Push Factors
Population Growth
Agricultural Changes
Crop Failures
Industrial Revolution
Religious Readings
Why British Colonies in North America?Make money
Competing with other European Countries
Gain more land
Mercantilism – economic policy where the government gets money by controlling trade
First ColonyRoanoke
- 1584
- Was it successful? Why?
Jamestown
- 1607
- Was it successful? Why?
Which colony was the first?
General InformationThere were 3 distinct regions
Each colony had a charter (rules for establishing a colony)
Governor was appointed by king
Most colonies were democratic/ self governing (ruled by the people)
3 Regional Colonial Areas
New England Colonies
MassachusettsRhode IslandConnecticutNew Hampshire
Middle ColoniesNew YorkPennsylvaniaNew Jersey
Delaware
Southern ColoniesMarylandVirginiaGeorgiaNorth CarolinaSouth Carolina
New England Colonies Based on religion
Seeking religious freedom
Not good land for farming
Relied on selling goods back to England
Worked well with Native Americans
Middle Colonies
Raised a variety of crops
Lumbering and shipbuilding
Culturally diverse
Religious diversity
Southern Colonies Rivers, wetlands
Good soilTobacco, rice, Cash Crops – crop raised
in large quantities and sold for profit
Large Farms – Plantations
Indentured Servants and Slaves
Indentured Servants Had tickets to colonies purchased for them by
their masters
Once they worked off the cost of the ticket they could be freed
Life in the Colonies - Slavery
Didn’t start until a century after other European Countries had already instituted slavery
Started after indentured servitude came to an end
Slaves could earn their way out of slavery
Life in the Colonies - Slavery
Purchased from African Kings
Part of Triangle Trade
Endured Middle Passage
Life in the Colonies - Slavery
Slaves were used to grow Cash Crops: tobacco, rice and indigo
A few slaves in the New England Colonies
Slaves were widespread in the South
Virginia was the first state to make slavery a formal institution
Life in the Colonies - Trade Mercantilism
Little support for English Monarchs
Encourage trade between colonies and mother country
Limited trade with other countries
Could not make profits from selling to other countries
Life in the Colonies - Education Looked similar to
English Grammar schools
Reading, Writing, arithmetic
Religious
Many Colleges founded in Colonies – Harvard, Yale, Columbia, William and Mary
Life in the Colonies - Religion
Great Awakening Ideas of Liberty, Self
Reliance, Equality
Almost everyone has a faith group they belong to
Pastors responsible for actions of colonists