Colonial America

Colonial America

• 13 original colonies were established along the east coast of what is now the United States, divided into three regions: New England Colonies, Middle Colonies, and Southern Colonies.

New England Colonies

• Consisted of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
• People lived on farms or in towns, with many working in the fishing and shipping industries.
• Citizens gathered at town meetings to discuss current issues and make laws for themselves.
• Economy was based on maritime trade, fishing, and ship-building.

Middle Colonies

• Consisted of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
• Had a temperate climate and large areas of rich soil, making farming an important industry.
• Some people traded goods for furs, while others made products such as paper, tools, and guns.
• New York was originally settled by the Dutch, but was taken over by the English and renamed "New York".

Southern Colonies

• Consisted of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Maryland.
• Were mainly agricultural, with large plantations growing crops like tobacco, cotton, and rice.
• Slaves were brought from Africa to work on these plantations.
• Chesapeake Bay was an important region in the Southern Colonies.

Slavery in the Southern Colonies

• In the 1500s, Europeans brought around 12 million Africans to the Americas to work as slaves.
• Slaves were packed tightly on ships with little food, water, or fresh air, and many died on the long sea voyage.
• Southern colonists used slaves to help them grow cash crops on their plantations.
• The life of a slave was cruel and harsh.

Triangular Trade

• A system of trade routes between England, Europe, Africa, the Americas, and the West Indies.
• Goods were traded for other goods, rather than being bought or sold.
• The Triangular Trade routes included four main routes:
  • England to Africa to the Americas
  • England to Africa to the West Indies
  • Europe to the West Indies to the Americas
  • Americas to the West Indies to Europe
• The Slave Trade was a part of the Triangular Trade, with Sir John Hawkins being a pioneer of the British slave trade.
• The Triangular Trade allowed for goods to be traded for other goods, rather than being bought or sold.

French and Indian War

• Fought between Great Britain and France from 1754 to 1763.
• Both sides asked Native Americans to join them in the fight.
• Great Britain eventually won the war, taking most of the land France claimed in North America.

Protests in the Colonies

• The French and Indian War left Great Britain in debt, leading to new taxes on the colonists.
• The Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Quartering Act were passed, leading to protests from the colonists.
• Some colonists began discussing becoming independent from Great Britain.