government of the
Colonies
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Migration- what is it? What are some reasons
for migration?
Think about:
◦ Why do people move?
◦ Why do people move to different countries?
◦ What is the difference between emigrate and
immigrate?
◦ Do people who emigrate always do so by their own
choice?
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Most early colonial settlers where from England.
◦ Others came from all over Europe.
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2 main reasons why people emigrated to the new
colonies:
◦ Economic opportunity
 Chance to earn a living
 Offered land for farming
 Poor could come as indentured servants & make better lives
for themselves.
◦ Religious freedom
 Europe was full of religious unrest (especially in England)
 People were persecuted for religious beliefs so you had
religious dissenters who wanted to change or purify the
Church of England.
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Colonists came to America from many places,
for a variety of reasons, and lived different
ways depending on where they settled.
Over time three economic regions developed
in the colonies:
◦ The New England Colonies
 Farthest north, cold climate, rocky soil
◦ The Middle Colonies
 IN the middle of the country, climate & soil in this
region were better for agriculture
◦ The Southern Colonies
 Farthest south, warm climate, long growing season.
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Colonists developed different economies & ways
of life, but still shared English heritage
However, over time colonists began to depend
more on local governments for guidance rather
than looking to the “mother country”.
By 1650, Parliament began passing laws to
regulate colonial trade and make sure the
colonies were of benefit to England.
By the mid 1700’s, the colonies had grown used
to governing themselves and resentment of
England began to grow.
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Go to your assigned group and bring a
textbook with you
◦ Read the assigned page(s) in your textbook about
each economic area
◦ One person in the group read aloud the paper of
additional information on each economic region.
◦ Complete the chart over each region
◦ We will rotate to each station- if you finish early,
work on the Virginia Colony reading quietly at your
table.
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You have decided to move from Great Britain
to America in the 1700’s. Write a letter to a
friend explaining which colony you have
chosen to live in and why.
◦ Use proper friendly letter format
◦ Separate sheet of paper! You are turning this in!
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Answer the lesson review questions below:
1. What reasons did dissenters and indentured
servants have for coming to the American
colonies?
2. How did the writings of people like John Locke
lead colonists to resent the British governments?
3. How did geographic features influence life in the
colonies?