Colonies

New England, Middle, and Southern colonies

New England Colonies

The New England Colonies were:

1. Massachusetts

2. Connecticut

3. Rhode Island

4. New Hampshire

Reasons for settling in the New England Colonies

1. Seeking Religious Freedom

Puritans left England and started the

Massachusetts Bay Colony in an effort to make their religion more pure.

Dissent/Disagreement

Not all Puritans who settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony agreed with the way matters were being handled.

Some disagreed with religious matters and others disagreed with the way Native Americans were being treated.

Speaking out

Roger Williams believed that the Puritan leaders should not punish people for having different beliefs. He also disagreed with Puritan leaders over their treatment of the Native Americans.

The Puritan leaders did not like this dissent. They decided to EXPEL, or kick him out, of the colony.

Williams and his followers founded the settlement of Providence.

Anne Hutchinson was another person who disagreed with the Puritan leaders.

She was also EXPELLED from the colony.

She and her followers settled near Providence.

Later, Hutchinson and Williams joined together to form the colony of Rhode Island.

Reasons for settling in New England Colonies

2. Many English were working jobs for low pay. They came to the colonies seeking economic advantages.3. Some were not happy with the way things were being done in the Church of England.

4. England was very crowded. Settlers could settle on large areas of land in the colonies.

Connecticut and New Hampshire

Connecticut was founded by Thomas Hooker who was seeking religious freedom.

New Hampshire was founded by David Thomson who, along with others, was seeking economic opportunities.

WAR

Wars were fought in the New England colonies

The King Philip’s War and the Pequot War were fought between the Native Americans and the colonists over LAND.

Government in the New England Colonies

• Mayflower Compact- Early form of government signed by the Pilgrims

• Town meetings– At town meetings, people voted on laws and

elected leaders. Anyone could attend but ONLY WHITE, LAND-OWNING MEN could vote.

Life in New England

Church services were held on Sundays. Everyone in the town had to attend.

Religious beliefs told the Puritans how to live, work, and spend their free time.

Religious services lasted most of the day, with a break for a meal at noon.

Common punishment for speaking against the Puritan beliefs was spending a few hours in the “town stocks.”

Everyday Life

Women and girls spent hours preparing food. They churned butter and dried fruits and vegetables

Women also spun thread, made clothing, made candles, made soap, made brushes, etc.

Men and boys spent their days working in the fields and hunting. They cut firewood and made their own tools. They raised cattle for food and leather. They raised sheep for wool. The men also guarded the town.

Childhood in New England• Children had few toys• Most families had 5 or more children• School was very important because Puritans believed

that everyone should be able to read the Bible.• Any town with 50 families had to have a school.• One-room, one teacher• Most teachers were men • Main subject taught was Reading (hornbook)• Didn’t go to school for long. They were needed at

home. Some boys continued their education and attended college.

• Harvard College started by the Puritans, to train ministers.

Geography in the New England Colonies

• Poor, rocky soil

• Good Harbors

• Swift, shallow rivers

Climate in the New England Colonies

• Long, cold winters

• Short, cool summers

This made it difficult to grow crops.

Natural Resources of the New England Colonies

• Forest- Trees for lumber

• Atlantic Ocean- Fishing and Whaling

Products/Crops of the New England Colonies

• Furs

• Lumber

• Whale Oil

Economy/Jobs of the New England Colonies

• Whaling

• Fishing

• Shipbuilding

• Trade barrel making

• Craftsmen

Economy of New England

• Struggled to grow crops. They first had to clear rocks and trees from the land.

• Long winters made it difficult to grow crops. • Colonists soon began to raise dairy cows and sheep. • Surplus• Farmers traded or sold their surpluses in port cities.• Farmers bargained with merchants over prices or items

to trade.• Many merchants became rich from trade. • Free market- people are free to choose which goods to

buy and which services to offer or use. They are free to compete in business and set whatever prices they choose for goods and services.

Logging and Shipbuilding

• Industry- All the businesses that make one kind of product or offer one kind of service.

• Naval stores- the products used to build ships. (turpentine and tar)

• Cost of building ships in the New England colonies was lower than the cost of building them in England. (Large supply of wood in New England)

Colonial Trade

• Exports-Goods leaving the country.• Imports-Goods brought into a country• Whaling-trips sometimes lasted months or

even years.• Whalers cut up and boiled the whale’s

blubber to get oil for lamps.• Fishing-surplus fish were dried, packed in

barrels and sent to other colonies or to England.

Triangular Trade Route

• These routes connected– England– Africa– English colonies

Ships left New England carrying furs, lumber, grain, whale oil, and dried fish. These exports were carried to England.

New England then imported tea, spices, wine, and English made goods such as cloth, shoes, and paper.

Middle Passage

• Africa was one of the three points of the Triangular Trade Route.

• Trading ships carrying goods and raw materials also carried enslaved people.

• The journey across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to the West Indies was called the Middle Passage.

• Africans suffered terribly on the ships. (Slave trade)

Middle Colonies

The Middle Colonies were:

1. New York

2. Pennsylvania

3. New Jersey

4. Delaware

Reasons for settling in the Middle Colonies

• Religious FreedomThe Quakers wanted to break completely away from the Church of England. They settled in Pennsylvania.

• Climate better for growing crops than the New England colonies

• Land rich and fertile• Business opportunities for small shop

owners.

Government in the Middle Colonies

Town Meetings

Only white, land-owning men could vote

House of Burgesses

Frames of Present day Government (Pennsylvania)

Geography of the Middle Colonies

• Sandy soil

• Grassy meadows

• Rich, fertile areas for growing crops

• Thick forests

• Gentle, rolling hills

• Flat plains

Climate of the Middle Colonies

• Mild and more inviting than the colder New England colonies

• More inviting than the humid Southern colonies

• Summers were long

• Amount of rain was good for crops

Middle colonies

The Middle Colonies got their name because of their location between the New England and Southern Colonies.

Breadbasket Colonies

Middle Colonies grew so much: wheat, rye, and corn that they became known as the Breadbasket colonies.

New Netherland

• New Netherland was still controlled by the Dutch.

• Few people came to the colony because they saw no reason to leave their homeland.

• The few people who lived in the colony had problems with Native Americans and the English colonists.

A New Leader

• Peter Stuyvesant was chosen to lead the colony and bring order.

• Stuyvesant helped the colony grow and gain more land, but their were still few settlers.

• To increase New Netherlands popularity, people from Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, and Brazil were allowed to settle in the colony.

• Africans (both free and enslaved) also lived in New Netherland.

• A group of about 40 formerly enslaved Africans were given land to settle. They became the first community of free Africans.

The English Take Over

• King Charles II wanted England to control the Atlantic Coast of North America.

• He wanted more settlements, natural resources, and control of the fur trade.

• The Colony of New Netherland stood in his way. • King Charles sent his brother, the Duke of York, and 4

warships to take control of New Netherland.• Peter Stuyvesant wanted to fight against the English to

keep New Netherland. The colonists of New Netherland did not want to fight.

• Stuyvesant gave up and the English took control of the colony of New Netherland.

New York and New Jersey

• James, the Duke of York, divided this new land into two parts. He named them New York and New Jersey.

• James kept New York for himself. He gave New Jersey to his two friends, John Berkley and George Carteret.

• Most Dutch settlers chose to stay. The new leaders promised to protect their religious freedom, rights, and property.

• At first, almost all of the colonists lived in New York.

• To attract more settlers to New Jersey, the new leaders offered to sell land at low prices.

Quakers

• Many of the new settlers to New Jersey were members of a religious group known as the Quakers.

• Quakers believed that all people were equal. They refused to fight in wars or swear loyalty to any king or country.

• Quakers bought Berkeley’s share of New Jersey and founded Salem, New Jersey, the first Quaker settlement in North America.

Pennsylvania and Delaware

• William Penn, an English Quaker, was given a charter making him the owner of what is now Pennsylvania.

• Penn was given this land because the king owed money to Penn’s father.

• Pennsylvania means “Penn’s Woods.”

• Penn wanted all people living in Pennsylvania to live together peacefully.

Frame of Government of Pennsylvania

• This plan of government set up a legislature called the General Assembly.

• It gave citizens freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and right to a fair trial by jury.

• In a trial by jury, a group of citizens decides if a person is guilty or innocent of a crime.

• White, male colonists were allowed to elect representatives.

• The Duke of York gave Penn control of the land that now makes up Delaware.

• Penn wanted the Native Americans to be treated with fairness, or Justice.

Life in the Middle Colonies

• Settlers in the Middle Colonies came from different places and backgrounds.

• Diversity-Differences among people.• Like all of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia was founded on

the idea that people of all backgrounds could live together peacefully.

• Immigrants came from different countries to Philadelphia.

• An immigrant is a person who comes into a country to make a new life.

• Some immigrants came to escape war, find religious freedom, own land, start businesses, and seek better economic opportunities.

The Great Awakening

• In the 1720s, a new religious movement began in the Middle Colonies.

• It was known as the Great Awakening because it “awakened” many people’s interest in religion.

• It also changed the way many people practiced their religion.

• The Great Awakening helped bring people together.• It led to greater religious tolerance or acceptance• During this time period, women, poor people, free and

enslaved Africans, and others participated in the religious gatherings.

• Because not everyone agreed with the ideas of the Great Awakening, the movement was eventually split.

Religion and Social Life

• Towns in the Middle Colonies often had more than one type of church.

• Religion was a major part of social life in the Middle Colonies.

• After services, neighbors would talk and exchange news.• Social gatherings included: dances, plays, concerts,

social clubs, horse races, sleigh rides, and ice-skating.• In rural areas, a barn raising was a big social event.

Neighbors would gather to help build a barn and afterwards, everyone would gather for a large meal.

Philadelphia Grows

• As owner of the Pennsylvania colony, William Penn planned both its government and its settlements.

• Penn designed Philadelphia with wide streets and many public parks.

• As Philadelphia grew, it became the home of many famous scientists.

• The most famous Philadelphian was Benjamin Franklin.

Benjamin Franklin

• Set up the first trained fire-fighting company in the English colonies.

• Raised money to build the city’s first hospital. • Set up a militia or volunteer army to protect the

city and the rest of the colony.• Founded Pennsylvania’s first college and first

public library.• He was a printer, scientist, and inventor.• Became a leader in the colony’s government.

Rich farmlands

• Unlike the New England colonies, the Middle colonies had plenty, of fertile soil.

• Since most people in the colonies earned their living by farming, the Middle colonies attracted many settlers.

• Wheat, corn, and rye were the main crops.• The land was also used to feed the dairy

cows. The pigs ran though the forests, eating acorns and berries.

• Farmers traveled to market towns to sell or trade their livestock and crops.

• Each market town had a grist mill (grind grain into flour)

• Most towns had a lumber mill.

• Families shopped at the general store.– Bought things they could not make: iron tools,

shoes, paint, and buttons.

Port Cities

• Port Cities were major trade centers in the Middle colonies.

• Economic success (prosperity) depended largely on these port cities.

• New York city was one of the most famous port cities.

• The Hudson River helped make trade easier.• Farmers, fur traders, and lumber workers could

float their goods down the river to New York.• The busiest port was Philadelphia, along the

Delaware River.

Imports and Exports

• Imports:– Furniture– Tea– Gunpowder– Medicines– Metals

• Exports:– Furs– Salted meat– Lumber– Wheat and grains

Colonial Jobs

• Artisans- craftworkers• Blacksmiths-used iron to make horseshoes and tools• Coopers- made barrels out of wood• Bricklayers- worked with stone and clay to pave streets

and raise buildings• Carpenters- used wood to build houses and ships.• Bakers, butchers, flour millers, soap makers• Dressmakers, tailors• Tanners-turned animal skins into leather• Cobblers- used leather to make shoes

Learning a trade

• A few young colonists in rich families went to college to become lawyers, bankers, and ministers.

• Skills needed by artisans were not taught in school.• Young people learned skills by becoming apprentices.• An apprentice lived and worked with an artisan and his

family for several years to learn a skill.• He could then go on to earn a living as a journey man

and later a master.• These professions were practiced by men.• Women had few chances to work outside the home.• Sometimes if a woman’s husband died, she would take

over his business.

Natural Resources of the Middle Colonies

• Forests

• Swamps

• Mountains

• Atlantic Ocean

• Good Harbors (connected to Hudson and Delaware Rivers) Making trade easier

• Navigable rivers

Products/Crops of the Middle Colonies

Called the “Breadbasket Colonies” due to amount of grain grown.

• Wheat

• Corn

• Rye

• Barley

• Oats

Economy/Jobs of the Middle Colonies

• Trading

• Finance Merchants

• Craftspeople

• Gristmills

Southern Colonies

The Southern Colonies were:

1. Maryland

2. Virginia

3. North Carolina

4. South Carolina

5. Georgia

Reasons for Settling in the Southern Colonies

• Religious Freedom

• Given 50 acres of land

• Second chance for debtors and prisoners

• Mild climate

• Long growing season

Government in the Southern Colonies

• Town Meetings

• Only white, land-owning men could vote

• House of Burgesses

• Representative Government

Geography of the Southern Colonies

• Rich, fertile soil

• Flat, Coastal plains

• Good River System

Climate of the Southern Colonies

• Mild winters

• Mild to hot summers

• Longest growing season of all colonial regions

Natural Resources of the Southern Colonies

• Forests

• Swamps

• Mountains

• Atlantic Ocean

• Navigable rivers

Products/Crops of the Southern Colonies

Cash CropsTobacco

Indigo-blue dye from plant

Rice

Cotton

Wheat

Economy/Jobs of the Southern Colonies

• Farming and Agriculture

• Trading (barter system)

• Indentured Servants

• Slavery

Maryland

• The Maryland Colony was founded by the Calverts, a family of wealthy English landowners.

• The Calverts, who were Catholic, wanted to start a colony in North America that would make money.

• Like the Quakers, Catholics in England could not worship as they wished.

• They wanted a refuge for Catholics in North America.

The Calverts

• George Calvert, also called Lord Baltimore, had invested in the Virginia Company.

• Calvert asked King Charles I to give him a charter to start a colony north of Virginia.

• Calvert died before the charter was signed.

• His son, Cecilius, became the owner of the new colony, Maryland.

Maryland

• Maryland’s first governor was Cecilius Calvert’s brother.

• The Calvert brothers had learned from the bad experiences at Jamestown.

• They planned their colony carefully.

• The first colonists were sent in 1633. Most of these colonists came as indentured servants.

Life in Virginia and Maryland

• The Maryland colony had much in common with its neighbor, Virginia.

• They both had a mild climate.• Tobacco grew in the fertile soil along the Coastal Plain.• Some colonists got rich from growing tobacco on large

plantations.• Most colonists struggled to make a living on small farms.• Many of Maryland’s farmers had come as indentured

servants. • Maryland’s government helped former servants by giving

them land, clothes, tools, and barrels of corn.

• Virginia and Maryland had similar governments. • Both colonies governors and elected

assemblies.• The King controlled the royal colony of Virginia.• The Calverts controlled the proprietary colony of

Maryland.• In 1649, Maryland passed the Toleration Act,

which gave religious freedom to all Christians in the colony.

The Carolina Colonies

• In 1663, England’s new king, King Charles II, granted land for another colony, Carolina.

• The charter divided Carolina among eight leaders, called Lords Proprietors.

• They adopted a constitution, or a written plan of government.

• Most of the power was still held by the King, but white males were allowed to make some laws and choose some leaders.

• The Carolina Colony became hard to govern.• It was large and colonists often did not follow the laws

they did not like.• In 1712, the colony was split into North and South

Carolina.

• In hilly North Carolina, farmers grew tobacco and corn.

• In South Carolina, farmers had trouble making money by growing tobacco. The land was too wet.

• Things changed when enslaved African workers brought with them the knowledge of how to grow rice successfully.

Georgia

• England, France, and Spain all claimed the land to the south of South Carolina.

• By 1727, England’s new ruler, King George III, knew that to gain control of the area, he had to send colonists there.

• A wealthy English leader named James Olgethorpe had an idea.

• Why not send debtors, people who had been put in prison for owing money, to settle a new colony?

• The settlers would defend the land against the other countries.

• The King granted a charter for a new colony, Georgia.

• The leaders of Georgia limited the size of farms and did not allow slavery.

• Georgia had no plantations.

• In 1751, Georgia’s leaders decided to allow slavery.

• Georgia’s economy grew as a result of plantations and the labor of enslaved Africans.

Heading West

• Backcountry-area between the Coastal Plain and the Appalachian Mountains.

• This area had very few colonists.• The Great Wagon Road- a Native American trail

that led through to the backcountry. As more settlers traveled the trail, it became wide enough for wagons to use. It became known as the Great Wagon Road.

• It was the only way for wagons loaded with household goods to the backcountry.

Conflicts with Native Americans

• As more Europeans arrived in the colonies, they built their settlements on Native American lands. Conflicts arose between the Native Americans and settlers.

• The Tuscarora War-The Tuscarora attacked several settlements. Their attacks led to war. About 950 Tuscarora were killed or captured and sold into slavery.

• As numbers fell, many Native American groups were forced to move west to lands that the European settlers had not yet reached. Settlers soon moved west too.

Life in the South• The first Africans in the English colonies were indentured

servants. They were used as workers.• As more workers were needed, slavery was made legal.• Children born to enslaved people were born into slavery.• Families were often broken apart and sold to different

owners.• In the Southern colonies, most enslaved Africans worked

on plantations.• Some enslaved people were beaten and abused. • It was difficult to escape but some did try.• They were not free to speak out against slavery.• Some slaves broke tools, pretended to be sick, and

worked slowly to resist slavery.• Enslaved people tried to keep their culture alive by

singing songs and telling stories.

A Farming Economy

• Southern economy based on plantations• Labor- enslaved people• Planters- Plantation owners (richest people in Southern

colonies)• Plantations often looked like small villages. There were

many buildings. (workshops, overseer house, slave quarters)

• Overseer- Person hired by plantation owner to watch the enslaved people as they worked.

• Enslaved children were not allowed to attend school. It was illegal for enslaved children to learn to read and write.

• Many colonists in the Southern colonies did not own plantations. They lived and worked on small farms.

• Some of these small farms had enslaved workers. Many farm owners worked alongside their slaves. They did not treat them as equals.

• Church services were major events since churches were often hours away.

Free Africans

• A few Africans were able to buy their freedom and start farms.

• To escape slavery, many enslaved people ran away.• Some found safety in Spanish Florida.• The Seminole tribe gave runaways food and shelter. The

Seminole also gave them land if they were willing to give back 1/3 of the crops they grew on this land.

• Many runaways dressed like the Seminole and learned their language. They became known as the Black Seminoles.

• Fort Mose became the first settlement in North America for free Africans.

Southern Economy

• Cash Crops- Plantations in different colonies grew different crops

• Tobacco- Maryland, Virginia, and Northern North Carolina

• Rice- Southern North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia

• Indigo- South Carolina• Indigo was a blue dye that was used in the

making of clothes.• Eliza Lucas Pinckney experimented with Indigo.

It became a major cash crop.

The Economy Grows

• Plantation owners sold their crops through the use of a broker.

• A broker is a person who is paid to buy and sell for someone else.

• Most successful plantations were located on rivers or near ports. This made transportation of goods easier.

• Baltimore became a major center for shipbuilding.

• Forests were important natural resources.• Naval stores- used in shipbuilding