American Colonial Life

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American Colonial Life

• Copy these notes into your notebook

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I. Colonial Regions

• The 13 British colonies were divided into 3
  regions New England, Middle, and Southern.
• New England Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
  Connecticut, New Hampshire
• Middle New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and
  Delaware
• Southern Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina,
  South Carolina, and Georgia

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II. New England

• Economy based on fishing, whaling,
  shipbuilding, furniture making, shipping goods in
  and out of major port cities
• Agriculture short growing season because of
  cold weather and rugged terrain most farms were
  small and crops were grown for personal use
• Religion Reason many New England colonies were
  founded (Puritan Church)
• Puritan church wanted to purify Church of England

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• Church was the center of towns and enforced the
  strict rules of the communities
• If you broke a church/community rule, could be
  punished publicly caning, put in the stocks,
  banished from community
• Education
• Reading was important in order to study Bible
• First area in U.S. to have public schools (boys
  only)
• Puritans began Harvard oldest college in U.S.
• Lifestyle
• Large cities along coast Boston, Providence,
  Newport
• Most New Englanders were of English background

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III. Middle Colonies

• Economy most diverse economy of all regions
• Industries included mining, shipbuilding,
  barrel-making, textiles and manufacturing
• Agriculture better soil and weather led to more
  agriculture than New England known as the
  bread colonies for production of wheat
• Religion most diverse groups Quakers (Penn.
  and Del.), Catholics, Lutherans, Anglican, Jews

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• Education no public school requirements
• Used to prepare boys for a trade
• Night schools and trade schools were available to
  those who worked during the day
• Lifestyle
• Philadelphia and New York were largest cities in
  all of the colonies
• People in the colonies of diverse European
  backgrounds English, German, Dutch, Swedish,
  Scotch-Irish
• For both New England and Middle colonies, free
  time still revolved around work barn raisings,
  quilting bees

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IV. Southern Colonies

• Economy based on agriculture.
• Industries/businesses also revolved around
  agriculture forest products, making casks and
  barrels, naval stores
• Agriculture backbone of southern economy
• In addition to small farms, plantations
  flourished b/c of ability to make money from
  certain crops
• Virginia and Maryland tobacco South Carolina
  and Georgia rice and indigo

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• Religion not much diversity
• Maryland established as refuge for Catholics
• Other southern colonies Anglican
• Education no formal education required
• Sons of wealthy planters were either educated by
  private tutors or sent to private schools
• Lifestyle only large city was Charleston, SC
• Social time was used to relax from hard work of
  farming, managing plantation
• Parties/barbecues may have lasted for days b/c
  people traveled from miles around for the
  get-togethers.
• Food all kinds of meats, fresh vegetables and
  plenty of desserts