U.S. History to 1865 S TA N D A R D U S I.

5B
Study Guide NEW E N G LAN D, M I D-AT L AN T I C, S O U T H ERN CO LO N I ES
HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE STANDARDS OF LEARNING
b) life in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and
CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK 2008 (NEW)
Southern colonies, with emphasis on how people
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interacted with their environment to produce
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goods and services, including examples of
specialization and interdependence.

S TA N D A R D U S I. 5A
R E AS O NS FO R C O LO N I ZAT I O N
The student will demonstrate knowledge of the
factors that shaped colonial America by
a) describing the religious and economic events
and conditions that led to the colonization of
America.

Colonies in North America were established for religious

and economic reasons.

Why did E u ro pean s esta bl ish

co lon ie s in N o rth Am e ri c a?
Colonies and the reasons they were established
• Roanoke Island (Lost Colony) was established as an
economic venture.
• Jamestown Settlement, the first permanent English
settlement in North America (1607), was an
economic venture by the Virginia Company.
• Plymouth Colony was settled by separatists from
the Church of England who wanted to avoid
religious persecution.
• Massachusetts Bay Colony was settled by the
Puritans to avoid religious persecution. Life in the colonies was shaped by the geographical
• Pennsylvania was settled by the Quakers, who features of the settlements.
wanted freedom to practice their faith without
interference. Economic specialization and interdependence existed
among the colonies in the production of goods and
• Georgia was settled by people who had been in
services.
debtors’ prisons in England. They hoped to
experience economic freedom and start a new life in
Terms to know
the New World.
• resources: natural, capital, or human
• specialization: Focusing on one or a few products
• interdependence: Two or more people depending
on each other for goods and services

Specialization caused the colonies to be interdependent.

(SEE CHART ON SECOND PAGE)

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 H ow d i d c l i m a t e , g e o g r a p h i c
features, and other available
r e s ou r c e s d i s t i n g u i s h t h e t h r e e
r e g i on s f r o m e a c h ot h e r ?
Geography and
Colonies
Climate
Appalachian
Mountains, Boston
harbor, hilly terrain,
New rocky soil, jagged
England coastline
Moderate summers,
cold winters
Appalachian
Mountains, coastal
lowlands, harbors
Mid- and bays
Atlantic
Mild winters and
moderate climate,
wide and deep rivers
Appalachian
Mountains,
Piedmont, Atlantic
Coastal Plain, good
Southern harbors and rivers
Humid climate with
mild winters and hot
summers
S TA N D A R D U S I. 5C
COL O NIAL L IF E
c) colonial life in America from the perspectives
of large landowners, farmers, artisans, women,
free African Americans, indentured servants, and
enslaved African Americans.
he colonies were made up of different groups of people
whose lives varied greatly depending on their social
position.
How did peo pl e ’s li ves v ar y amo ng
dif fe re nt so c ia l g ro u ps i n c o lon ial
Ame ric a ?
Large landowners
• Lived predominately in the South
• Relied on indentured servants and/or enslaved
African Americans for labor
• Were educated in some cases
• Had rich social culture
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H ow d i d p e op l e u s e H ow d i d
t h e n a t u r a l r e s o u rc e s W h a t a r e t h e b e n e f i t s of s p e c ia l iz a t io n a n d p o li t i c a l a n d
of t h e i r r e g i on t o t ra d e ? s o c ia l l i f e
earn a living? e v ol ve ?
Resources Specialization Examples of Interdependence Social/Political
Villages and
Natural resources: e.g., Fishing, The New England colonies depended on churches were
timber, fish, deep harbors shipbuilding, the Southern colonies for crops such as centers of life.
Human resources: e.g., naval tobacco, rice, cotton, and indigo, and for
forest products such as lumber, tar, and Religious
skilled craftsmen, supplies,
pitch. reformers and
shopkeepers, shipbuilders metal tools
separatists
Capital resources: e.g., and They depended on the Mid-Atlantic
equipment colonies for livestock and grains. Civic life: town
tools, buildings
meetings
The Mid-Atlantic colonies traded with
Natural Resources: e.g., the Southern and New England colonies
rich farmlands, rivers to get the products they did not Villages and cities,
produce. varied and diverse
Human resources: e.g.,
Livestock, lifestyles, diverse
unskilled and skilled The Mid-Atlantic colonies depended on religions
grains, fish
workers, fishermen the Southern colonies for tobacco, rice,
cotton, indigo, and forest products. Civic life: market
Capital resources: e.g., towns
tools, buildings They traded with the New England
colonies for metal tools and equipment.
Plantations
Natural resources: e.g., The Southern colonies depended on the (slavery),
fertile farmlands, rivers, Tobacco, rice, New England colonies for mansions,
harbors cotton, manufactured goods, including metal indentured
Human resources: e.g., indigo, forest tools and equipment. servants, fewer
farmers, enslaved African products They depended on the Mid-Atlantic cities, fewer
Americans (lumber, tar, colonies for grains and other schools,
Capital resources: e.g., pitch) agricultural products not plentiful in the Church of England
tools, buildings South.
Civic life: counties
Farmers
• Worked the land according to the region
• Relied on family members for labor
Artisans
• Worked as craftsmen in towns and on plantations
• Lived in small villages and cities
Women
• Worked as caretakers, house-workers, and
homemakers
• Were not allowed to vote
• Had few opportunities for getting an education
Free African Americans
• Were able to own land
• Had economic freedom and could work for pay and
decide how to spend their money
• Were not allowed to vote
Indentured servants
• Were men and women who did not have money for
passage to the colonies and who agreed to work
without pay for the person who paid for their
passage
 • Were free at the end of their contract
Enslaved African Americans
• Were captured in their native Africa and sold to
slave traders; then were shipped to the colonies
where they were sold into slavery
• Were owned as property for life without any rights.
• Were often born into slavery (Children of enslaved
African Americans were born into slavery.)
S TA N D A R D U S I. 5D
REL AT I O N S BET W E EN CO L O N I ES & GR E AT BRI T AI N
d) political and economic relationships between
the colonies and Great Britain.
Great Britain established and attempted to maintain
control over the colonies.
England became Great Britain in the early 1700s.
How did G reat B r itai n i mpose
polit ic a l and ec onom ic c ontr o l ove r
the c olo nie s ?
Economic relationships
• Great Britain imposed strict control over trade.
• Great Britain taxed the colonies after the French and
Indian War.
• The colonies traded raw materials for goods made
in Great Britain.
Political relationships
• Colonists had to obey British laws, which were
enforced by governors.
• Colonial governors were appointed by the king or
by the proprietor.
 A colonial legislature made laws for each colony
but was monitored by the colonial governor.