Chapter 4: The English Colonies

Essential Question:What were the characteristics of the regional

colonies?

What were the New England colonies? Who were the founders and why did they come to America?

• Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Massachusetts

• English citizens• Groups wanting wanting land,

fortune and religious freedom

Who were the Pilgrims? How and when did they arrive in America?• Pilgrims -Part of a religious group called

the Separatists who wanted to separate from the Church of England

• Traveled on the Mayflower and landed in November 1620

Why did the Pilgrims land at Plymouth? Where were they supposed to settle?

• They were blown off course by a storm and landed at Plymouth, off the Massachusetts coast

• Supposed to settle on land which had been financed within the Jamestown charter (Virginia)

Who was Squanto? In what ways did he help the Pilgrims?

• Squanto -An English-speaking Native American who helped the Pilgrims through their second year at Plymouth

• Taught them to fish, hunt, plant

• Negotiated peace treaties between the Pilgrims and neighboring tribes.

Why do you think Squanto was so helpful to the Pilgrims?

Possible Reasons• The Pilgrims had a difficult first year, he

felt sorry for all of their losses and felt he could help

• He was wary of Europeans and this was a way to keep a close watch on the Pilgrims

Who were the Puritans? What was their relationship with the Church of England?

• Puritans were a religious group who wanted to “purify” the practices of the Church of England.

• They did not want to break with the Church of England, they felt it needed to be more strict

What is a commonwealth?

• Commonwealth -A community in which people work together for the good of the people.

What were some common elements of the New England Way?

• Puritan law required everyone to attend church.

• Thought that free time led to laziness• Emphasized duty, godliness, hard work

and honesty.

Describe the New England soil and climate. Was it ideal for farming? Why? why not?

• Soil- Rocky, hard, few helpful minerals

• Climate- long and cold winters

• Not ideal for large farms, but families produce enough food for themselves

What is subsistence farming and why was it important to families in New England?

• Subsistence farming –producing just enough to survive.

• It provided families with enough food to support their own family.

How did the colonists of New England benefit from their natural resources?

• They ate fish that was caught in the Atlantic Ocean

• Used lumber from the thick forest for homes, and building ships

• Natural resources were the basis of their economy

What factors contributed to the growth of the New England colonies?

• Colonists began to settle in areas outside the colonies

• New colonies were established by growing Puritan congregations and by religious leaders who had been banned for views opposing Puritan belief.

Why was Puritanism on the decline by the 1700’s?

• Profit became more important than original ideals

• Baptists and Anglicans were attracting new converts

• Political changes, charter granting all Protestants religious freedom

What was triangular trade and how was New England included?

• Triangular trade –trade between Europe, Africa and the Americas

• one of three types of trade the New England colonies were involved in.

• New England sent goods to Africa and would receive goods from the Caribbean or send goods to Europe and receive slaves from Africa

Why were there relatively few enslaved workers in New England?

• The conditions in New England were not ideal for large farms, so there was not much need for slave labor.

• Slaves were used as house servants, cooks, gardeners and stable-hands.

Questions

1. Squanto helped the Pilgrims in all of the following ways EXCEPT

a. He taught them to huntb. Helped them fight neighboring tribesc. Showed them how to plant and fish

2. Which of the following was not an element of the “New England Way”?

a. Hard workb. Mandatory church attendencec. Scheduled “play” time

3. Which of the following is NOT a way in which the New England colonies grew?a. other colonies were established by banned religious leadersb. Colonists began settling in areas outside the coloniesc. Large amounts of slaves were being sent to New England and adding to the population

4.Triangular trade refers to the trade between Europe, China and Africa.

a. Tb. F

5. A commonwealth is a community in which people worked together for the good of the whole.

a. Tb. F

The Middle and Southern Colonies

The Middle Colonies

Agriculture and Resources• New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware

form Middle Colonies• Religious freedom attracts Jews, Protestants,

Quakers• Shipping, commerce in Hudson, Delaware River

valleys • Good soil, mild winters allow cash crops—

raised to be sold for money• Dutch, German farmers bring advanced farming

skills to colonies

The Middle Colonies

Cities Built on Trade• New York on Hudson River, Philadelphia

on Delaware River

• Wheat trade, shipyards bring wealth; public improvements follow

Diversity and Tolerance

• Home to Africans, English, other European groups by mid-1600s

• William Penn creates Quaker colony; believe in living in peace

-women, natives, all religions and nationalities treated equal

• Quaker policies make Pennsylvania one of wealthiest colonies

Africans in the Middle Colonies

• About 7 percent of population enslaved; most in New York City

• -work as laborers, servants, drivers, assistants to craftspeople

• Free Africans work as laborers, servants, sailors

• Racial tension high; slave revolts punished with force, violence

The Southern Colonies

Maryland and the Carolinas• Maryland, Virginia, Carolinas, Georgia

form Southern Colonies

• Maryland haven for Roman Catholics; Carolina, English from Barbados

• Carolina splits into North and South in 1712

Southern Agriculture

• Terrain, long growing season makes south ideal for cash crops

• Tobacco basis of Maryland economy; labor-intensive crop

• Carolina produces indigo; rice grown in marshlands of coast

A Plantation Economy

• Plantation economy develops in South—large, self-sufficient farms

• Plantations need many workers; use indentured servants

• By mid-1600s, servants work off debt, buy own land

• Planters replace workers with Native Americans; many die, escape

• Plantations rely heavily on African slave labor by end of 1600s

• Slavery allows plantation economy to grow

Africans in the Southern Colonies

• More than 235,000 slaves in colonies by 1750; 85 percent in South

• Most try to keep culture; some resist slavery, slave codes passed

• Slaves not allowed to leave plantations, meet with free blacks

A Planter Class Emerges

• Plantations, widespread slavery make Southern Colonies different

• Powerful planter class rises; soon control political, economic power

• Small farmers cannot compete; move to Backcountry

The Backcountry

Geography and the Great Wagon RoadCourtney/Cara

• Backcountry- mountainous region farther inland from the coast

• Wealthy planters owned coastal land; others moved inland

• Natural resources inland provided enough to start a small farm

• Backcountry town, Augusta established as trade center for Charles Town and Savannah

• Native American road “Warrior Path”; eastern Appalachian Mts.

• Warrior Path becomes the Great Wagon Road; main highway of Backcountry

The People of the BackcountryJosh/Jacob

• Big plantations dominated coastal country

• Backcountry people had small farms• Success was measured by land not

money• They were not wealthy or well connected• First survived by trading with Indians;

subsistence farmers• Scots-Irish moved to Backcountry;

similar to home land

Backcountry LifeHeather/Aissia

• Terrain rough; made trade with coast difficult

• Forests provided lumber for log cabins• -furnished with cornhusk beds,

homemade furniture• Women worked in cabins and fields• Varying geography led to differences

between all regional colonies and Backcountry

Colonial Culture

Importance of Land OwnershipJenna/Ryan

• England, fewer than 5% owned land• America, land was plentiful• Land ownership granted political rights

-generally only white male land owners could vote

• Land ownership determined social rankHigh –large landownership, church officials,

government officials, wealthy merchantsUpper Middle- Small farmers, trades peopleLower Middle- renters, unskilled workersLow- indentured servants, slaves

Colonial Women

Colonial ChildrenLorena/Kyle

• Children as young as 3 or 4 worked• Apprentice –worked for 4 to 7 years to

learn a trade• Girls learned sewing, cooking, household

work; rarely apprentices• Orphans sometimes taken in by families;

worked as servants• George White established “The

Bethesda School” for orphans

Colonial Education

Great Awakening and the Enlightenment

Colonial Africans

Plans for a Different Colony