Colonial Life

What is a COLONY?

• A colony is an area under the control of a distant country.

• Christopher Columbus discovered the New World in 1492.

• Soon, colonies were set up by Spain, France and England in the New World.

Spanish Explorers• Explorers from Spain were called

conquistadors (means conqueror in Spanish).

Conquistadors

Famous conquistadors were:• Ponce de Leon – searched for the

fountain of youth but found Florida.• DeSoto – explored from Florida to

Texas.• Coronado – explored southwest

through Kansas• Cabrillo – explored the west coast

through Oregon.

St. Augustine

• Spain began to collect gold and silver from the New World (Florida).

• Other European countries wanted the same thing and plundered Spanish ships.

• Spain built a fort at St. Augustine, FL to protect its ships.

• St. Augustine was the Spanish • settlement in the United States!

1st

France• Other countries searched for a

northern route to the New World. • The Northwest Passage was a sea

route around the top of North America to the Far East (China).

French Explorers

• Samuel de Champlain – Founded the colony of Quebec (Canada)

• Robert LaSalle – followed the Mississippi river to its beginning and claimed Louisiana for France.

Problems for the French• The French traders had problems

with the Iroquois indians – they were the sworn enemies of the French.

French Missionaries

• The Jesuits were missionaries who came without soldiers. Many were killed by the Native Americans.

• The Huguenots were protestants (not Catholics) and were not allowed in the colonies.

The Dutch

• Holland, also known as the Netherlands, was interested in the New World for trade and resources.

• They were a small country and depended on trade to survive.

• They had the largest fleet of ships in Europe!

Dutch Explorers• Henry Hudson – sailed down

the Hudson River in New York which was named after him.

• The New Netherlands was a colony established in the Hudson River Valley.

Dutch Colonies

• The Dutch East India Company offered large amounts of land to people to fill up the colony.

• Government in the colony was weak.

• The English soon took over the New Netherlands and renamed it New York.

The English• The first English colony in America

was Roanoke Island (now North Carolina).

The Lost Colony of Roanoke John White led a group of

117 settlers to Roanoke. They became nervous due to problems with the natives. They decided to send John White back to England to get help. When he returned three years later, he found nothing. All the settlers had vanished, and the houses had been torn down. White discovered only one clue to the settlers’ whereabouts: “CROATOAN” was carved on the bark less trunk of a tree.

Jamestown

• Jamestown was the first successful English colony.

• Captain John Smith helped these colonists survive the first few years.

Jamestown and Tobacco

• The colonists of Jamestown discovered tobacco.

• Tobacco could be shipped back to England for a profit, but it required a lot of work.

• They began to bring in Indentured Servants - people who came to work the land in exchange for their trip to America.

• Soon they needed more workers and began to bring in slaves from Africa.

Self-Government in the Colonies

• To attract new people, the Virginia Company changed the way Jamestown was run.

• They established the “House of Burgesses”

• A burgess was a citizen of Jamestown.

• The members were representatives of the male landowners of the colony.

• It was the first representative body in the English colonies.

Plymouth Colony• The Pilgrims were from

Holland. • They wanted to start over in

America.• In 1620 they set sail on the

Mayflower.• They landed in

Massachusetts.• They wrote the Mayflower

Compact as the rules they would all follow.

• They became known as the Plymouth Colony.

Read the following passage and answer the questions

Can you match these explorers/colonies with the country who sponsored them?

1. Christopher Columbus___

2. Ponce de Leon____3. Jamestown____4. Desoto____5. Henry Hudson____6. Robert LaSalle____7. St. Augustine____8. New York____9. Roanoke Island____10. Plymouth Colony____

A. DutchB. SpainC. FranceD. EnglandE. Holland

Fill in the missing information based on your notes.

Holland Mayflower

1620 Pilgrims

_______

________

_______ Cabrillo

_______

Conquistadores

The 13 Colonies• For 20 years the only 2 English colonies

were Jamestown and Plymouth.• New colonies began to be settled in 3

regions and were called:– New England Colonies– Middle Colonies– Southern Colonies

• Massachusetts• Connecticut• New Hampshire• Rhode Island

New England Colonies

New England Colonies• Came so they

could practice their religion

• Came to make money

• Mostly farmers and fishermen

• Grew corn and wheat

New England Colonies-Agriculture

• Grew corn and wheat

• Bad soil for crops• Short season for

crops

New England Colonies- Religion

• New England colonist were largely Puritans

• They led very strict lives

• Stayed in church most of the day

New England Colonies-Education

• Parents believed children should learn Christianity

• Taught to read so they could read the Bible

Middle Colonies• Delaware• Pennsylvania• New York• New Jersey

Middle Colonies-Economy • They sold what

they grew. • If they had a bad

season they wouldn’t have much to eat or drink.

Middle Colonies-Religion • Went to church

but they also used it as a meeting place.

• They thought church should be something you do every day.

Middle Colonies-Education• School starts at

7:00 a.m. • Boys and girls

studied art, music, French, needle work and girls learned how to nurse.

Middle Colonies - Food• They grew apples,

wheat, corn, tobacco.

• They also ate chickens, pigs, cows.

• They hunted for deer, rabbits and turkey.

The Southern Colonies• Maryland• Virginia• North Carolina• South Carolina• Georgia

Southern Colonies -Economy

• Mainly grew tobacco, rice grapes, and indigo

• Most growing was done on plantations

Southern Colonies-Agriculture

• Grew mostly rice, indigo, and tobacco

• Mostly all grown on plantations

Southern Colonies- Religion

• Believed you should spend most of your day in church related service.

Southern Colonies - Education

• School days started at 7:00am

• Learned how to read

• Only read the Bible• Girls mostly

learned basic housekeeping roles.

Southern Colonies-FoodAte chickens, pigs,

cows, clams, and fish

Hunted deer, rabbits, and turkeys

13 Colonies WorksheetThe map at the right lists the 13 Colonies. Color the 13 colonies as noted below:• New England Colonies – Red• Middle Colonies – Blue• Southern Colonies – White

• Activity • Tape off an area 8 by 8 feet on the floor.• Have eleven children stand in the space.• Discuss how crowded they feel• Next serve a meal of beef jerky, soda crackers, cheese and water.• Tell the students that the Pilgrims ate a lot of dried salted meat, hard crackers called hard tack, and cheese on

the Mayflower. Discuss that preserving food was necessary and that slating and drying were the best methods available in 1620.