Original 13 Colonies

Life in early America

•13 Colonies Objectives/Standards:

Describe the contributions of geographic and economic

conditions, religion, and colonial systems of
government to the development of American
democratic practices.

Describe the geography, cultures, and economics of the

Southern, Middle Atlantic, and New England Colonies.

Describe interactions (e.g., agricultural and cultural

exchanges, alliances, conflicts) between Native
• Colony: a place that is settled by a group of people
outside of their home country.
• Puritans: Came to the New England colonies for religious
freedom, they wanted the church to be more “pure”.
Vocabulary • Slavery: The practice of owning slaves. (work done
under harsh conditions for little or no pay. the state of
being under the control of another person
• Exploration: The action of traveling in or through an
unfamiliar area in order to learn about it.
• Settler: A person that moves to one area from another,
usually to colonize
• Frontier: Lands beyond the settlements that haven’t
been settled
• Charter: an official piece of paper
• Overseer: someone hired to watch the slaves as
they worked
Vocabulary • Indigo: A plant grown and used to make blue dye
• Refuge: A safe place
• Immigrant: A person that moves from one
country to another to start a new life
• Diversity: A group of people from very different
backgrounds
Reasons for Coming to America
• Some people didn’t like
the Church of England.
• Some came for freedom
of religion
• Some came to earn
money
• Some were forced to
come so that they can
work as slaves
The Colonies
Each colony was unique in it’s characteristics. However, they
are grouped together based on location, reasons they were
founded, and what types of industries they had.
New England Colonies
Rhode Island
Connecticut
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Middle Colonies
Delaware
Pennsylvania
New York
New Jersey
Southern Colonies
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia
New England
Colonies
•The settlers here wanted to
keep their family together and
practice their own religions.

• They were used to doing many

things themselves and not
depending on other people for
much.

• Some were looking for

economic opportunities. Some
starting fishing settlements
New England Colonies
People in New England towns

Facts lived, worked, and worshiped

close together.

People used a barter system

instead of money. This means to
trade goods.

The meetinghouse was the most

important building in the town.
New England Colonies
Women and girls spent hours
Facts cooking and preparing food.

They churned butter and dried

fruits. This food was stored to last
through the winter. They used
animal fat to make candles and
soaps.

The men would hunt and work in

the fields. They also made their
own tools.
New England Colonies
Economy -farming and fishing communities

-made their own clothes and shoes

-corn and wheat grew in large

numbers and much was shipped to
England

-Boston was the major New

England port.
•By 1750, busy cities cropped
up around the New England
colonies.

•Some colonists lived in small

towns surrounded by farm
land outside of the big cities.

New England Colonies

Middle Colonies

•The settlers here were looking to practice

their own religion or to make money.

•Many of these people didn't bring their

families with them from England and were the
perfect workers for the hard work required in
ironworks and shipyards.
Middle Colonies
Economy -These Colonies were part
agriculture, part industrial

-Wheat and other grains were

grown

-Factories produced iron,

paper and textiles

-Trading goods with England

was common
Middle Colonies
Facts
-Sometimes called the “The Bread
Basket” colonies because they
grew so many crops for making
bread.

-In addition to the lush land for

growing crops, there were several
large harbors.

- Germans built the Conestoga

wagon here
Middle Colonies
Facts
-Settlers that lived here came
from many different places
and backgrounds.

-Dutch, Swedish, French,

Belgian, English, and more!
Many lived in Philadelphia

-Philadelphia means
“brotherly love” in Greek. It
was founded on the principles
of living peacefully together.
Middle Colonies
The -Believed all people were equal

Quakers -Refused to swear loyalty to the

king or queen

-Refused to participate in war

-Came to the Americas for refuge

and worship

-Lived in New Jersey, New York,

Pennsylvania
Southern
Colonies
Southern Colonies

•The settlers here, for the most part,

wanted to make money.
•
They brought their families and they kept
their them together on the plantations.
•
But their main reason for being here was to
make the good money.
Southern Colonies
Economy -almost entirely agricultural

-plantations were abundant

-a large part of the workforce

was African slaves

-plantations grew tobacco,

rice, and indigo
Southern Colonies
Facts
-Slavery was legal

-Children born to slaves

became slave themselves

-Sometimes families were

broken apart and sold to other
plantation owners

-Enslaved people were often

abused or beaten
Facts About School

• Boys normally went to grammar schools

while girls went to dame school.

• There were no chalkboards, maps, or paper.

• School teachers were strict and were

allowed to hit their students or make them
wear a dunce hat if they were bad or said
the wrong answer.
Other Facts About
School
•In the New England colonies, children were taught
to read so they could study the Bible. Boys got to
also learn Latin and Math and other subjects to get
into college. Girls could learn to read, but they
weren't allowed to go to grammar school or to
college.
•In the Middle Colonies, most schools were private.
Students also learned other subjects so they could
get into college. Girls weren't allowed to attend
(unless they were Quakers).

•In the Southern Colonies, children were mostly

taught at home. As in the other colonies, Southern
girls did not go to higher schooling.
Free Time Barn Raising
Make new clothes Sleigh Rides (was a social event!)
& Ice Skate

Dances & Social Clubs Plays

Conflict in the
Colonies

•As colonists settled and spread across New

England, they entered land that was already
lived on by Native Americans.
Conflict in the Colonies

•The Native Americans and colonists began

attacking each other’s villages.

•They had very different ideas about owning

land. Natives believed no one could own
land while colonists believed you could own
it if you claim it.

•Arguments began to lead to war resulting in

lives lost. Some tribes were nearly
completely wiped out.