Life in early America

Objective

Description of the early colonists, their reasons for

arriving in the Colonies and their life there.

Description of the geography and economic activity that

formed the different regions of the early Colonies
 Colony – What is a colony?
A settlement in a new area.

The first English colonies in North

America
were along the eastern coast.

.
Each colony was unique in it’s characteristics. However, they
are grouped together based on location, reasons they were
founded, and what types of economies 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
 Puritans – Reasons for Colony?
The Puritans came to New England to
escape the King who killed them for their
religion. Their colony that was based
around the bible and the Church.

They had a government but only men

could participate. Mayflower Compact
New England is in the North
of the Colonies

Economic opportunities in
New England were based
around the ocean: fishing,
shipbuilding, and whaling.

The land was rocky and so

the New England Colonies
didn not have many farms.
 The first Puritans
traveled on a Boat
called the Mayflower to
Cape Cod 1620

They created a meeting

house and the church:
important buildings in
the town.
 -The Puritans received
help from Indigenous
Tribes early on.

-They showed them how

to plant corn, beans and
pumpkins.

-The Native Wampanoag

and The puritans signed a
collaboration treaty
 -1630- 900 Puritans
received permission

-Leader John Winthrop

founded Boston?

-Boston became world

famous for its shipping
port.
 The Breadbasket Colonies

A Nickname for the Middle Colonies because

they produced so much grain: Oats, wheat, rye.
 -The settlements here were
considered a Royal Colonies.
The King send governors
here to watch over the Middle
Colonies.

-However it was difficult for

the King to have much power
over them.
-The Middle Colonies
were based on
agriculture; small
farms that produced
many different crops.

-Later there were also

factories that
produced iron.
-Quaker religion was a big
part of life in the Middle
Colonies. The Quakers
came to Pennsylvania
Colony to escape
persecution by the King of
England.

-Lived in New Jersey, New

York, Pennsylvania
- William Penn was
an early leader.
-Believed in religious
Freedom and
tolerance
-Helped plan the city
of Philadelphia
 Cash Crop
A natural product cultivated for sale in
large quantities.

Indigo– What is indigo?

A plant that was used in making blue dye.
The farmers grew indigo plants. Indigo was an
important cash crop for the Southern colonies.
Eliza Luca first began experimeting with Indigo.
-The settlers here, for the most part,
wanted to make money.

-Some were deported Criminals to

Colony of Georgia

-They brought their families and

later slaves worked the land.

-Some settlers here were rich and

owned large plantations. A
Plantation grows only one type of
crop
-Land was Fertile and
the weather was ideal
for farming.

-Almost entirely
agricultural not
factories

-Plantations grew
tobacco, rice, and
indigo for export.
-Slavery was legal

-Children born to
slaves became slaves
themselves

-Slaves were imported

from African countries
into middle colonies.