Study Material:
You need to know what state makes up each colony!
The reasons Europeans migrated to North America:
1. Religious Freedom- They wanted to be able to practice their own beliefs
2. To search for a better life, job, and own land- Life was hard in Europe, and many people wanted new opportunities
3. The King of England wanted to control the new land in North America- He wanted to have more power
The following examples helped model our government today:
- The Iroquois League
2. The Mayflower Compact
3. House of Burgesses
Things to know about the colonies:
New England (Colonies: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island)
- Tried to remain a part of the Church of England
- They followed the Mayflower Compact and celebrated Thanksgiving
- Poor, rocky soil not good for farming
- Long cold winters and short summers
- The economy included whaling and fishing because they lived near the ocean.
- Had many forests, so they had shipbuilding in order to be able to fish in the ocean.
- Produced wood from the forest & furs from many of the animals with thick coats for the harsh winters
- The Puritans’ first settlement in North America was the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Middle (Colonies: New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania)
- Were known as the “Breadbasket Colonies” because they grew a lot of grains.
- Had the best climate and soil that was perfect for farming
- The Delaware River and Philadelphia were very important to this colony. They had good harbors.
- Religious Toleration and cultural borrowing were celebrated in this colony
- Mostly grew staple crops for them and their communities to eat.
- Trading was very important and they had many shops
Southern (Colonies: Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland)
- Had large farms or plantations where they grew tobacco as well as food. Had mostly cash crops that they sold for profit.
- Had “buffer zones” to protect the other colonies from the Spanish in Florida.
- This colony was made for debtors who could not pay their taxes in England.
- The Virginia Company of London helped create the House of Burgesses. Only white free men who owned property were allowed to vote for representatives in the House of Burgesses.
- Had the longest growing season, mild winters and fertile soil for growing crops
- Economy included cash crops like wheat, tobacco, rice & cotton
- Rural life (opposite of living in the city) was most common in the southern colonist
- The first permanent settlement in Georgia was Savannah
James Oglethorpe was the man that started the Georgia colony. He brought debtors (people that owed a lot of money and were in jail for it) from England to begin the Georgia colony.
William Penn was a Quaker who started the Pennsylvania colony.
The Mayflower Compact was a list of rules made by the first colonist to help them get along. It helped the Puritans and strangers establish rules. This helped lead to American self-government.
Jamestown was the first successful English settlement in America.
Squanto was a Native American that helped the fist colonists survive.
The colonist stole the Native Americans’ land and gave them many diseases.
The Iroquois League was when 5 Native American tribes gathered together to solve disputes among the tribes without violence.
The Toleration Act gave religious freedom to all Christians in Maryland.
The Plantation System was a large farm broken into many pieces. Slaves worked and farmed the land.
The Halfway Covenant provided limited membership in the Puritan Church.
The House of Burgesses was the legislature in Virginia where colonists elected members to represent them
Penn’s idea for government was called the Frame of Government It said all citizens are to be treated fairly. It also gave people freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
Since many colonists moved to the colonies for religious freedom, many of the things they created had to do with religious issues. Some of these are:
1. Toleration Act in which all Christians in Maryland were given religious freedom.
2. Frame of Government which was written by Penn and gave citizens freedom of religion.
3. Halfway Covenant that provided limited membership in the Puritan Church.
You also need to be able to tell:
- The similarities and differences between Jamestown and Plymouth Colonies in terms of location, government, and economy.
- How the lives of Native Americans changed as people moved to the 13 colonies
Thank you!
