Colonial Life
New England Colonies
Middle Colonies
Southern Colonies
Colonial Culture
Activities:
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Colonies & Colonial Region Map
Colonial Regions Power Points
Colonial Regions Chart
Colonial Quiz
Colonial Book Project
Map of the Colonial Regions
New England
Location
Colonies
• New Hampshire- 1622
– Included present-day
Vermont
• Massachusetts- 1620
– Included present-day
Maine
• Rhode Island- 1636
• Connecticut- 1635
Climate
• Four Seasons
• Winters
– Long and cold
– A lot of snow
– Average Temp. in January: 22-36
– Record low of -50
• Summers
– Short and mild
– Average Temp. in July: 65-82
Geography
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Rocky Hills & Low Mountains
Jagged Coastlines
Thin, rocky soil (least fertile)
Many forests
Close to the ocean
Connecticut River
Climate &Geography:
How did they affect the colonists?
• Climate
– Fewer colonists died from diseases like
malaria, which are common in warmer areas.
– Long winters made farming difficult.
• Geography
– Rocky soil made farming difficult.
– Nearness to ocean was great for fishing
and trade.
– Forests were used for lumber.
Resources Map
Resources
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Location-Trade
Fish
Lumber
Whales
Livestock
Grain
Furs
Iron
New England Economy
1. Bad farmland
– Most practiced subsistence farming; growing
only enough for their families.
2. Trade/Merchants
– Trade was vital to the economy.
– Nearness to the oceans and many ports, or
harbors, made trade easy.
– Many merchants traded good locally and
overseas.
– Trade increased the growth of cities in New
England.
Economy Cont.
3. Fishing
– Rich waters had great fishing
grounds.
– Whales provided oil for lighting.
4. Shipbuilding
– Abundant timber, trade, and fishing
made shipbuilding part of the
economy.
5. Craftspeople
– Blacksmiths, weaving, shipbuilding,
and printing
Slavery in New
England
• Very few slaves, some free
blacks
• Slaves who lived here usually
worked as servants and cooks.
• Some worked with craftsmen.
Triangular Trade
Rum, rice, tobacco,
indigo, fur, iron,
tools, sugar,
molasses
Cloth, manufactured
goods,
Middle Passage
Slaves
The Middle Passage
• The Middle Passage was the leg of the triangular
trade route where slaves were shipped to the
Americas.
• It was a horrific journey to the Americas.
• Slaves were chained together for over a month.
• They could barely sit or stand.
• They were given little food or water.
• Those who died or were sick were thrown overboard.
• It is estimated that over 12 million slaves were
brought to the Americas between the late 1400s and
mid-1800s.
Olaudah Equiano
said…
• “We were all put under deck…The
closeness…the heat…added to the
number in the ship, which was so
crowded that each had scarcely room to
turn himself, almost suffocated us…The
shrieks…the groans of the dying,
rendered (made) the whole a scene of
horror.”
History:
Why People Settled
• Most who settled in the New England
area were searching for religious
freedom.
• Religion became very important to their
lifestyles.
The Pilgrims
• In England a group of people wanted to
practice Christianity in their own way.
• These people were called Separatists.
• We know them as Pilgrims, because their
journey had a religious purpose.
• They were persecuted, or treated badly,
for their beliefs.
• In 1620, 102 Pilgrims boarded the
Mayflower.
The Mayflower
• 66 days at sea
• Baby born on the ship- Oceanus
• 12% of the population claim to be
descendants of Mayflower passengers
• Famous Descendants:
– Presidents Adams, J.Q. Adams, Taylor,
Grant, Garfield, FDR, Bush, & G.W. Bush
– Clint Eastwood
– Marilyn Monroe
Mayflower Compact
• While on the ship, the
Pilgrims wrote the
Mayflower Compact.
• It was a law and order
contract.
• The 41 signers agreed to
have fair laws to protect the
good of the group.
• It was the first document in
which colonists claimed the
right to govern themselves.
Plymouth
Colony
• The Pilgrims planned on landing in Virginia.
• They landed in present-day Cape Cod,
Massachusetts in November.
• They called the land Plymouth.
• After the first winter, nearly half had
died from malnutrition, disease, and cold.
The First Thanksgiving
• Two Natives, Squanto and Samoset, became
friends with the Pilgrims.
• They showed them how to grow corn, beans, and
pumpkins and how to hunt and fish.
• That fall, the Pilgrims set aside a day to
celebrate their good harvest.
Life as a Pilgrim
• Most were farmers, but the land was not
that good.
• Many began to trade furs and fish.
• Family life was very important.
• Religion and education were central to
their lives.
• Men worked in fields, chopped wood, built
shelters, fished, and hunted.
• Women cooked, spun and wove wool, sewed
clothing, made soap and butter, and cared
for livestock.
If you were a teenage pilgrim
girl…
• You would help your mother
clean, cook, do laundry, and
raise younger children.
• You would stand quietly behind
the table while the men and
boys ate their meals.
• In church you could not talk.
• You would keep your head
covered with a bonnet.
• You would wear a skirt, apron,
and shirt with long sleeves.
Great Migration
• In England the economy was suffering,
taxes were raised, and the Church was
punishing those who argued with official
opinions.
• This led to the Great Migration.
• 40,000 people moved to New England
and the Caribbean.
• 15,000 Puritans moved to
Massachusetts.
The Puritans
• The Puritans were a group that was unhappy
with the Church of England.
• They were Protestants that wanted to reform
the Anglican Church.
• In 1630, about 900 Puritans traveled to New
England.
• They were led by John Winthrop.
• They believed that
they had a promise
with God to build the
ideal Christian
community.
• “City on the Hill”
Massachusetts Bay Colony
• By 1643, about 20,000 people lived in
the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
• Boston was their main city, which was
located on a harbor.
Prepared Puritans
• They brought tools and
livestock with them.
• They traded with the
Natives and the
Plymouth Colony.
• The Puritans were very
hard-working, which
contributed to their
success.
Puritan Government/Religion
• The General Court was
their elected assembly.
• The assembly set taxes
and passed laws.
• Adult male church
members were allowed to
vote, and later they also
had to own property to get
to vote.
• Though they came for
religious freedom, the
Puritans did not tolerate
other religions.
Puritan Lifestyle
• Everything revolved around religion.
• There were very strict rules
regarding behavior.
• Men were in charge and women were
subordinate.
• Children did not often play with toys
or play games, they worked.
Education
• Education was important and
revolved around religion.
• Children learned to read so they
could understand the Bible.
• Puritan communities typically had
schoolhouses.
• Colleges were opened as well,
including Harvard in 1636.
• By 1700, 70% of New Englanders
could read and write.
Puritan Decline
• The younger generations
concentrated more on businesses
and running farms more than
religion.
• Puritan lifestyle started to change.
Rhode Island
• Roger Williams, a minister,
and others founded Rhode
Island as a place of religious
freedom.
• They thought you should be
free to practice any religion
and that land should not be
taken from Natives.
• This was the first place in
America that allowed
freedom of religion.
Connecticut
• Founded by Thomas Hooker, who left
the Puritans.
• They formed the Fundamental Orders
of Connecticut, the first written
constitution in America.
• The land here was more fertile than
Boston because of the Connecticut
River.
New Hampshire
• In 1679, John Wheelwright led a group
of people out of Massachusetts into
New Hampshire.
Relations with Natives
• Most settlers traded pots, blankets,
and guns in exchange for furs.
• Conflict arose when settlers moved into
Native American land.
• King Phillip’s War- Wampanoag chief,
King Phillip, wanted to stop settlers
from moving into Native land
• Natives lost, and land was open for
settlement in New England
Review: New England
• Describe the climate.
– Long, cold winters
– Short, warm summers
• Geography?
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Rocky hills and mountains
Rocky soil, not fertile
Connecticut River
Close to ocean
• Resources/Economy?
– Timber, Shipbuilding, Fishing, Trade, Craftspeople
• Why did people settle in New England?
– Religious freedom
Review: New England
• Who were the Pilgrims?
– Separatists group that journeyed to America to
practice their own religion
• What was the Mayflower Compact?
– Law and order contract the Pilgrims signed
• Who helped the Pilgrims?
– Native Americans: Squanto and Samoset
• What was the Great Migration?
– Movement of 15,000 Puritans to Massachusetts
• What was route slaves took to the Americas?
– Middle Passage
Review: New England
• Who were the Puritans?
– Protestants that wanted to reform the
Anglican Church
• Why were the Puritans successful?
– Came prepared, worked hard
• What was the most important part of
the Puritan lifestyle?
– Religion
Review: New England
• What made Rhode Island different
from other colonies?
– Allowed religious freedom
• What were the Fundamental Orders of
Connecticut?
– First written constitution in the colonies
• What caused King Phillip’s War?
– Land was being taken from Natives
Chart
Colonies
N. Hampshire
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
Climate
Long, cold
winters
Short, warm
summers
Rocky hills, rocky
Geography soil, many trees,
(Rivers, Soil, least fertile soil,
Landforms) Connecticut River
Fish, Whale oil,
Economic timber,
Resources livestock, trade
People
Pilgrims,
Puritans, lived
near a town,
Baptists,
Anglicans
Slavery
Very fewservants, cooks
Many free
blacks