US History Textbook 8th Grade Chapter 2 The English Colonies Part 1

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US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D PDF
1620
The Pilgrims sign
the Mayflower
Compact.
1648
Work is
finished on
India’s Taj
Mahal.
CHAPTER
2
1605–1774
The English
The English
Colonies
Colonies
32 CHAPTER 2
16 20
Writing an Infomercial What if television had been
invented during the time that the English colonies were
being founded in North America? Instead of relying on
printed flyers and word of mouth to attract settlers, the
founders of colonies might have made infomercials. In
this chapter you will read about life in the American
colonies during different times. You will choose one time
period and colony and write an infomercial encouraging
English citizens to settle in the colony of your choice.
FOCUS ON WRITING
Mayfl ower Compact courtesy of the Pilgrim
Society, Plymouth, Massachusetts.
History–Social Science
8.1 Students understand the major events preceding the founding
of the nation and relate their significance to the development of
American constitutional democracy.
8.2 Students analyze the political principles underlying the U.S.
Constitution and compare the enumerated and implied powers of
the federal government.
Analysis Skills
CS 2 Students construct various time lines of key events, people,
and periods of the historical era they are studying.
English–Language Arts
Writing 8.2.4.b Present detailed evidence, examples, and reasoning
to support arguments.
Reading 8.1.3 Use word meanings within the appropriate context.
California Standards
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Download
HOLT
History’s Impact
video series
Watch the video to under-
stand the impact of freedom of
religion in North America.
1681
William Penn
establishes the colony
of Pennsylvania.
1682
Peter the Great
becomes czar
of Russia.
1763
Pontiac, an
American Indian,
leads a rebellion on
the western frontier.
1768
British explorer James
Cook sets sail on his first
trip to the South Pacific,
meeting people like this
Sandwich Islander.
1773
Patriots stage
the Boston
Tea Party.
Plymouth Colony thrives again in this highly
accurate re-creation. The original colonists came
to North America in 1620 in search of religious
freedom. By 1627, the year this scene re-creates,
the colonists were well established. Their success
encouraged others. In this chapter you will learn
about English settlements that dotted the east
coast of North America.
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 33
172 0
17 7 0
What You Will Learn…
16 7 0
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D PDF Download
34 CHAPTER 2
Religion
Society
and Culture
Science and
Technology
Politics
Geography
Economics
Reading Social Studies by Kylene Beers
Focus on Themes
In this chapter you will read
about the people who settled the early colonies of
North America. You will learn about the problems
they faced as they felt the tug between their home-
land and their new land. You will see how they
settled political differences (sometimes peacefully,
other times not) and learned how to trade goods
and grow crops to establish a thriving economy. You
will discover that the economy often infl uenced
their politics.
Focus on Reading When you are reading your history textbook,
you may often come across a word you do not know. If that word isn’t
listed as a key term, how do you fi nd out what it means?
Using Context Clues Context means surroundings. Authors often
include clues to the meaning of a diffi cult word in its context. You just
have to know how and where to look.
Graphic organizers
are available
in the
Clue How It Works Example Explanation
Direct
Defi nition
Includes a defi nition in
the same or a nearby
sentence
In the late 1600s England, like
most western European nations,
practiced mercantilism, the practice
of creating and maintaining wealth
by carefully controlling trade.
The phrase “the practice of
creating and maintaining wealth
by carefully controlling trade”
defi nes mercantilism.
Restatement Uses different words
to say the same thing
The British continued to keep
a standing, or permanent, army
in North America to protect the
colonists against Indian attacks.
The word permanent is another
way to say standing.
Comparisons
or Contrasts
Compares or contrasts
the unfamiliar word
with a familiar one
Unlike legal traders, smugglers did
not have permission to bring goods
into the country.
The word unlike indicates that
smugglers are different from
legal traders.
Vocabulary Clues
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-1
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 35
Key Terms
Key Terms
and People
and People
You Try It!
The following sentences are from this chapter. Each uses a defi nition
or restatement clue to explain unfamiliar words. See if you can use
the context to fi gure out the meaning of the words in italics.
Context Clues Up Close
1. In 1605 a company of English merchants
asked King James I for the right to found,
or establish, a settlement.
(p. 36)
2. The majority of these workers were
indentured servants, people who recieved
a free trip to North America by agree-
ing to work without pay for a period of
years.
(p. 38)
3. In New England the center of politics
was the town meeting. In town meet-
ings people talked about and decided on
issues of local interest, such as paying
for schools.
(p. 55)
From
Chapter 2
Answer the questions about the sentences you read.
1. In example 1, what does the word found mean? What hints did
you fi nd in the sentence to fi gure that out?
2. In example 2, where do you fi nd the meaning of indentured
servants? What does this phrase mean?
3. In example 3, you learn the defi nition of town meeting in the
second sentence. Can you combine these two sentences into
one sentence? Try putting a dash after the word meeting and
replacing “In town meetings” with “a place where . . .”
Chapter 2
Section 1
Jamestown (p. 36)
John Smith (p. 37)
Pocahontas (p. 37)
indentured servants (p. 38)
Bacon’s Rebellion (p. 38)
Tole ration Act of 1649 (p. 39)
Olaudah Equiano (p. 41)
slave codes (p. 41)
Section 2
Puritans (p. 42)
Pilgrims (p. 42)
immigrants (p. 42)
Mayflower Compact (p. 43)
Squanto (p. 43)
John Winthrop (p. 45)
Anne Hutchinson (p. 46)
Section 3
Peter Stuyvesant (p. 49)
Quakers (p. 50)
William Penn (p. 50)
staple crops (p. 51)
Section 4
town meeting (p. 55)
English Bill of Rights (p. 55)
triangular trade (p. 57)
Middle Passage (p. 58)
Great Awakening (p. 58)
Enlightenment (p. 59)
Pontiac (p. 61)
Section 5
Samuel Adams (p. 65)
Committees of Correspondence
(p. 65)
Stamp Act of 1765 (p. 66)
Boston Massacre (p. 67)
Tea Act (p. 68)
Boston Tea Party (p. 68)
Intolerable Acts (p. 68)
Academic Vocabulary
In this chapter, you will learn the
following academic words:
authority (p. 37)
factors (p. 38)
As you read Chapter 2, look for context
clues that can help you figure out the
meanings of unfamiliar words or terms.
ELA
Reading 8.1.3 Show ability to verify word meanings by
definition, restatement, example, comparison, or contrast.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-2
Topography and Earl
A year ago, in 1609, you moved to the colony of Virginia. But life
here has been hard. During the winter many people died of cold
or sickness. Food is always scarce. Now it is spring, and a ship has
come from England bringing supplies. In a week it will sail home.
Some of your neighbors are giving up and returning to England.
They ask you to come, too.
Would you take the ship back to England?
BUILDING BACKGROUND Several European nations took part
in the race to claim lands in the Americas. Their next step was to
establish colonies in the lands that they claimed. The first English
colonies were started in the late 1500s but failed. Even in success-
ful colonies, colonists faced hardships and challenges.
Settlement in Jamestown
In 1605 a company of English merchants asked King James I for the
right to found, or establish, a settlement. In 1606 the king granted
the request of the company to settle in a region called Virginia.
Founding a New Colony
The investors in the new settlement formed a joint-stock company
called the London Company. This allowed the group to share the
cost and risk of establishing the colony. On April 26, 1607, the fi rst
105 colonists sent by the London Company arrived in America.
On May 14,
a
a
bout 40 miles up the James River in Virginia, the
bout 40 miles up the James River in Virginia, the
colonists founded
colonists founded
Jamestown
Jamestown, the fi rst permanent English settle-
ment in North America.
A lack of preparation cost a lot of the colonists their lives. Most
of the men who came to Jamestown were adventurers with no
farming experience or useful skills such as carpentry. Jamestown
was surrounded by marshes full of disease-carrying mosquitoes.
By the time winter arrived, two-thirds of the original colonists
had died.
Despite a difficult beginning,
the southern colonies soon
flourished.
Key Terms and People
Jamestown, p. 36
John Smith, p. 37
Pocahontas, p. 37
indentured servants, p. 38
Bacon’s Rebellion, p. 38
Toleration Act of 1649, p. 39
Olaudah Equiano, p. 41
slave codes, p. 41
1
The Southern
Colonies
The Big Idea
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
If YOU were there…
36 CHAPTER 2
1. The settlement in Jamestown
was the first permanent
English settlement in
America.
2. Daily life in Virginia was chal-
lenging to the colonists.
3. Religious freedom and eco-
nomic opportunities were
motives for founding other
southern colonies, including
Maryland, the Carolinas, and
Georgia.
4. Farming and slavery were
important to the economies
of the southern colonies.
Main Ideas
HSS
8.1
Students understand the
major events preceding the founding
of the nation and relate their signifi -
cance to the development of American
constitutional democracy.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-3
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a
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s
R
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v
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r
Marsh
Jamestown
1607
Smith's Fort
Williamsburg
J
a
m
e
s
R
i
v
e
r
Roanoke
Jamestown
ATLAN
OCEA
C
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e
s
a
p
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a
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a
y
Powhatan Confederacy
Jamestown fared better under John Smith,
who took control of the colony in 1608 and
built a fort. He forced the settlers to work
harder and to build better housing by creat-
ing rules that rewarded harder workers with
food. The Jamestown colonists received help
from the powerful Powhatan Confederacy
of Indians after Smith made an agreement
with them. The Powhatan brought food to
help the colonists, and then taught them
how to grow corn.
In 1609 some 400 more settlers arrived
in Jamestown. That winter, disease and fam-
ine once again hit the colony. The colonists
called this period the starving time. By the
spring of 1610, only 60 colonists were still
alive. Jamestown failed to make a profi t until
colonist John Rolfe introduced a new type of
tobacco that sold well in England.
War in Virginia
John Rolfe married Pocahontas, daughter
of the Powhatan leader, in 1614. Their mar-
riage helped the colonists form more peaceful
relations with the Powhatan. However, Poca-
hontas died three years later in England,
which she was visiting with Rolfe.
In 1622, colonists killed a Powhatan
leader. The Powhatan responded by attack-
ing the Virginia settlers later that year. Fight-
ing between the colonists and the Powhatan
continued for the next 20 years. Because
the London Company could not protect its
colonists, the English Crown canceled the
Company’s charter in 1624. Virginia became
a royal colony and existed under the
authority of a governor chosen by the king.
READING CHECK
Finding Main Ideas
What problems did the Jamestown colonists face?
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 37
1. Human-Environment Interaction What were the
advantages and disadvantages of locating
Jamestown on a river?
2. Human-Environment Interaction What do you think
would have been a commonly used method of trans-
portation for people in this region?
Jamestown was located with defense in
mind. Enemy Spanish ships would have to
pass through a narrow channel to reach
Jamestown, making the ships easy marks
for the settlers’ cannons.
The forest could
provide wood for
building and for fuel.
The waters provided
fish for food. But the
water, so near the
sea, was salty.
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
authority
power, right
to rule
INTERPRETING MAPS
GEOGRAPHY
SKILLS
Jamestown Colony
Williamsburg was
founded in 1633 as
Middle Plantation by
settlers from Jamestown.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-4
38 CHAPTER 2
Daily Life in Virginia
In early Virginia, people lived on scattered
farms rather than in towns. Tobacco farmers
soon began establishing large farms called
plantations.
Headright System
These plantations were made possible in part
by the headright system, which was started
by the London Company. Under this system,
colonists who paid their own way to Virginia
received 50 acres of land. A colonist could
earn another 50 acres for every additional
person brought from England. Rich colonists
who brought servants or relatives to Virginia
gained large amounts of land.
Labor in Virginia
Colonists in Virginia faced a hard life. They
suffered very high death rates, which led to
labor shortages in the colony. The majority of
workers were
indentured
indentured
servants
servants
,
,
people who
people who
received a free trip to North America by agree-
received a free trip to North America by agree-
ing to work with
ing to work with
out pay for a period of years.
out pay for a period of years.
Expansion of Slavery
Not all laborers in Virginia came from
Europe. A Dutch ship brought the fi rst
Africans to Virginia in 1619. Some Africans
were servants; others had been enslaved. Some
African servants became successful farmers
when their contracts ended.
The demand for workers was soon greater
than the supply of people willing to work as
indentured servants. Over time, the cost of
slaves fell. These
factors led some colonists
to turn to slave labor. By the mid-1600s most
Africans in Virginia were being kept in life-
long slavery.
Bacons Rebellion
As plantations grew, the economy of James-
town began to expand. Soon, colonial offi -
cials began to ask for more taxes. During the
mid-1600s poor colonists protested the higher
taxes. They were also upset about the gover-
nor’s policies toward Native Americans. They
thought the colony was not well protected
against attack from Indians. In 1676 a group of
former indentured servants led by Nathaniel
Bacon attacked some friendly American Indi-
ans. Bacon opposed the governor’s policies pro-
moting trade with American Indians. He also
thought the colonists should be able to take
the Indians’ land.
When the governor tried to
When the governor tried to
stop him,
stop him,
Bacon and his followers attacked and
Bacon and his followers attacked and
burned
burned
Jamestown
Jamestown
in an
in an
uprising known
uprising known
as
as
Bacons Rebellion
Bacons Rebellion.
At one point, Bacon controlled much of
the colony. He died of fever, however, and
the rebellion soon ended.
READING CHECK
Analyzing What factors led
to the increased use of slave labor in Virginia?
LETTER
A Note from Virginia
In this 1619 letter, the secretary of the Virginia colony,
John Pory, encouraged people to move to Virginia.
Primary Source
ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES
How does this letter indicate the importance of
tobacco in Virginia?
ANALYSIS
SKILL
As touching the quality of this country,
three things there be, which in few years may
bring this colony to perfection; the English
plow, vineyards, & cattle . . . All our riches
for the present do consist in tobacco, wherein
one man by his own labor has in one year,
raised to himself to the value of 200 pounds
sterling; and another by the means of six
servants has cleared at one crop a thousand
pound English. These be true, yet indeed rare
examples, yet possible to be done by others.
—from The Power of Words, edited by T. H. Breen
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
factors
causes
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-5
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 39
Other Southern Colonies
As Jamestown was developing in Virginia,
new groups of colonists began planning their
move to America. Many English Catholics
came to America to escape religious persecu-
tion. English Catholics had long been against
England’s separation from the Roman Cath-
olic Church. For this reason they were not
allowed by the Church of England to worship
freely. English leaders also feared that English
Catholics would ally with Catholic countries
such as France and Spain in confl icts.
Maryland
In the 1620s George Calvert, the fi rst Lord
Baltimore, asked King Charles I for a char-
ter establishing a new colony in America for
Catholics. In 1632 Charles issued the charter
to Calvert’s son, Cecilius, who took over the
planning of the colony. Cecilius, known as
the second Lord Baltimore, named the colony
Maryland in honor of England’s queen, Henri-
etta Maria. It was located just north of Virginia
in the Chesapeake Bay area. Calvert intended
for the colony to be a refuge for English
Catholics. It would also be a proprietary colony.
This meant that the colony’s proprietors, or
owners, controlled the government.
In 1634 a group of 200 English Catholics
came to Maryland. Included in the group were
wealthy landowners, servants, craftspeople,
and farmers. Settlers in Maryland benefi ted
from the lessons learned by the Jamestown
colonists. They spent their time raising corn,
cattle, and hogs so that they would have
enough to eat. Before long, many colonists
also began growing tobacco for profi t.
Although Catholics founded Maryland,
a growing number of Protestants began mov-
ing there in the 1640s. Soon, religious confl icts
arose between Catholics and Protestants in the
colony. To reduce tensions, Lord Baltimore
presented a bill to the colonial assembly that
became known as the
Toleration Act of 1649
Toleration Act of 1649.
This bill made it a crime to restrict the reli-
This bill made it a crime to restrict the reli-
gious rights of Christians.
gious rights of Christians. This was the fi rst
law supporting religious tolerance passed in
the English colonies.
The Toleration Act did not stop all religious
confl ict. However, it did show that the govern-
ment wanted to offer some religious freedom
and to protect the rights of minority groups.
Colonists overcame tough begin-
nings to create large and wealthy
settlements like this one in
Virginia. Churches were often the
first major buildings in a growing
town.
How does the large church in the
picture show Virginia’s wealth?
Southern Wealth
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-6
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US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-7
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 41
Section 1 Assessment
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Describe How did John Smith improve condi-
tions in Jamestown?
b. Explain What events led to a confl ict between
the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatan Confed-
eracy?
2. a. Recall Why were indentured servants neces-
sary in Virginia?
b. Evaluate What do you think was the most seri-
ous problem faced by settlers in Virginia? Why?
3. a. Identify Which colony was the fi rst to promote
religious tolerance?
b. Analyze Why did more enslaved Africans live in
South Carolina than did white settlers?
c. Predict How might the colony of Georgia have
been different if Oglethorpe’s plan had succeeded?
4. a. Recall What was the purpose of slave codes?
b. Analyze Why were slaves in high demand in
the southern colonies?
Critical Thinking
5. Contrasting Using a chart like the one below,
identify when and why each of the southern
colonies was founded.
FOCUS ON WRITING
6. Gathering Some Ideas As you read this section,
take notes on the early colonies of Virginia, Mary-
land, the Carolinas, and Georgia. Be sure to note
what advantages they offered to settlers and what
diffi culties settlers faced. Start to think about the
people who would be most likely to settle in the
southern colonies.
KEYWORD: SS8 HP2
Online Quiz
Economies of the
Southern Colonies
The economies of the southern colonies
depended on agriculture. They also exported
materials for building ships, such as wood
and tar. Some colonies traded with local
Indians for deerskins to sell.
The economies of the colonies were
agrarian—that is, based on farming. They had
many small farms and some large plantations.
Farms did well because the South enjoyed a
warm climate and a long growing season.
Many farms grew cash crops that were sold
for profi t. Tobacco, rice, and indigo—a plant
used to make blue dye—were the most
important cash crops.
The southern colonies’ cash crops
required a great deal of diffi cult work to grow
and harvest. This meant a large workforce
was needed. By the 1700s enslaved Africans,
rather than indentured servants, had become
the main source of labor.
Slavery was a viciously brutal condi-
tion for many inhabitants of the southern
colonies. One former slave named
Olaudah
Equiano
recorded his experiences.
Tortures, murder, and every other imaginable
barbarity . . . are practiced upon the poor slaves
with impunity [no punishment]. I hope the
slave-trade will be abolished.
—Olaudah Equiano, from The Interesting Narrative
of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African
Most of the southern colonies passed
slave codes
slave codes,
or laws to control slaves
or laws to control slaves. Colonies
with large numbers of slaves had the strictest
slave codes. For example, South Carolina’s
slaveholders feared that slaves would revolt.
As a result, South Carolina’s code said slaves
could not hold meetings or own weapons.
Some colonies did not allow slaveholders to
free their slaves.
READING CHECK
Summarizing What role did
slavery play in the southern plantation economy?
How was it regulated?
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you read about life in the southern colo-
nies. In the next section you will learn
about the New England colonies.
Colony Year Founded Reason for
Establishment
HSS
8.1
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-8
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
If YOU were there...
42 CHAPTER 2
2
The New England
Colonies
1. The Pilgrims and Puritans
came to America to avoid
religious persecution.
2. Religion and government
were closely linked in the
New England colonies.
3. The New England economy
was based on trade and
farming.
4. Education was important in
the New England colonies.
English colonists traveled to
New England to gain religious
freedom.
Key Terms and People
Puritans, p. 42
Pilgrims, p. 42
immigrants, p. 42
Mayflower Compact, p. 43
Squanto, p. 43
John Winthrop, p. 44
Anne Hutchinson, p. 46
You live in a town near London in the early 1700s. Some of your
neighbors are starting new lives in the American colonies. You
would like to go with them, but you cannot afford the cost of the
trip. There is one way you can go, though. You can sign a paper
promising to work as a servant for fi ve years. Then you would be
free—and in a new country!
Would you sign the paper and go to America?
BUILDING BACKGROUND England’s first successful colonial
settlements were in Virginia. They were started mainly as business
ventures. Other colonists in North America had many different reasons
for leaving their homes. Many, like the Pilgrims and Puritans, came to
have freedom to practice their religious beliefs. Others, like the person
above, simply wanted a new way of life.
Pilgrims and Puritans
Religious tensions in England remained high after the Protestant
Reformation.
A Protestant group called the
A Protestant group called the
Puritans
Puritans
wanted to
wanted to
purify
purify
, or
, or
reform
reform
, the Anglican Church
, the Anglican Church
.
. The Puritans thought that
bishops and priests had too much power over church members.
Pilgrims on the Move
The most extreme English Protestants wanted to separate from the
Church of England. These Separatists formed their own churches
and cut all ties with the Church of England. In response, Anglican
leaders began to punish Separatists.
The
The
Pilgrims
Pilgrims
were one Separatist group that left England in
were one Separatist group that left England in
the early 1600s to escape persecution.
the early 1600s to escape persecution. The Pilgrims moved to the
Netherlands in 1608. The Pilgrims were
immigrants
immigrants
people who
people who
have left the country of their birth to live in another country.
have left the country of their birth to live in another country.
The Pilgrims were glad to be able to practice their religion
freely. They were not happy, however, that their children were learn-
Main Ideas
The Big Idea
HSS
8.2.1
Discuss the signifi cance
of the Magna Carta, the English Bill of
Rights, and the Mayfl ower Compact.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-9
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 43
ing the Dutch language and culture. The Pil-
grims feared that their children would forget
their English traditions. The Pilgrims decided
to leave Europe altogether. They formed a
joint-stock company with some merchants
and then received permission from England
to settle in Virginia.
On September 16, 1620, a ship called the
Mayfl ower left England with more than 100
men, women, and children aboard. Not all of
these colonists were Pilgrims. However, Pil-
grim leaders such as William Bradford sailed
with the group.
The Mayfl ower Compact
After two months of rough ocean travel, the
Pilgrims sighted land far north of Virginia.
The Pilgrims knew that they would thus be
outside the authority of Virginia’s colonial
government when they landed. Their charter
would not apply. So, they decided to establish
their own basic laws and social rules to govern
the colony they would found.
On November 21, 1620, 41 of the male
passengers on the ship signed the
Mayfl ower
Mayfl ower
Compact
Compact,
a legal
a legal
contract
contract
in
in
which
which
they agreed
they agreed
to have fair laws to protect the general good.
to have fair laws to protect the general good. The
Compact represents one of the fi rst attempts
at self-government in the English colonies.
In late 1620 the Pilgrims landed at Plym-
outh Rock in present-day Massachusetts. The
colonists struggled through the winter to
build the Plymouth settlement. Nearly half of
the tired Pilgrims died during this fi rst winter
from sickness and the freezing weather.
Pilgrims and Native Americans
In March 1621 a Native American named
Samoset walked boldly into the colonists’
settlement. He spoke in broken English.
Samoset had learned some English from the
crews of English fi shing boats. He gave the
Pilgrims useful information about the peoples
and places of the area. He also introduced
them to a Patuxet Indian named
Squanto.
Squanto had at one time lived in Europe and
spoke English as well.
From Squanto the Pilgrims learned to
fertilize the soil with fi sh remains. Squanto also
helped the Pilgrims establish relations with
the local Wampanoag Indians. Conditions in
the Plymouth colony began to improve.
The Pilgrims invited Wampanoag chief
Massasoit and 90 other guests to celebrate
their harvest. This feast became known as the
rst Thanksgiving. For the event, the Pilgrims
killed wild turkeys. This event marked the
survival of the Pilgrims in the new colony.
We whose names are underwritten . . . having
undertaken, for the glory of God, and advance-
ment of the Christian faith, and the honour of
our King and country, a voyage to plant the
first colony in the northern parts of Virginia,
do by these presents solemnly and mutually
in the presence of God, and one of another,
covenant and combine ourselves together
into a civil body politic for our better ordering
and preservation and furtherance of the ends
aforesaid; and by virtue hereof, to enact,
constitute, and frame such just and equal
laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and of-
fices . . . as shall be thought most meet and
convenient for the general good of the colony
unto which we promise all due . . . obedience.
Primary Source
ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES
1. Why do you think the colonists felt the need to
establish a government for themselves?
2. How do you think the Mayflower Compact influenced
later governments in America?
ANALYSIS
SKILL
The Pilgrims
describe the
reasons they
want to form
a colony in
North America.
HISTORICAL DOCUMENT
The Mayflower Compact
In November 1620, Pilgrim leaders aboard the Mayflower
drafted the Mayflower Compact. This excerpt from the
Mayflower Compact describes the principles of the Pilgrim
colony’s government.
by these presents: by this
document
covenant: promise
civil body politic: group
organized to govern
aforesaid: mentioned above
virtue: authority
ordinances: regulations
meet: fitting
The Pilgrims
promise to
obey laws that
help the whole
colony.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-10
44 CHAPTER 2
Pilgrim Community
Although the Pilgrims overcame many prob-
lems, their small settlement still struggled.
Most Pilgrims became farmers, but the farm-
land around their settlement was poor. They
had hoped to make money by trading furs
and by fi shing. Unfortunately, at fi rst sh-
ing and hunting conditions were not good
in the area. Some colonists traded corn with
American Indians for beaver furs. The Pil-
grims made little money but were able to
form a strong community. The colony began
to grow stronger in the mid-1620s when new
settlers arrived and after colonists began to
gain more rights to farm their own land.
The Pilgrims’ settlement was different
from Virginia’s in that it had many families.
The Pilgrims taught their children to read and
offered some education to their indentured
servants. Families served as centers of religious
life, health care, and community well-being.
All family members worked together to
survive during the early years of the colony.
Women generally cooked, spun and wove
wool, and sewed clothing. They also made
soap and butter, carried water, dried fruit, and
cared for livestock. Men spent most of their
time repairing tools and working in the fi elds.
They also chopped wood and built shelters.
Women in the Colony
In Plymouth, women had more legal rights
than they did in England. In England women
were not allowed to make contracts, to sue, or
to own property. In America, Pilgrim women
had the right to sign contracts and to bring
some cases before local courts. Widows could
also own property.
From time to time, local courts recog-
nized the ways women helped the business
community. Widow Naomi Silvester received
a large share of her husband’s estate. The court
called her “a frugal [thrifty] and laborious
[hardworking] woman.”
Puritans Leave England
During the 1620s England’s economy suf-
fered. Many people lost their jobs. The Eng-
lish king, Charles I, made the situation worse
by raising taxes. This unpopular act led to a
political crisis. At the same time, the Church
of England began to punish Puritans because
they were dissenters, or people who disagree
with offi cial opinions. King Charles refused
to allow Puritans to criticize church actions.
Great Migration
These economic, political, and religious prob-
lems in England led to the Great Migration.
Between 1629 and 1640 many thousands
of English men, women, and children left
England. More than 40,000 of these people
moved to English colonies in New England
and the Caribbean. In 1629, Charles granted
a group of Puritans and merchants a charter
to settle in New England. They formed the
Massachusetts Bay Company.
In 1630 a fl eet of ships carrying Puritan
colonists left England for Massachusetts to
seek religious freedom. They were led by
John
Winthrop
. The Puritans believed that they
had made a covenant, or promise, with God
to build an ideal Christian community.
A New Colony
The Puritans arrived in New England well pre-
pared to start their colony. They brought large
amounts of tools and livestock with them. Like
the Pilgrims, the Puritans faced little resistance
from local American Indians. Trade with the
Plymouth colony helped them too. In addi-
tion, the region around Boston had a fairly
healthful climate. Thus, few Puritans died
from sickness. All of these things helped the
Massachusetts Bay Colony do well. By 1691,
the Massachusetts Bay Colony had expanded
to include the Pilgrims’ Plymouth Colony.
READING CHECK
Summarizing What role did
religion play in the establishment of the Massa-
chusetts Bay Colony?
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-11
Plym outh Ba y
Plymouth Colony
(1620)
Abandoned
Indian
Village
I
N
D
I
A
N
T
R
A
I
L
N
S
W
E
Plymouth
Colony
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
70°W
New
England
Colonies
Plymouth Colony was
surrounded by stakes
that formed a wall of
protection. Outside the
wall were colonists’
crop fields.
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 45
Religion and Government
in New England
Massachusetts Bay Colony had to obey Eng-
lish laws. However, its charter provided more
independence than did the royal charter of
Virginia. For example, it created a General
Court to help run the Massachusetts colony.
The Puritan colonists turned this court
into a type of self-government to represent
the needs of the people. Each town sent
two or three delegates to the Court. After
John Winthrop served as the colony’s fi rst
governor, the General Court elected the
governor and his assistants. In 1644 the Gen-
eral Court became a two-house, or bicameral,
legislature.
Politics and religion were closely linked
in Puritan New England. Government lead-
ers were also church members, and ministers
often had a great deal of power in Puritan
communities. Male church members were
the only colonists who could vote. Colonists
became full members in the church by becom-
ing what the Puritans called God’s “elect,” or
chosen. Reaching this status was a diffi cult
process. Individuals had to pass a public test
to prove that their faith was strong.
Several years
later, the second
colony, Duxbury,
was founded.
The Pilgrims landed
in a region of forests,
streams, and rocky soil.
Plymouth Colony
History Close-up
In what ways were Plymouth Colony and the Indian
village similar and different?
ANALYZING VISUALS
ANALYSIS
SKILLS
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-12
46 CHAPTER 2
In 1636 minister Thomas Hooker and his
followers left Massachusetts to help found
Connecticut, another New England colony.
In 1639 Hooker wrote the Fundamental
Orders of Connecticut. This set of princi-
ples made Connecticut’s government more
democratic. For example, the Orders allowed
men who were not church members to vote.
As a result, some historians call Hooker the
father of American democracy. The Funda-
mental Orders of Connecticut also outlined
the powers of the general courts.
Not all Puritans shared the same religious
views. Minister Roger Williams did not agree
with the leadership of Massachusetts. He
called for his church to separate completely
from the other New England congregations.
Williams also criticized the General Court for
taking land from American Indians without
paying them.
Puritan leaders worried that Williams’s
ideas might hurt the unity of the colony.
They made him leave Massachusetts. Wil-
liams took his supporters to southern New
England. They formed a new settlement called
Providence. This settlement later developed
into the colony of Rhode Island. In Provi-
dence, Williams supported the separation of
the church from the state. He also believed
in religious tolerance for all members of
the community.
In Boston, an outspoken woman also
angered Puritan church leaders.
Anne
Hutchinson
publicly discussed religious ideas
that some leaders thought were radical. For
example, Hutchinson believed that people’s
relationship with God did not need guidance
from ministers.
Hutchinson’s views alarmed Puritans
such as John Winthrop. Puritan leaders did
not believe that women should be religious
leaders. Puritan leaders put Hutchinson on
trial for her ideas. The court decided to force
her out of the colony. With a group of fol-
lowers, Hutchinson helped found the new
Anne Hutchinson
159116 43
In 1634 Anne Hutchinson emigrated
with her family from England to the
Massachusetts Bay Colony. After set-
tling in Boston, she worked as a nurse
and midwife. She also hosted a Bible-
study class that met in her home. Over
time, Hutchinson began to question
the teachings of the local ministers.
Meanwhile, her popularity grew.
After being banished from the colony,
Hutchinson settled in Rhode Island and,
later, Long Island. She died in an Ameri-
can Indian attack. Today we remember
her as a symbol of the struggle for
religious freedom.
Drawing Conclusions Why do
you think church leaders disliked
Hutchinson’s ideas?
BIOGRAPHY
Church and State
Religion Affected Government
Government leaders were
church members.
Ministers had great authority.
Government Affected Religion
Government leaders outlawed
certain religious views.
Government leaders punished
dissenters.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-13
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 47
hunting for whales that swam close to shore.
Whales were captured with harpoons, or
spears, and dragged to shore. Whaling pro-
vided valuable oil for lighting.
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding became an important industry
in New England for several reasons. The area
had plenty of forests that provided materi-
als for shipbuilding. As trade—particularly in
slaves—in the New England seaports grew,
more merchant ships were built. The fi sh-
ing industry also needed ships. New England
shipyards made high-quality, valuable ves-
sels. Ship owners sometimes even told their
captains to sell the ship along with the cargo
when they reached their destination.
Skilled Craftspeople
The northern economy needed skilled crafts-
people. Families often sent younger sons to
learn skilled trades such as blacksmithing,
weaving, shipbuilding, and printing. The
young boys who learned skilled trades were
known as apprentices.
Apprentices lived with a master craftsman
and learned from him. In exchange, the boys
performed simple tasks. Apprentices had to
promise the craftsmen that they would work
for them for a set number of years. They
learned trades that were essential to the sur-
vival of the colonies. Apprentices received
food and often clothing from the craftsmen.
Gabriel Ginings was an apprentice in Ports-
mouth, Rhode Island. He received “suffi cient
food and raiment (clothing) suitable for such
an apprentice,” as his 1663 contract stated.
After a certain amount of time had
passed, apprentices became journeymen.
They usually traveled and learned new skills
in their trade. Eventually they would become
a master of the trade themselves.
READING CHECK
Categorizing What types of
jobs were common in the New England colonies?
colony of Portsmouth, later a part of the col-
ony of Rhode Island.
Perhaps the worst community confl icts
in New England involved the witchcraft tri-
als of the early 1690s. The largest number of
trials were held in Salem, Massachusetts. In
Salem a group of girls had accused people
of casting spells on them. The community
formed a special court to judge the witch-
craft cases. The court often pressured the sus-
pected witches to confess. Before the trials
had ended, the Salem witch trials led to 19
people being put to death.
READING CHECK
Identifying Cause and
Effect What led to religious disagreements
among the Puritans, and what was the result?
New England Economy
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hamp-
shire, and Rhode Island were very different
from the southern colonies because they
emphasized manufacturing. The often harsh
climate and rocky soil meant that few New
England farms could grow cash crops. Most
farming families grew crops and raised ani-
mals for their own use. There was thus little
demand for farm laborers. Although some
people held slaves, slavery did not become as
important to this region.
Merchants
Trade was vital to New England’s economy.
New England merchants traded goods locally,
with other colonies, and overseas. Many of
them traded local products such as furs, pick-
led beef, and pork. Many merchants grew in
power and wealth, becoming leading mem-
bers of the New England colonies.
Fishing
Fishing became one of the region’s leading
industries. The rich waters off New England’s
coast served as home to many fi sh, includ-
ing cod, mackerel, and halibut. Merchants
exported dried fi sh. Colonists also began
Fishing remains
an important
industry in New
England, earning
hundreds of
millions of dollars
each year.
THE IMPACT
TODAY
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-14
48 CHAPTER 2
Section 2 Assessment
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Recall Why did the Pilgrims and Puritans leave
Europe for the Americas?
b. Elaborate Do you think the Pilgrims could have
survived without the assistance of Squanto and
Massasoit? Explain your answer.
2. a. Describe What role did the church play in
Massachusetts?
b. Analyze Why did some colonists disagree with
the leaders of Massachusetts?
3. a. Identify Describe the economy in the New
England colonies.
b. Analyze Why do you think New England mer-
chants became leading members of society?
4. a. Describe What steps did the Massachusetts Bay
Colony take to promote education?
b. Predict What are some possible benefi ts that
New England’s emphasis on education might bring?
Critical Thinking
5. Categorizing Copy the chart below and use it to
identify the characteristics of the New England
colonies.
Role of Church Economic Activities Education
FOCUS ON WRITING
6. Comparing Colonies Take notes on the early
New England colonies. Be sure to note what
advantages they offered to settlers and what dif-
culties settlers faced. Put a star beside the colony
or colonies you might use in your infomercial.
KEYWORD: SS8 HP2
Online Quiz
Education in the Colonies
Education was important in colonial New
England. Mothers and fathers wanted their
children to be able to read the Bible. The
Massachusetts Bay Colony passed some of
the fi rst laws requiring parents to provide
instruction for their children.
Public Education
To be sure that future generations would have
educated ministers, communities established
town schools. In 1647 the General Court of
Massachusetts issued an order that a school
be founded in every township of 50 families.
Schoolchildren often used the New Eng-
land Primer, which had characters and stories
from the Bible. They learned to read at the
same time that they learned about the com-
munity’s religious values.
The availability of schooling varied in
the colonies. There were more schools in
New England than in the other colonies
where most children lived far from towns.
These children had to be taught by their
parents or by private tutors. Most colonial
children stopped their education after the
elementary grades. Many went to work, either
on their family farm or away from home.
Higher Education
Higher education was also important to the
colonists. In 1636 John Harvard and the
General Court founded Harvard College.
Harvard taught ministers and met the colo-
nies’ need for higher education. The second
college founded in the colonies, William and
Mary, was established in Virginia in 1693.
By 1700 about 70 percent of men and 45
percent of women in New England could read
and write. These fi gures were much lower
in Virginia, where Jamestown was the only
major settlement.
READING CHECK
Analyzing Why was
education important to the New England colonies?
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you learned about the role that religion
played in the New England colonies. In
the next section you’ll learn about New
York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Public schools
remain the
primary source
of education
for most U.S.
children. Total
enrollment to-
day is around 50
million students.
THE IMPACT
TODAY
HSS
8.2.1
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D PDF
1620
The Pilgrims sign
the Mayflower
Compact.
1648
Work is
finished on
India’s Taj
Mahal.
CHAPTER
2
1605–1774
The English
The English
Colonies
Colonies
32 CHAPTER 2
16 20
Writing an Infomercial What if television had been
invented during the time that the English colonies were
being founded in North America? Instead of relying on
printed flyers and word of mouth to attract settlers, the
founders of colonies might have made infomercials. In
this chapter you will read about life in the American
colonies during different times. You will choose one time
period and colony and write an infomercial encouraging
English citizens to settle in the colony of your choice.
FOCUS ON WRITING
Mayfl ower Compact courtesy of the Pilgrim
Society, Plymouth, Massachusetts.
History–Social Science
8.1 Students understand the major events preceding the founding
of the nation and relate their significance to the development of
American constitutional democracy.
8.2 Students analyze the political principles underlying the U.S.
Constitution and compare the enumerated and implied powers of
the federal government.
Analysis Skills
CS 2 Students construct various time lines of key events, people,
and periods of the historical era they are studying.
English–Language Arts
Writing 8.2.4.b Present detailed evidence, examples, and reasoning
to support arguments.
Reading 8.1.3 Use word meanings within the appropriate context.
California Standards
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Download
HOLT
History’s Impact
video series
Watch the video to under-
stand the impact of freedom of
religion in North America.
1681
William Penn
establishes the colony
of Pennsylvania.
1682
Peter the Great
becomes czar
of Russia.
1763
Pontiac, an
American Indian,
leads a rebellion on
the western frontier.
1768
British explorer James
Cook sets sail on his first
trip to the South Pacific,
meeting people like this
Sandwich Islander.
1773
Patriots stage
the Boston
Tea Party.
Plymouth Colony thrives again in this highly
accurate re-creation. The original colonists came
to North America in 1620 in search of religious
freedom. By 1627, the year this scene re-creates,
the colonists were well established. Their success
encouraged others. In this chapter you will learn
about English settlements that dotted the east
coast of North America.
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 33
172 0
17 7 0
What You Will Learn…
16 7 0
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D PDF Download
34 CHAPTER 2
Religion
Society
and Culture
Science and
Technology
Politics
Geography
Economics
Reading Social Studies by Kylene Beers
Focus on Themes
In this chapter you will read
about the people who settled the early colonies of
North America. You will learn about the problems
they faced as they felt the tug between their home-
land and their new land. You will see how they
settled political differences (sometimes peacefully,
other times not) and learned how to trade goods
and grow crops to establish a thriving economy. You
will discover that the economy often infl uenced
their politics.
Focus on Reading When you are reading your history textbook,
you may often come across a word you do not know. If that word isn’t
listed as a key term, how do you fi nd out what it means?
Using Context Clues Context means surroundings. Authors often
include clues to the meaning of a diffi cult word in its context. You just
have to know how and where to look.
Graphic organizers
are available
in the
Clue How It Works Example Explanation
Direct
Defi nition
Includes a defi nition in
the same or a nearby
sentence
In the late 1600s England, like
most western European nations,
practiced mercantilism, the practice
of creating and maintaining wealth
by carefully controlling trade.
The phrase “the practice of
creating and maintaining wealth
by carefully controlling trade”
defi nes mercantilism.
Restatement Uses different words
to say the same thing
The British continued to keep
a standing, or permanent, army
in North America to protect the
colonists against Indian attacks.
The word permanent is another
way to say standing.
Comparisons
or Contrasts
Compares or contrasts
the unfamiliar word
with a familiar one
Unlike legal traders, smugglers did
not have permission to bring goods
into the country.
The word unlike indicates that
smugglers are different from
legal traders.
Vocabulary Clues
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-1
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 35
Key Terms
Key Terms
and People
and People
You Try It!
The following sentences are from this chapter. Each uses a defi nition
or restatement clue to explain unfamiliar words. See if you can use
the context to fi gure out the meaning of the words in italics.
Context Clues Up Close
1. In 1605 a company of English merchants
asked King James I for the right to found,
or establish, a settlement.
(p. 36)
2. The majority of these workers were
indentured servants, people who recieved
a free trip to North America by agree-
ing to work without pay for a period of
years.
(p. 38)
3. In New England the center of politics
was the town meeting. In town meet-
ings people talked about and decided on
issues of local interest, such as paying
for schools.
(p. 55)
From
Chapter 2
Answer the questions about the sentences you read.
1. In example 1, what does the word found mean? What hints did
you fi nd in the sentence to fi gure that out?
2. In example 2, where do you fi nd the meaning of indentured
servants? What does this phrase mean?
3. In example 3, you learn the defi nition of town meeting in the
second sentence. Can you combine these two sentences into
one sentence? Try putting a dash after the word meeting and
replacing “In town meetings” with “a place where . . .”
Chapter 2
Section 1
Jamestown (p. 36)
John Smith (p. 37)
Pocahontas (p. 37)
indentured servants (p. 38)
Bacon’s Rebellion (p. 38)
Tole ration Act of 1649 (p. 39)
Olaudah Equiano (p. 41)
slave codes (p. 41)
Section 2
Puritans (p. 42)
Pilgrims (p. 42)
immigrants (p. 42)
Mayflower Compact (p. 43)
Squanto (p. 43)
John Winthrop (p. 45)
Anne Hutchinson (p. 46)
Section 3
Peter Stuyvesant (p. 49)
Quakers (p. 50)
William Penn (p. 50)
staple crops (p. 51)
Section 4
town meeting (p. 55)
English Bill of Rights (p. 55)
triangular trade (p. 57)
Middle Passage (p. 58)
Great Awakening (p. 58)
Enlightenment (p. 59)
Pontiac (p. 61)
Section 5
Samuel Adams (p. 65)
Committees of Correspondence
(p. 65)
Stamp Act of 1765 (p. 66)
Boston Massacre (p. 67)
Tea Act (p. 68)
Boston Tea Party (p. 68)
Intolerable Acts (p. 68)
Academic Vocabulary
In this chapter, you will learn the
following academic words:
authority (p. 37)
factors (p. 38)
As you read Chapter 2, look for context
clues that can help you figure out the
meanings of unfamiliar words or terms.
ELA
Reading 8.1.3 Show ability to verify word meanings by
definition, restatement, example, comparison, or contrast.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-2
Topography and Earl
A year ago, in 1609, you moved to the colony of Virginia. But life
here has been hard. During the winter many people died of cold
or sickness. Food is always scarce. Now it is spring, and a ship has
come from England bringing supplies. In a week it will sail home.
Some of your neighbors are giving up and returning to England.
They ask you to come, too.
Would you take the ship back to England?
BUILDING BACKGROUND Several European nations took part
in the race to claim lands in the Americas. Their next step was to
establish colonies in the lands that they claimed. The first English
colonies were started in the late 1500s but failed. Even in success-
ful colonies, colonists faced hardships and challenges.
Settlement in Jamestown
In 1605 a company of English merchants asked King James I for the
right to found, or establish, a settlement. In 1606 the king granted
the request of the company to settle in a region called Virginia.
Founding a New Colony
The investors in the new settlement formed a joint-stock company
called the London Company. This allowed the group to share the
cost and risk of establishing the colony. On April 26, 1607, the fi rst
105 colonists sent by the London Company arrived in America.
On May 14,
a
a
bout 40 miles up the James River in Virginia, the
bout 40 miles up the James River in Virginia, the
colonists founded
colonists founded
Jamestown
Jamestown, the fi rst permanent English settle-
ment in North America.
A lack of preparation cost a lot of the colonists their lives. Most
of the men who came to Jamestown were adventurers with no
farming experience or useful skills such as carpentry. Jamestown
was surrounded by marshes full of disease-carrying mosquitoes.
By the time winter arrived, two-thirds of the original colonists
had died.
Despite a difficult beginning,
the southern colonies soon
flourished.
Key Terms and People
Jamestown, p. 36
John Smith, p. 37
Pocahontas, p. 37
indentured servants, p. 38
Bacon’s Rebellion, p. 38
Toleration Act of 1649, p. 39
Olaudah Equiano, p. 41
slave codes, p. 41
1
The Southern
Colonies
The Big Idea
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
If YOU were there…
36 CHAPTER 2
1. The settlement in Jamestown
was the first permanent
English settlement in
America.
2. Daily life in Virginia was chal-
lenging to the colonists.
3. Religious freedom and eco-
nomic opportunities were
motives for founding other
southern colonies, including
Maryland, the Carolinas, and
Georgia.
4. Farming and slavery were
important to the economies
of the southern colonies.
Main Ideas
HSS
8.1
Students understand the
major events preceding the founding
of the nation and relate their signifi -
cance to the development of American
constitutional democracy.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-3
J
a
m
e
s
R
i
v
e
r
Marsh
Jamestown
1607
Smith's Fort
Williamsburg
J
a
m
e
s
R
i
v
e
r
Roanoke
Jamestown
ATLAN
OCEA
C
h
e
s
a
p
e
a
k
e
B
a
y
Powhatan Confederacy
Jamestown fared better under John Smith,
who took control of the colony in 1608 and
built a fort. He forced the settlers to work
harder and to build better housing by creat-
ing rules that rewarded harder workers with
food. The Jamestown colonists received help
from the powerful Powhatan Confederacy
of Indians after Smith made an agreement
with them. The Powhatan brought food to
help the colonists, and then taught them
how to grow corn.
In 1609 some 400 more settlers arrived
in Jamestown. That winter, disease and fam-
ine once again hit the colony. The colonists
called this period the starving time. By the
spring of 1610, only 60 colonists were still
alive. Jamestown failed to make a profi t until
colonist John Rolfe introduced a new type of
tobacco that sold well in England.
War in Virginia
John Rolfe married Pocahontas, daughter
of the Powhatan leader, in 1614. Their mar-
riage helped the colonists form more peaceful
relations with the Powhatan. However, Poca-
hontas died three years later in England,
which she was visiting with Rolfe.
In 1622, colonists killed a Powhatan
leader. The Powhatan responded by attack-
ing the Virginia settlers later that year. Fight-
ing between the colonists and the Powhatan
continued for the next 20 years. Because
the London Company could not protect its
colonists, the English Crown canceled the
Company’s charter in 1624. Virginia became
a royal colony and existed under the
authority of a governor chosen by the king.
READING CHECK
Finding Main Ideas
What problems did the Jamestown colonists face?
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 37
1. Human-Environment Interaction What were the
advantages and disadvantages of locating
Jamestown on a river?
2. Human-Environment Interaction What do you think
would have been a commonly used method of trans-
portation for people in this region?
Jamestown was located with defense in
mind. Enemy Spanish ships would have to
pass through a narrow channel to reach
Jamestown, making the ships easy marks
for the settlers’ cannons.
The forest could
provide wood for
building and for fuel.
The waters provided
fish for food. But the
water, so near the
sea, was salty.
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
authority
power, right
to rule
INTERPRETING MAPS
GEOGRAPHY
SKILLS
Jamestown Colony
Williamsburg was
founded in 1633 as
Middle Plantation by
settlers from Jamestown.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-4
38 CHAPTER 2
Daily Life in Virginia
In early Virginia, people lived on scattered
farms rather than in towns. Tobacco farmers
soon began establishing large farms called
plantations.
Headright System
These plantations were made possible in part
by the headright system, which was started
by the London Company. Under this system,
colonists who paid their own way to Virginia
received 50 acres of land. A colonist could
earn another 50 acres for every additional
person brought from England. Rich colonists
who brought servants or relatives to Virginia
gained large amounts of land.
Labor in Virginia
Colonists in Virginia faced a hard life. They
suffered very high death rates, which led to
labor shortages in the colony. The majority of
workers were
indentured
indentured
servants
servants
,
,
people who
people who
received a free trip to North America by agree-
received a free trip to North America by agree-
ing to work with
ing to work with
out pay for a period of years.
out pay for a period of years.
Expansion of Slavery
Not all laborers in Virginia came from
Europe. A Dutch ship brought the fi rst
Africans to Virginia in 1619. Some Africans
were servants; others had been enslaved. Some
African servants became successful farmers
when their contracts ended.
The demand for workers was soon greater
than the supply of people willing to work as
indentured servants. Over time, the cost of
slaves fell. These
factors led some colonists
to turn to slave labor. By the mid-1600s most
Africans in Virginia were being kept in life-
long slavery.
Bacons Rebellion
As plantations grew, the economy of James-
town began to expand. Soon, colonial offi -
cials began to ask for more taxes. During the
mid-1600s poor colonists protested the higher
taxes. They were also upset about the gover-
nor’s policies toward Native Americans. They
thought the colony was not well protected
against attack from Indians. In 1676 a group of
former indentured servants led by Nathaniel
Bacon attacked some friendly American Indi-
ans. Bacon opposed the governor’s policies pro-
moting trade with American Indians. He also
thought the colonists should be able to take
the Indians’ land.
When the governor tried to
When the governor tried to
stop him,
stop him,
Bacon and his followers attacked and
Bacon and his followers attacked and
burned
burned
Jamestown
Jamestown
in an
in an
uprising known
uprising known
as
as
Bacons Rebellion
Bacons Rebellion.
At one point, Bacon controlled much of
the colony. He died of fever, however, and
the rebellion soon ended.
READING CHECK
Analyzing What factors led
to the increased use of slave labor in Virginia?
LETTER
A Note from Virginia
In this 1619 letter, the secretary of the Virginia colony,
John Pory, encouraged people to move to Virginia.
Primary Source
ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES
How does this letter indicate the importance of
tobacco in Virginia?
ANALYSIS
SKILL
As touching the quality of this country,
three things there be, which in few years may
bring this colony to perfection; the English
plow, vineyards, & cattle . . . All our riches
for the present do consist in tobacco, wherein
one man by his own labor has in one year,
raised to himself to the value of 200 pounds
sterling; and another by the means of six
servants has cleared at one crop a thousand
pound English. These be true, yet indeed rare
examples, yet possible to be done by others.
—from The Power of Words, edited by T. H. Breen
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
factors
causes
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-5
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 39
Other Southern Colonies
As Jamestown was developing in Virginia,
new groups of colonists began planning their
move to America. Many English Catholics
came to America to escape religious persecu-
tion. English Catholics had long been against
England’s separation from the Roman Cath-
olic Church. For this reason they were not
allowed by the Church of England to worship
freely. English leaders also feared that English
Catholics would ally with Catholic countries
such as France and Spain in confl icts.
Maryland
In the 1620s George Calvert, the fi rst Lord
Baltimore, asked King Charles I for a char-
ter establishing a new colony in America for
Catholics. In 1632 Charles issued the charter
to Calvert’s son, Cecilius, who took over the
planning of the colony. Cecilius, known as
the second Lord Baltimore, named the colony
Maryland in honor of England’s queen, Henri-
etta Maria. It was located just north of Virginia
in the Chesapeake Bay area. Calvert intended
for the colony to be a refuge for English
Catholics. It would also be a proprietary colony.
This meant that the colony’s proprietors, or
owners, controlled the government.
In 1634 a group of 200 English Catholics
came to Maryland. Included in the group were
wealthy landowners, servants, craftspeople,
and farmers. Settlers in Maryland benefi ted
from the lessons learned by the Jamestown
colonists. They spent their time raising corn,
cattle, and hogs so that they would have
enough to eat. Before long, many colonists
also began growing tobacco for profi t.
Although Catholics founded Maryland,
a growing number of Protestants began mov-
ing there in the 1640s. Soon, religious confl icts
arose between Catholics and Protestants in the
colony. To reduce tensions, Lord Baltimore
presented a bill to the colonial assembly that
became known as the
Toleration Act of 1649
Toleration Act of 1649.
This bill made it a crime to restrict the reli-
This bill made it a crime to restrict the reli-
gious rights of Christians.
gious rights of Christians. This was the fi rst
law supporting religious tolerance passed in
the English colonies.
The Toleration Act did not stop all religious
confl ict. However, it did show that the govern-
ment wanted to offer some religious freedom
and to protect the rights of minority groups.
Colonists overcame tough begin-
nings to create large and wealthy
settlements like this one in
Virginia. Churches were often the
first major buildings in a growing
town.
How does the large church in the
picture show Virginia’s wealth?
Southern Wealth
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-6
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US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-7
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 41
Section 1 Assessment
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Describe How did John Smith improve condi-
tions in Jamestown?
b. Explain What events led to a confl ict between
the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatan Confed-
eracy?
2. a. Recall Why were indentured servants neces-
sary in Virginia?
b. Evaluate What do you think was the most seri-
ous problem faced by settlers in Virginia? Why?
3. a. Identify Which colony was the fi rst to promote
religious tolerance?
b. Analyze Why did more enslaved Africans live in
South Carolina than did white settlers?
c. Predict How might the colony of Georgia have
been different if Oglethorpe’s plan had succeeded?
4. a. Recall What was the purpose of slave codes?
b. Analyze Why were slaves in high demand in
the southern colonies?
Critical Thinking
5. Contrasting Using a chart like the one below,
identify when and why each of the southern
colonies was founded.
FOCUS ON WRITING
6. Gathering Some Ideas As you read this section,
take notes on the early colonies of Virginia, Mary-
land, the Carolinas, and Georgia. Be sure to note
what advantages they offered to settlers and what
diffi culties settlers faced. Start to think about the
people who would be most likely to settle in the
southern colonies.
KEYWORD: SS8 HP2
Online Quiz
Economies of the
Southern Colonies
The economies of the southern colonies
depended on agriculture. They also exported
materials for building ships, such as wood
and tar. Some colonies traded with local
Indians for deerskins to sell.
The economies of the colonies were
agrarian—that is, based on farming. They had
many small farms and some large plantations.
Farms did well because the South enjoyed a
warm climate and a long growing season.
Many farms grew cash crops that were sold
for profi t. Tobacco, rice, and indigo—a plant
used to make blue dye—were the most
important cash crops.
The southern colonies’ cash crops
required a great deal of diffi cult work to grow
and harvest. This meant a large workforce
was needed. By the 1700s enslaved Africans,
rather than indentured servants, had become
the main source of labor.
Slavery was a viciously brutal condi-
tion for many inhabitants of the southern
colonies. One former slave named
Olaudah
Equiano
recorded his experiences.
Tortures, murder, and every other imaginable
barbarity . . . are practiced upon the poor slaves
with impunity [no punishment]. I hope the
slave-trade will be abolished.
—Olaudah Equiano, from The Interesting Narrative
of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African
Most of the southern colonies passed
slave codes
slave codes,
or laws to control slaves
or laws to control slaves. Colonies
with large numbers of slaves had the strictest
slave codes. For example, South Carolina’s
slaveholders feared that slaves would revolt.
As a result, South Carolina’s code said slaves
could not hold meetings or own weapons.
Some colonies did not allow slaveholders to
free their slaves.
READING CHECK
Summarizing What role did
slavery play in the southern plantation economy?
How was it regulated?
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you read about life in the southern colo-
nies. In the next section you will learn
about the New England colonies.
Colony Year Founded Reason for
Establishment
HSS
8.1
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-8
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
If YOU were there...
42 CHAPTER 2
2
The New England
Colonies
1. The Pilgrims and Puritans
came to America to avoid
religious persecution.
2. Religion and government
were closely linked in the
New England colonies.
3. The New England economy
was based on trade and
farming.
4. Education was important in
the New England colonies.
English colonists traveled to
New England to gain religious
freedom.
Key Terms and People
Puritans, p. 42
Pilgrims, p. 42
immigrants, p. 42
Mayflower Compact, p. 43
Squanto, p. 43
John Winthrop, p. 44
Anne Hutchinson, p. 46
You live in a town near London in the early 1700s. Some of your
neighbors are starting new lives in the American colonies. You
would like to go with them, but you cannot afford the cost of the
trip. There is one way you can go, though. You can sign a paper
promising to work as a servant for fi ve years. Then you would be
free—and in a new country!
Would you sign the paper and go to America?
BUILDING BACKGROUND England’s first successful colonial
settlements were in Virginia. They were started mainly as business
ventures. Other colonists in North America had many different reasons
for leaving their homes. Many, like the Pilgrims and Puritans, came to
have freedom to practice their religious beliefs. Others, like the person
above, simply wanted a new way of life.
Pilgrims and Puritans
Religious tensions in England remained high after the Protestant
Reformation.
A Protestant group called the
A Protestant group called the
Puritans
Puritans
wanted to
wanted to
purify
purify
, or
, or
reform
reform
, the Anglican Church
, the Anglican Church
.
. The Puritans thought that
bishops and priests had too much power over church members.
Pilgrims on the Move
The most extreme English Protestants wanted to separate from the
Church of England. These Separatists formed their own churches
and cut all ties with the Church of England. In response, Anglican
leaders began to punish Separatists.
The
The
Pilgrims
Pilgrims
were one Separatist group that left England in
were one Separatist group that left England in
the early 1600s to escape persecution.
the early 1600s to escape persecution. The Pilgrims moved to the
Netherlands in 1608. The Pilgrims were
immigrants
immigrants
people who
people who
have left the country of their birth to live in another country.
have left the country of their birth to live in another country.
The Pilgrims were glad to be able to practice their religion
freely. They were not happy, however, that their children were learn-
Main Ideas
The Big Idea
HSS
8.2.1
Discuss the signifi cance
of the Magna Carta, the English Bill of
Rights, and the Mayfl ower Compact.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-9
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 43
ing the Dutch language and culture. The Pil-
grims feared that their children would forget
their English traditions. The Pilgrims decided
to leave Europe altogether. They formed a
joint-stock company with some merchants
and then received permission from England
to settle in Virginia.
On September 16, 1620, a ship called the
Mayfl ower left England with more than 100
men, women, and children aboard. Not all of
these colonists were Pilgrims. However, Pil-
grim leaders such as William Bradford sailed
with the group.
The Mayfl ower Compact
After two months of rough ocean travel, the
Pilgrims sighted land far north of Virginia.
The Pilgrims knew that they would thus be
outside the authority of Virginia’s colonial
government when they landed. Their charter
would not apply. So, they decided to establish
their own basic laws and social rules to govern
the colony they would found.
On November 21, 1620, 41 of the male
passengers on the ship signed the
Mayfl ower
Mayfl ower
Compact
Compact,
a legal
a legal
contract
contract
in
in
which
which
they agreed
they agreed
to have fair laws to protect the general good.
to have fair laws to protect the general good. The
Compact represents one of the fi rst attempts
at self-government in the English colonies.
In late 1620 the Pilgrims landed at Plym-
outh Rock in present-day Massachusetts. The
colonists struggled through the winter to
build the Plymouth settlement. Nearly half of
the tired Pilgrims died during this fi rst winter
from sickness and the freezing weather.
Pilgrims and Native Americans
In March 1621 a Native American named
Samoset walked boldly into the colonists’
settlement. He spoke in broken English.
Samoset had learned some English from the
crews of English fi shing boats. He gave the
Pilgrims useful information about the peoples
and places of the area. He also introduced
them to a Patuxet Indian named
Squanto.
Squanto had at one time lived in Europe and
spoke English as well.
From Squanto the Pilgrims learned to
fertilize the soil with fi sh remains. Squanto also
helped the Pilgrims establish relations with
the local Wampanoag Indians. Conditions in
the Plymouth colony began to improve.
The Pilgrims invited Wampanoag chief
Massasoit and 90 other guests to celebrate
their harvest. This feast became known as the
rst Thanksgiving. For the event, the Pilgrims
killed wild turkeys. This event marked the
survival of the Pilgrims in the new colony.
We whose names are underwritten . . . having
undertaken, for the glory of God, and advance-
ment of the Christian faith, and the honour of
our King and country, a voyage to plant the
first colony in the northern parts of Virginia,
do by these presents solemnly and mutually
in the presence of God, and one of another,
covenant and combine ourselves together
into a civil body politic for our better ordering
and preservation and furtherance of the ends
aforesaid; and by virtue hereof, to enact,
constitute, and frame such just and equal
laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and of-
fices . . . as shall be thought most meet and
convenient for the general good of the colony
unto which we promise all due . . . obedience.
Primary Source
ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES
1. Why do you think the colonists felt the need to
establish a government for themselves?
2. How do you think the Mayflower Compact influenced
later governments in America?
ANALYSIS
SKILL
The Pilgrims
describe the
reasons they
want to form
a colony in
North America.
HISTORICAL DOCUMENT
The Mayflower Compact
In November 1620, Pilgrim leaders aboard the Mayflower
drafted the Mayflower Compact. This excerpt from the
Mayflower Compact describes the principles of the Pilgrim
colony’s government.
by these presents: by this
document
covenant: promise
civil body politic: group
organized to govern
aforesaid: mentioned above
virtue: authority
ordinances: regulations
meet: fitting
The Pilgrims
promise to
obey laws that
help the whole
colony.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-10
44 CHAPTER 2
Pilgrim Community
Although the Pilgrims overcame many prob-
lems, their small settlement still struggled.
Most Pilgrims became farmers, but the farm-
land around their settlement was poor. They
had hoped to make money by trading furs
and by fi shing. Unfortunately, at fi rst sh-
ing and hunting conditions were not good
in the area. Some colonists traded corn with
American Indians for beaver furs. The Pil-
grims made little money but were able to
form a strong community. The colony began
to grow stronger in the mid-1620s when new
settlers arrived and after colonists began to
gain more rights to farm their own land.
The Pilgrims’ settlement was different
from Virginia’s in that it had many families.
The Pilgrims taught their children to read and
offered some education to their indentured
servants. Families served as centers of religious
life, health care, and community well-being.
All family members worked together to
survive during the early years of the colony.
Women generally cooked, spun and wove
wool, and sewed clothing. They also made
soap and butter, carried water, dried fruit, and
cared for livestock. Men spent most of their
time repairing tools and working in the fi elds.
They also chopped wood and built shelters.
Women in the Colony
In Plymouth, women had more legal rights
than they did in England. In England women
were not allowed to make contracts, to sue, or
to own property. In America, Pilgrim women
had the right to sign contracts and to bring
some cases before local courts. Widows could
also own property.
From time to time, local courts recog-
nized the ways women helped the business
community. Widow Naomi Silvester received
a large share of her husband’s estate. The court
called her “a frugal [thrifty] and laborious
[hardworking] woman.”
Puritans Leave England
During the 1620s England’s economy suf-
fered. Many people lost their jobs. The Eng-
lish king, Charles I, made the situation worse
by raising taxes. This unpopular act led to a
political crisis. At the same time, the Church
of England began to punish Puritans because
they were dissenters, or people who disagree
with offi cial opinions. King Charles refused
to allow Puritans to criticize church actions.
Great Migration
These economic, political, and religious prob-
lems in England led to the Great Migration.
Between 1629 and 1640 many thousands
of English men, women, and children left
England. More than 40,000 of these people
moved to English colonies in New England
and the Caribbean. In 1629, Charles granted
a group of Puritans and merchants a charter
to settle in New England. They formed the
Massachusetts Bay Company.
In 1630 a fl eet of ships carrying Puritan
colonists left England for Massachusetts to
seek religious freedom. They were led by
John
Winthrop
. The Puritans believed that they
had made a covenant, or promise, with God
to build an ideal Christian community.
A New Colony
The Puritans arrived in New England well pre-
pared to start their colony. They brought large
amounts of tools and livestock with them. Like
the Pilgrims, the Puritans faced little resistance
from local American Indians. Trade with the
Plymouth colony helped them too. In addi-
tion, the region around Boston had a fairly
healthful climate. Thus, few Puritans died
from sickness. All of these things helped the
Massachusetts Bay Colony do well. By 1691,
the Massachusetts Bay Colony had expanded
to include the Pilgrims’ Plymouth Colony.
READING CHECK
Summarizing What role did
religion play in the establishment of the Massa-
chusetts Bay Colony?
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-11
Plym outh Ba y
Plymouth Colony
(1620)
Abandoned
Indian
Village
I
N
D
I
A
N
T
R
A
I
L
N
S
W
E
Plymouth
Colony
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
70°W
New
England
Colonies
Plymouth Colony was
surrounded by stakes
that formed a wall of
protection. Outside the
wall were colonists’
crop fields.
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 45
Religion and Government
in New England
Massachusetts Bay Colony had to obey Eng-
lish laws. However, its charter provided more
independence than did the royal charter of
Virginia. For example, it created a General
Court to help run the Massachusetts colony.
The Puritan colonists turned this court
into a type of self-government to represent
the needs of the people. Each town sent
two or three delegates to the Court. After
John Winthrop served as the colony’s fi rst
governor, the General Court elected the
governor and his assistants. In 1644 the Gen-
eral Court became a two-house, or bicameral,
legislature.
Politics and religion were closely linked
in Puritan New England. Government lead-
ers were also church members, and ministers
often had a great deal of power in Puritan
communities. Male church members were
the only colonists who could vote. Colonists
became full members in the church by becom-
ing what the Puritans called God’s “elect,” or
chosen. Reaching this status was a diffi cult
process. Individuals had to pass a public test
to prove that their faith was strong.
Several years
later, the second
colony, Duxbury,
was founded.
The Pilgrims landed
in a region of forests,
streams, and rocky soil.
Plymouth Colony
History Close-up
In what ways were Plymouth Colony and the Indian
village similar and different?
ANALYZING VISUALS
ANALYSIS
SKILLS
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-12
46 CHAPTER 2
In 1636 minister Thomas Hooker and his
followers left Massachusetts to help found
Connecticut, another New England colony.
In 1639 Hooker wrote the Fundamental
Orders of Connecticut. This set of princi-
ples made Connecticut’s government more
democratic. For example, the Orders allowed
men who were not church members to vote.
As a result, some historians call Hooker the
father of American democracy. The Funda-
mental Orders of Connecticut also outlined
the powers of the general courts.
Not all Puritans shared the same religious
views. Minister Roger Williams did not agree
with the leadership of Massachusetts. He
called for his church to separate completely
from the other New England congregations.
Williams also criticized the General Court for
taking land from American Indians without
paying them.
Puritan leaders worried that Williams’s
ideas might hurt the unity of the colony.
They made him leave Massachusetts. Wil-
liams took his supporters to southern New
England. They formed a new settlement called
Providence. This settlement later developed
into the colony of Rhode Island. In Provi-
dence, Williams supported the separation of
the church from the state. He also believed
in religious tolerance for all members of
the community.
In Boston, an outspoken woman also
angered Puritan church leaders.
Anne
Hutchinson
publicly discussed religious ideas
that some leaders thought were radical. For
example, Hutchinson believed that people’s
relationship with God did not need guidance
from ministers.
Hutchinson’s views alarmed Puritans
such as John Winthrop. Puritan leaders did
not believe that women should be religious
leaders. Puritan leaders put Hutchinson on
trial for her ideas. The court decided to force
her out of the colony. With a group of fol-
lowers, Hutchinson helped found the new
Anne Hutchinson
159116 43
In 1634 Anne Hutchinson emigrated
with her family from England to the
Massachusetts Bay Colony. After set-
tling in Boston, she worked as a nurse
and midwife. She also hosted a Bible-
study class that met in her home. Over
time, Hutchinson began to question
the teachings of the local ministers.
Meanwhile, her popularity grew.
After being banished from the colony,
Hutchinson settled in Rhode Island and,
later, Long Island. She died in an Ameri-
can Indian attack. Today we remember
her as a symbol of the struggle for
religious freedom.
Drawing Conclusions Why do
you think church leaders disliked
Hutchinson’s ideas?
BIOGRAPHY
Church and State
Religion Affected Government
Government leaders were
church members.
Ministers had great authority.
Government Affected Religion
Government leaders outlawed
certain religious views.
Government leaders punished
dissenters.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-13
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 47
hunting for whales that swam close to shore.
Whales were captured with harpoons, or
spears, and dragged to shore. Whaling pro-
vided valuable oil for lighting.
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding became an important industry
in New England for several reasons. The area
had plenty of forests that provided materi-
als for shipbuilding. As trade—particularly in
slaves—in the New England seaports grew,
more merchant ships were built. The fi sh-
ing industry also needed ships. New England
shipyards made high-quality, valuable ves-
sels. Ship owners sometimes even told their
captains to sell the ship along with the cargo
when they reached their destination.
Skilled Craftspeople
The northern economy needed skilled crafts-
people. Families often sent younger sons to
learn skilled trades such as blacksmithing,
weaving, shipbuilding, and printing. The
young boys who learned skilled trades were
known as apprentices.
Apprentices lived with a master craftsman
and learned from him. In exchange, the boys
performed simple tasks. Apprentices had to
promise the craftsmen that they would work
for them for a set number of years. They
learned trades that were essential to the sur-
vival of the colonies. Apprentices received
food and often clothing from the craftsmen.
Gabriel Ginings was an apprentice in Ports-
mouth, Rhode Island. He received “suffi cient
food and raiment (clothing) suitable for such
an apprentice,” as his 1663 contract stated.
After a certain amount of time had
passed, apprentices became journeymen.
They usually traveled and learned new skills
in their trade. Eventually they would become
a master of the trade themselves.
READING CHECK
Categorizing What types of
jobs were common in the New England colonies?
colony of Portsmouth, later a part of the col-
ony of Rhode Island.
Perhaps the worst community confl icts
in New England involved the witchcraft tri-
als of the early 1690s. The largest number of
trials were held in Salem, Massachusetts. In
Salem a group of girls had accused people
of casting spells on them. The community
formed a special court to judge the witch-
craft cases. The court often pressured the sus-
pected witches to confess. Before the trials
had ended, the Salem witch trials led to 19
people being put to death.
READING CHECK
Identifying Cause and
Effect What led to religious disagreements
among the Puritans, and what was the result?
New England Economy
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hamp-
shire, and Rhode Island were very different
from the southern colonies because they
emphasized manufacturing. The often harsh
climate and rocky soil meant that few New
England farms could grow cash crops. Most
farming families grew crops and raised ani-
mals for their own use. There was thus little
demand for farm laborers. Although some
people held slaves, slavery did not become as
important to this region.
Merchants
Trade was vital to New England’s economy.
New England merchants traded goods locally,
with other colonies, and overseas. Many of
them traded local products such as furs, pick-
led beef, and pork. Many merchants grew in
power and wealth, becoming leading mem-
bers of the New England colonies.
Fishing
Fishing became one of the region’s leading
industries. The rich waters off New England’s
coast served as home to many fi sh, includ-
ing cod, mackerel, and halibut. Merchants
exported dried fi sh. Colonists also began
Fishing remains
an important
industry in New
England, earning
hundreds of
millions of dollars
each year.
THE IMPACT
TODAY
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-14
48 CHAPTER 2
Section 2 Assessment
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Recall Why did the Pilgrims and Puritans leave
Europe for the Americas?
b. Elaborate Do you think the Pilgrims could have
survived without the assistance of Squanto and
Massasoit? Explain your answer.
2. a. Describe What role did the church play in
Massachusetts?
b. Analyze Why did some colonists disagree with
the leaders of Massachusetts?
3. a. Identify Describe the economy in the New
England colonies.
b. Analyze Why do you think New England mer-
chants became leading members of society?
4. a. Describe What steps did the Massachusetts Bay
Colony take to promote education?
b. Predict What are some possible benefi ts that
New England’s emphasis on education might bring?
Critical Thinking
5. Categorizing Copy the chart below and use it to
identify the characteristics of the New England
colonies.
Role of Church Economic Activities Education
FOCUS ON WRITING
6. Comparing Colonies Take notes on the early
New England colonies. Be sure to note what
advantages they offered to settlers and what dif-
culties settlers faced. Put a star beside the colony
or colonies you might use in your infomercial.
KEYWORD: SS8 HP2
Online Quiz
Education in the Colonies
Education was important in colonial New
England. Mothers and fathers wanted their
children to be able to read the Bible. The
Massachusetts Bay Colony passed some of
the fi rst laws requiring parents to provide
instruction for their children.
Public Education
To be sure that future generations would have
educated ministers, communities established
town schools. In 1647 the General Court of
Massachusetts issued an order that a school
be founded in every township of 50 families.
Schoolchildren often used the New Eng-
land Primer, which had characters and stories
from the Bible. They learned to read at the
same time that they learned about the com-
munity’s religious values.
The availability of schooling varied in
the colonies. There were more schools in
New England than in the other colonies
where most children lived far from towns.
These children had to be taught by their
parents or by private tutors. Most colonial
children stopped their education after the
elementary grades. Many went to work, either
on their family farm or away from home.
Higher Education
Higher education was also important to the
colonists. In 1636 John Harvard and the
General Court founded Harvard College.
Harvard taught ministers and met the colo-
nies’ need for higher education. The second
college founded in the colonies, William and
Mary, was established in Virginia in 1693.
By 1700 about 70 percent of men and 45
percent of women in New England could read
and write. These fi gures were much lower
in Virginia, where Jamestown was the only
major settlement.
READING CHECK
Analyzing Why was
education important to the New England colonies?
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you learned about the role that religion
played in the New England colonies. In
the next section you’ll learn about New
York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Public schools
remain the
primary source
of education
for most U.S.
children. Total
enrollment to-
day is around 50
million students.
THE IMPACT
TODAY
HSS
8.2.1
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D PDF
1620
The Pilgrims sign
the Mayflower
Compact.
1648
Work is
finished on
India’s Taj
Mahal.
CHAPTER
2
1605–1774
The English
The English
Colonies
Colonies
32 CHAPTER 2
16 20
Writing an Infomercial What if television had been
invented during the time that the English colonies were
being founded in North America? Instead of relying on
printed flyers and word of mouth to attract settlers, the
founders of colonies might have made infomercials. In
this chapter you will read about life in the American
colonies during different times. You will choose one time
period and colony and write an infomercial encouraging
English citizens to settle in the colony of your choice.
FOCUS ON WRITING
Mayfl ower Compact courtesy of the Pilgrim
Society, Plymouth, Massachusetts.
History–Social Science
8.1 Students understand the major events preceding the founding
of the nation and relate their significance to the development of
American constitutional democracy.
8.2 Students analyze the political principles underlying the U.S.
Constitution and compare the enumerated and implied powers of
the federal government.
Analysis Skills
CS 2 Students construct various time lines of key events, people,
and periods of the historical era they are studying.
English–Language Arts
Writing 8.2.4.b Present detailed evidence, examples, and reasoning
to support arguments.
Reading 8.1.3 Use word meanings within the appropriate context.
California Standards
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Download
HOLT
History’s Impact
video series
Watch the video to under-
stand the impact of freedom of
religion in North America.
1681
William Penn
establishes the colony
of Pennsylvania.
1682
Peter the Great
becomes czar
of Russia.
1763
Pontiac, an
American Indian,
leads a rebellion on
the western frontier.
1768
British explorer James
Cook sets sail on his first
trip to the South Pacific,
meeting people like this
Sandwich Islander.
1773
Patriots stage
the Boston
Tea Party.
Plymouth Colony thrives again in this highly
accurate re-creation. The original colonists came
to North America in 1620 in search of religious
freedom. By 1627, the year this scene re-creates,
the colonists were well established. Their success
encouraged others. In this chapter you will learn
about English settlements that dotted the east
coast of North America.
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 33
172 0
17 7 0
What You Will Learn…
16 7 0
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D PDF Download
34 CHAPTER 2
Religion
Society
and Culture
Science and
Technology
Politics
Geography
Economics
Reading Social Studies by Kylene Beers
Focus on Themes
In this chapter you will read
about the people who settled the early colonies of
North America. You will learn about the problems
they faced as they felt the tug between their home-
land and their new land. You will see how they
settled political differences (sometimes peacefully,
other times not) and learned how to trade goods
and grow crops to establish a thriving economy. You
will discover that the economy often infl uenced
their politics.
Focus on Reading When you are reading your history textbook,
you may often come across a word you do not know. If that word isn’t
listed as a key term, how do you fi nd out what it means?
Using Context Clues Context means surroundings. Authors often
include clues to the meaning of a diffi cult word in its context. You just
have to know how and where to look.
Graphic organizers
are available
in the
Clue How It Works Example Explanation
Direct
Defi nition
Includes a defi nition in
the same or a nearby
sentence
In the late 1600s England, like
most western European nations,
practiced mercantilism, the practice
of creating and maintaining wealth
by carefully controlling trade.
The phrase “the practice of
creating and maintaining wealth
by carefully controlling trade”
defi nes mercantilism.
Restatement Uses different words
to say the same thing
The British continued to keep
a standing, or permanent, army
in North America to protect the
colonists against Indian attacks.
The word permanent is another
way to say standing.
Comparisons
or Contrasts
Compares or contrasts
the unfamiliar word
with a familiar one
Unlike legal traders, smugglers did
not have permission to bring goods
into the country.
The word unlike indicates that
smugglers are different from
legal traders.
Vocabulary Clues
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-1
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 35
Key Terms
Key Terms
and People
and People
You Try It!
The following sentences are from this chapter. Each uses a defi nition
or restatement clue to explain unfamiliar words. See if you can use
the context to fi gure out the meaning of the words in italics.
Context Clues Up Close
1. In 1605 a company of English merchants
asked King James I for the right to found,
or establish, a settlement.
(p. 36)
2. The majority of these workers were
indentured servants, people who recieved
a free trip to North America by agree-
ing to work without pay for a period of
years.
(p. 38)
3. In New England the center of politics
was the town meeting. In town meet-
ings people talked about and decided on
issues of local interest, such as paying
for schools.
(p. 55)
From
Chapter 2
Answer the questions about the sentences you read.
1. In example 1, what does the word found mean? What hints did
you fi nd in the sentence to fi gure that out?
2. In example 2, where do you fi nd the meaning of indentured
servants? What does this phrase mean?
3. In example 3, you learn the defi nition of town meeting in the
second sentence. Can you combine these two sentences into
one sentence? Try putting a dash after the word meeting and
replacing “In town meetings” with “a place where . . .”
Chapter 2
Section 1
Jamestown (p. 36)
John Smith (p. 37)
Pocahontas (p. 37)
indentured servants (p. 38)
Bacon’s Rebellion (p. 38)
Tole ration Act of 1649 (p. 39)
Olaudah Equiano (p. 41)
slave codes (p. 41)
Section 2
Puritans (p. 42)
Pilgrims (p. 42)
immigrants (p. 42)
Mayflower Compact (p. 43)
Squanto (p. 43)
John Winthrop (p. 45)
Anne Hutchinson (p. 46)
Section 3
Peter Stuyvesant (p. 49)
Quakers (p. 50)
William Penn (p. 50)
staple crops (p. 51)
Section 4
town meeting (p. 55)
English Bill of Rights (p. 55)
triangular trade (p. 57)
Middle Passage (p. 58)
Great Awakening (p. 58)
Enlightenment (p. 59)
Pontiac (p. 61)
Section 5
Samuel Adams (p. 65)
Committees of Correspondence
(p. 65)
Stamp Act of 1765 (p. 66)
Boston Massacre (p. 67)
Tea Act (p. 68)
Boston Tea Party (p. 68)
Intolerable Acts (p. 68)
Academic Vocabulary
In this chapter, you will learn the
following academic words:
authority (p. 37)
factors (p. 38)
As you read Chapter 2, look for context
clues that can help you figure out the
meanings of unfamiliar words or terms.
ELA
Reading 8.1.3 Show ability to verify word meanings by
definition, restatement, example, comparison, or contrast.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-2
Topography and Earl
A year ago, in 1609, you moved to the colony of Virginia. But life
here has been hard. During the winter many people died of cold
or sickness. Food is always scarce. Now it is spring, and a ship has
come from England bringing supplies. In a week it will sail home.
Some of your neighbors are giving up and returning to England.
They ask you to come, too.
Would you take the ship back to England?
BUILDING BACKGROUND Several European nations took part
in the race to claim lands in the Americas. Their next step was to
establish colonies in the lands that they claimed. The first English
colonies were started in the late 1500s but failed. Even in success-
ful colonies, colonists faced hardships and challenges.
Settlement in Jamestown
In 1605 a company of English merchants asked King James I for the
right to found, or establish, a settlement. In 1606 the king granted
the request of the company to settle in a region called Virginia.
Founding a New Colony
The investors in the new settlement formed a joint-stock company
called the London Company. This allowed the group to share the
cost and risk of establishing the colony. On April 26, 1607, the fi rst
105 colonists sent by the London Company arrived in America.
On May 14,
a
a
bout 40 miles up the James River in Virginia, the
bout 40 miles up the James River in Virginia, the
colonists founded
colonists founded
Jamestown
Jamestown, the fi rst permanent English settle-
ment in North America.
A lack of preparation cost a lot of the colonists their lives. Most
of the men who came to Jamestown were adventurers with no
farming experience or useful skills such as carpentry. Jamestown
was surrounded by marshes full of disease-carrying mosquitoes.
By the time winter arrived, two-thirds of the original colonists
had died.
Despite a difficult beginning,
the southern colonies soon
flourished.
Key Terms and People
Jamestown, p. 36
John Smith, p. 37
Pocahontas, p. 37
indentured servants, p. 38
Bacon’s Rebellion, p. 38
Toleration Act of 1649, p. 39
Olaudah Equiano, p. 41
slave codes, p. 41
1
The Southern
Colonies
The Big Idea
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
If YOU were there…
36 CHAPTER 2
1. The settlement in Jamestown
was the first permanent
English settlement in
America.
2. Daily life in Virginia was chal-
lenging to the colonists.
3. Religious freedom and eco-
nomic opportunities were
motives for founding other
southern colonies, including
Maryland, the Carolinas, and
Georgia.
4. Farming and slavery were
important to the economies
of the southern colonies.
Main Ideas
HSS
8.1
Students understand the
major events preceding the founding
of the nation and relate their signifi -
cance to the development of American
constitutional democracy.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-3
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s
R
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Marsh
Jamestown
1607
Smith's Fort
Williamsburg
J
a
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R
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v
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r
Roanoke
Jamestown
ATLAN
OCEA
C
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s
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p
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Powhatan Confederacy
Jamestown fared better under John Smith,
who took control of the colony in 1608 and
built a fort. He forced the settlers to work
harder and to build better housing by creat-
ing rules that rewarded harder workers with
food. The Jamestown colonists received help
from the powerful Powhatan Confederacy
of Indians after Smith made an agreement
with them. The Powhatan brought food to
help the colonists, and then taught them
how to grow corn.
In 1609 some 400 more settlers arrived
in Jamestown. That winter, disease and fam-
ine once again hit the colony. The colonists
called this period the starving time. By the
spring of 1610, only 60 colonists were still
alive. Jamestown failed to make a profi t until
colonist John Rolfe introduced a new type of
tobacco that sold well in England.
War in Virginia
John Rolfe married Pocahontas, daughter
of the Powhatan leader, in 1614. Their mar-
riage helped the colonists form more peaceful
relations with the Powhatan. However, Poca-
hontas died three years later in England,
which she was visiting with Rolfe.
In 1622, colonists killed a Powhatan
leader. The Powhatan responded by attack-
ing the Virginia settlers later that year. Fight-
ing between the colonists and the Powhatan
continued for the next 20 years. Because
the London Company could not protect its
colonists, the English Crown canceled the
Company’s charter in 1624. Virginia became
a royal colony and existed under the
authority of a governor chosen by the king.
READING CHECK
Finding Main Ideas
What problems did the Jamestown colonists face?
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 37
1. Human-Environment Interaction What were the
advantages and disadvantages of locating
Jamestown on a river?
2. Human-Environment Interaction What do you think
would have been a commonly used method of trans-
portation for people in this region?
Jamestown was located with defense in
mind. Enemy Spanish ships would have to
pass through a narrow channel to reach
Jamestown, making the ships easy marks
for the settlers’ cannons.
The forest could
provide wood for
building and for fuel.
The waters provided
fish for food. But the
water, so near the
sea, was salty.
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
authority
power, right
to rule
INTERPRETING MAPS
GEOGRAPHY
SKILLS
Jamestown Colony
Williamsburg was
founded in 1633 as
Middle Plantation by
settlers from Jamestown.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-4
38 CHAPTER 2
Daily Life in Virginia
In early Virginia, people lived on scattered
farms rather than in towns. Tobacco farmers
soon began establishing large farms called
plantations.
Headright System
These plantations were made possible in part
by the headright system, which was started
by the London Company. Under this system,
colonists who paid their own way to Virginia
received 50 acres of land. A colonist could
earn another 50 acres for every additional
person brought from England. Rich colonists
who brought servants or relatives to Virginia
gained large amounts of land.
Labor in Virginia
Colonists in Virginia faced a hard life. They
suffered very high death rates, which led to
labor shortages in the colony. The majority of
workers were
indentured
indentured
servants
servants
,
,
people who
people who
received a free trip to North America by agree-
received a free trip to North America by agree-
ing to work with
ing to work with
out pay for a period of years.
out pay for a period of years.
Expansion of Slavery
Not all laborers in Virginia came from
Europe. A Dutch ship brought the fi rst
Africans to Virginia in 1619. Some Africans
were servants; others had been enslaved. Some
African servants became successful farmers
when their contracts ended.
The demand for workers was soon greater
than the supply of people willing to work as
indentured servants. Over time, the cost of
slaves fell. These
factors led some colonists
to turn to slave labor. By the mid-1600s most
Africans in Virginia were being kept in life-
long slavery.
Bacons Rebellion
As plantations grew, the economy of James-
town began to expand. Soon, colonial offi -
cials began to ask for more taxes. During the
mid-1600s poor colonists protested the higher
taxes. They were also upset about the gover-
nor’s policies toward Native Americans. They
thought the colony was not well protected
against attack from Indians. In 1676 a group of
former indentured servants led by Nathaniel
Bacon attacked some friendly American Indi-
ans. Bacon opposed the governor’s policies pro-
moting trade with American Indians. He also
thought the colonists should be able to take
the Indians’ land.
When the governor tried to
When the governor tried to
stop him,
stop him,
Bacon and his followers attacked and
Bacon and his followers attacked and
burned
burned
Jamestown
Jamestown
in an
in an
uprising known
uprising known
as
as
Bacons Rebellion
Bacons Rebellion.
At one point, Bacon controlled much of
the colony. He died of fever, however, and
the rebellion soon ended.
READING CHECK
Analyzing What factors led
to the increased use of slave labor in Virginia?
LETTER
A Note from Virginia
In this 1619 letter, the secretary of the Virginia colony,
John Pory, encouraged people to move to Virginia.
Primary Source
ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES
How does this letter indicate the importance of
tobacco in Virginia?
ANALYSIS
SKILL
As touching the quality of this country,
three things there be, which in few years may
bring this colony to perfection; the English
plow, vineyards, & cattle . . . All our riches
for the present do consist in tobacco, wherein
one man by his own labor has in one year,
raised to himself to the value of 200 pounds
sterling; and another by the means of six
servants has cleared at one crop a thousand
pound English. These be true, yet indeed rare
examples, yet possible to be done by others.
—from The Power of Words, edited by T. H. Breen
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
factors
causes
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-5
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 39
Other Southern Colonies
As Jamestown was developing in Virginia,
new groups of colonists began planning their
move to America. Many English Catholics
came to America to escape religious persecu-
tion. English Catholics had long been against
England’s separation from the Roman Cath-
olic Church. For this reason they were not
allowed by the Church of England to worship
freely. English leaders also feared that English
Catholics would ally with Catholic countries
such as France and Spain in confl icts.
Maryland
In the 1620s George Calvert, the fi rst Lord
Baltimore, asked King Charles I for a char-
ter establishing a new colony in America for
Catholics. In 1632 Charles issued the charter
to Calvert’s son, Cecilius, who took over the
planning of the colony. Cecilius, known as
the second Lord Baltimore, named the colony
Maryland in honor of England’s queen, Henri-
etta Maria. It was located just north of Virginia
in the Chesapeake Bay area. Calvert intended
for the colony to be a refuge for English
Catholics. It would also be a proprietary colony.
This meant that the colony’s proprietors, or
owners, controlled the government.
In 1634 a group of 200 English Catholics
came to Maryland. Included in the group were
wealthy landowners, servants, craftspeople,
and farmers. Settlers in Maryland benefi ted
from the lessons learned by the Jamestown
colonists. They spent their time raising corn,
cattle, and hogs so that they would have
enough to eat. Before long, many colonists
also began growing tobacco for profi t.
Although Catholics founded Maryland,
a growing number of Protestants began mov-
ing there in the 1640s. Soon, religious confl icts
arose between Catholics and Protestants in the
colony. To reduce tensions, Lord Baltimore
presented a bill to the colonial assembly that
became known as the
Toleration Act of 1649
Toleration Act of 1649.
This bill made it a crime to restrict the reli-
This bill made it a crime to restrict the reli-
gious rights of Christians.
gious rights of Christians. This was the fi rst
law supporting religious tolerance passed in
the English colonies.
The Toleration Act did not stop all religious
confl ict. However, it did show that the govern-
ment wanted to offer some religious freedom
and to protect the rights of minority groups.
Colonists overcame tough begin-
nings to create large and wealthy
settlements like this one in
Virginia. Churches were often the
first major buildings in a growing
town.
How does the large church in the
picture show Virginia’s wealth?
Southern Wealth
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-6
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US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-7
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 41
Section 1 Assessment
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Describe How did John Smith improve condi-
tions in Jamestown?
b. Explain What events led to a confl ict between
the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatan Confed-
eracy?
2. a. Recall Why were indentured servants neces-
sary in Virginia?
b. Evaluate What do you think was the most seri-
ous problem faced by settlers in Virginia? Why?
3. a. Identify Which colony was the fi rst to promote
religious tolerance?
b. Analyze Why did more enslaved Africans live in
South Carolina than did white settlers?
c. Predict How might the colony of Georgia have
been different if Oglethorpe’s plan had succeeded?
4. a. Recall What was the purpose of slave codes?
b. Analyze Why were slaves in high demand in
the southern colonies?
Critical Thinking
5. Contrasting Using a chart like the one below,
identify when and why each of the southern
colonies was founded.
FOCUS ON WRITING
6. Gathering Some Ideas As you read this section,
take notes on the early colonies of Virginia, Mary-
land, the Carolinas, and Georgia. Be sure to note
what advantages they offered to settlers and what
diffi culties settlers faced. Start to think about the
people who would be most likely to settle in the
southern colonies.
KEYWORD: SS8 HP2
Online Quiz
Economies of the
Southern Colonies
The economies of the southern colonies
depended on agriculture. They also exported
materials for building ships, such as wood
and tar. Some colonies traded with local
Indians for deerskins to sell.
The economies of the colonies were
agrarian—that is, based on farming. They had
many small farms and some large plantations.
Farms did well because the South enjoyed a
warm climate and a long growing season.
Many farms grew cash crops that were sold
for profi t. Tobacco, rice, and indigo—a plant
used to make blue dye—were the most
important cash crops.
The southern colonies’ cash crops
required a great deal of diffi cult work to grow
and harvest. This meant a large workforce
was needed. By the 1700s enslaved Africans,
rather than indentured servants, had become
the main source of labor.
Slavery was a viciously brutal condi-
tion for many inhabitants of the southern
colonies. One former slave named
Olaudah
Equiano
recorded his experiences.
Tortures, murder, and every other imaginable
barbarity . . . are practiced upon the poor slaves
with impunity [no punishment]. I hope the
slave-trade will be abolished.
—Olaudah Equiano, from The Interesting Narrative
of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African
Most of the southern colonies passed
slave codes
slave codes,
or laws to control slaves
or laws to control slaves. Colonies
with large numbers of slaves had the strictest
slave codes. For example, South Carolina’s
slaveholders feared that slaves would revolt.
As a result, South Carolina’s code said slaves
could not hold meetings or own weapons.
Some colonies did not allow slaveholders to
free their slaves.
READING CHECK
Summarizing What role did
slavery play in the southern plantation economy?
How was it regulated?
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you read about life in the southern colo-
nies. In the next section you will learn
about the New England colonies.
Colony Year Founded Reason for
Establishment
HSS
8.1
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-8
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
If YOU were there...
42 CHAPTER 2
2
The New England
Colonies
1. The Pilgrims and Puritans
came to America to avoid
religious persecution.
2. Religion and government
were closely linked in the
New England colonies.
3. The New England economy
was based on trade and
farming.
4. Education was important in
the New England colonies.
English colonists traveled to
New England to gain religious
freedom.
Key Terms and People
Puritans, p. 42
Pilgrims, p. 42
immigrants, p. 42
Mayflower Compact, p. 43
Squanto, p. 43
John Winthrop, p. 44
Anne Hutchinson, p. 46
You live in a town near London in the early 1700s. Some of your
neighbors are starting new lives in the American colonies. You
would like to go with them, but you cannot afford the cost of the
trip. There is one way you can go, though. You can sign a paper
promising to work as a servant for fi ve years. Then you would be
free—and in a new country!
Would you sign the paper and go to America?
BUILDING BACKGROUND England’s first successful colonial
settlements were in Virginia. They were started mainly as business
ventures. Other colonists in North America had many different reasons
for leaving their homes. Many, like the Pilgrims and Puritans, came to
have freedom to practice their religious beliefs. Others, like the person
above, simply wanted a new way of life.
Pilgrims and Puritans
Religious tensions in England remained high after the Protestant
Reformation.
A Protestant group called the
A Protestant group called the
Puritans
Puritans
wanted to
wanted to
purify
purify
, or
, or
reform
reform
, the Anglican Church
, the Anglican Church
.
. The Puritans thought that
bishops and priests had too much power over church members.
Pilgrims on the Move
The most extreme English Protestants wanted to separate from the
Church of England. These Separatists formed their own churches
and cut all ties with the Church of England. In response, Anglican
leaders began to punish Separatists.
The
The
Pilgrims
Pilgrims
were one Separatist group that left England in
were one Separatist group that left England in
the early 1600s to escape persecution.
the early 1600s to escape persecution. The Pilgrims moved to the
Netherlands in 1608. The Pilgrims were
immigrants
immigrants
people who
people who
have left the country of their birth to live in another country.
have left the country of their birth to live in another country.
The Pilgrims were glad to be able to practice their religion
freely. They were not happy, however, that their children were learn-
Main Ideas
The Big Idea
HSS
8.2.1
Discuss the signifi cance
of the Magna Carta, the English Bill of
Rights, and the Mayfl ower Compact.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-9
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 43
ing the Dutch language and culture. The Pil-
grims feared that their children would forget
their English traditions. The Pilgrims decided
to leave Europe altogether. They formed a
joint-stock company with some merchants
and then received permission from England
to settle in Virginia.
On September 16, 1620, a ship called the
Mayfl ower left England with more than 100
men, women, and children aboard. Not all of
these colonists were Pilgrims. However, Pil-
grim leaders such as William Bradford sailed
with the group.
The Mayfl ower Compact
After two months of rough ocean travel, the
Pilgrims sighted land far north of Virginia.
The Pilgrims knew that they would thus be
outside the authority of Virginia’s colonial
government when they landed. Their charter
would not apply. So, they decided to establish
their own basic laws and social rules to govern
the colony they would found.
On November 21, 1620, 41 of the male
passengers on the ship signed the
Mayfl ower
Mayfl ower
Compact
Compact,
a legal
a legal
contract
contract
in
in
which
which
they agreed
they agreed
to have fair laws to protect the general good.
to have fair laws to protect the general good. The
Compact represents one of the fi rst attempts
at self-government in the English colonies.
In late 1620 the Pilgrims landed at Plym-
outh Rock in present-day Massachusetts. The
colonists struggled through the winter to
build the Plymouth settlement. Nearly half of
the tired Pilgrims died during this fi rst winter
from sickness and the freezing weather.
Pilgrims and Native Americans
In March 1621 a Native American named
Samoset walked boldly into the colonists’
settlement. He spoke in broken English.
Samoset had learned some English from the
crews of English fi shing boats. He gave the
Pilgrims useful information about the peoples
and places of the area. He also introduced
them to a Patuxet Indian named
Squanto.
Squanto had at one time lived in Europe and
spoke English as well.
From Squanto the Pilgrims learned to
fertilize the soil with fi sh remains. Squanto also
helped the Pilgrims establish relations with
the local Wampanoag Indians. Conditions in
the Plymouth colony began to improve.
The Pilgrims invited Wampanoag chief
Massasoit and 90 other guests to celebrate
their harvest. This feast became known as the
rst Thanksgiving. For the event, the Pilgrims
killed wild turkeys. This event marked the
survival of the Pilgrims in the new colony.
We whose names are underwritten . . . having
undertaken, for the glory of God, and advance-
ment of the Christian faith, and the honour of
our King and country, a voyage to plant the
first colony in the northern parts of Virginia,
do by these presents solemnly and mutually
in the presence of God, and one of another,
covenant and combine ourselves together
into a civil body politic for our better ordering
and preservation and furtherance of the ends
aforesaid; and by virtue hereof, to enact,
constitute, and frame such just and equal
laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and of-
fices . . . as shall be thought most meet and
convenient for the general good of the colony
unto which we promise all due . . . obedience.
Primary Source
ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES
1. Why do you think the colonists felt the need to
establish a government for themselves?
2. How do you think the Mayflower Compact influenced
later governments in America?
ANALYSIS
SKILL
The Pilgrims
describe the
reasons they
want to form
a colony in
North America.
HISTORICAL DOCUMENT
The Mayflower Compact
In November 1620, Pilgrim leaders aboard the Mayflower
drafted the Mayflower Compact. This excerpt from the
Mayflower Compact describes the principles of the Pilgrim
colony’s government.
by these presents: by this
document
covenant: promise
civil body politic: group
organized to govern
aforesaid: mentioned above
virtue: authority
ordinances: regulations
meet: fitting
The Pilgrims
promise to
obey laws that
help the whole
colony.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-10
44 CHAPTER 2
Pilgrim Community
Although the Pilgrims overcame many prob-
lems, their small settlement still struggled.
Most Pilgrims became farmers, but the farm-
land around their settlement was poor. They
had hoped to make money by trading furs
and by fi shing. Unfortunately, at fi rst sh-
ing and hunting conditions were not good
in the area. Some colonists traded corn with
American Indians for beaver furs. The Pil-
grims made little money but were able to
form a strong community. The colony began
to grow stronger in the mid-1620s when new
settlers arrived and after colonists began to
gain more rights to farm their own land.
The Pilgrims’ settlement was different
from Virginia’s in that it had many families.
The Pilgrims taught their children to read and
offered some education to their indentured
servants. Families served as centers of religious
life, health care, and community well-being.
All family members worked together to
survive during the early years of the colony.
Women generally cooked, spun and wove
wool, and sewed clothing. They also made
soap and butter, carried water, dried fruit, and
cared for livestock. Men spent most of their
time repairing tools and working in the fi elds.
They also chopped wood and built shelters.
Women in the Colony
In Plymouth, women had more legal rights
than they did in England. In England women
were not allowed to make contracts, to sue, or
to own property. In America, Pilgrim women
had the right to sign contracts and to bring
some cases before local courts. Widows could
also own property.
From time to time, local courts recog-
nized the ways women helped the business
community. Widow Naomi Silvester received
a large share of her husband’s estate. The court
called her “a frugal [thrifty] and laborious
[hardworking] woman.”
Puritans Leave England
During the 1620s England’s economy suf-
fered. Many people lost their jobs. The Eng-
lish king, Charles I, made the situation worse
by raising taxes. This unpopular act led to a
political crisis. At the same time, the Church
of England began to punish Puritans because
they were dissenters, or people who disagree
with offi cial opinions. King Charles refused
to allow Puritans to criticize church actions.
Great Migration
These economic, political, and religious prob-
lems in England led to the Great Migration.
Between 1629 and 1640 many thousands
of English men, women, and children left
England. More than 40,000 of these people
moved to English colonies in New England
and the Caribbean. In 1629, Charles granted
a group of Puritans and merchants a charter
to settle in New England. They formed the
Massachusetts Bay Company.
In 1630 a fl eet of ships carrying Puritan
colonists left England for Massachusetts to
seek religious freedom. They were led by
John
Winthrop
. The Puritans believed that they
had made a covenant, or promise, with God
to build an ideal Christian community.
A New Colony
The Puritans arrived in New England well pre-
pared to start their colony. They brought large
amounts of tools and livestock with them. Like
the Pilgrims, the Puritans faced little resistance
from local American Indians. Trade with the
Plymouth colony helped them too. In addi-
tion, the region around Boston had a fairly
healthful climate. Thus, few Puritans died
from sickness. All of these things helped the
Massachusetts Bay Colony do well. By 1691,
the Massachusetts Bay Colony had expanded
to include the Pilgrims’ Plymouth Colony.
READING CHECK
Summarizing What role did
religion play in the establishment of the Massa-
chusetts Bay Colony?
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-11
Plym outh Ba y
Plymouth Colony
(1620)
Abandoned
Indian
Village
I
N
D
I
A
N
T
R
A
I
L
N
S
W
E
Plymouth
Colony
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
70°W
New
England
Colonies
Plymouth Colony was
surrounded by stakes
that formed a wall of
protection. Outside the
wall were colonists’
crop fields.
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 45
Religion and Government
in New England
Massachusetts Bay Colony had to obey Eng-
lish laws. However, its charter provided more
independence than did the royal charter of
Virginia. For example, it created a General
Court to help run the Massachusetts colony.
The Puritan colonists turned this court
into a type of self-government to represent
the needs of the people. Each town sent
two or three delegates to the Court. After
John Winthrop served as the colony’s fi rst
governor, the General Court elected the
governor and his assistants. In 1644 the Gen-
eral Court became a two-house, or bicameral,
legislature.
Politics and religion were closely linked
in Puritan New England. Government lead-
ers were also church members, and ministers
often had a great deal of power in Puritan
communities. Male church members were
the only colonists who could vote. Colonists
became full members in the church by becom-
ing what the Puritans called God’s “elect,” or
chosen. Reaching this status was a diffi cult
process. Individuals had to pass a public test
to prove that their faith was strong.
Several years
later, the second
colony, Duxbury,
was founded.
The Pilgrims landed
in a region of forests,
streams, and rocky soil.
Plymouth Colony
History Close-up
In what ways were Plymouth Colony and the Indian
village similar and different?
ANALYZING VISUALS
ANALYSIS
SKILLS
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-12
46 CHAPTER 2
In 1636 minister Thomas Hooker and his
followers left Massachusetts to help found
Connecticut, another New England colony.
In 1639 Hooker wrote the Fundamental
Orders of Connecticut. This set of princi-
ples made Connecticut’s government more
democratic. For example, the Orders allowed
men who were not church members to vote.
As a result, some historians call Hooker the
father of American democracy. The Funda-
mental Orders of Connecticut also outlined
the powers of the general courts.
Not all Puritans shared the same religious
views. Minister Roger Williams did not agree
with the leadership of Massachusetts. He
called for his church to separate completely
from the other New England congregations.
Williams also criticized the General Court for
taking land from American Indians without
paying them.
Puritan leaders worried that Williams’s
ideas might hurt the unity of the colony.
They made him leave Massachusetts. Wil-
liams took his supporters to southern New
England. They formed a new settlement called
Providence. This settlement later developed
into the colony of Rhode Island. In Provi-
dence, Williams supported the separation of
the church from the state. He also believed
in religious tolerance for all members of
the community.
In Boston, an outspoken woman also
angered Puritan church leaders.
Anne
Hutchinson
publicly discussed religious ideas
that some leaders thought were radical. For
example, Hutchinson believed that people’s
relationship with God did not need guidance
from ministers.
Hutchinson’s views alarmed Puritans
such as John Winthrop. Puritan leaders did
not believe that women should be religious
leaders. Puritan leaders put Hutchinson on
trial for her ideas. The court decided to force
her out of the colony. With a group of fol-
lowers, Hutchinson helped found the new
Anne Hutchinson
159116 43
In 1634 Anne Hutchinson emigrated
with her family from England to the
Massachusetts Bay Colony. After set-
tling in Boston, she worked as a nurse
and midwife. She also hosted a Bible-
study class that met in her home. Over
time, Hutchinson began to question
the teachings of the local ministers.
Meanwhile, her popularity grew.
After being banished from the colony,
Hutchinson settled in Rhode Island and,
later, Long Island. She died in an Ameri-
can Indian attack. Today we remember
her as a symbol of the struggle for
religious freedom.
Drawing Conclusions Why do
you think church leaders disliked
Hutchinson’s ideas?
BIOGRAPHY
Church and State
Religion Affected Government
Government leaders were
church members.
Ministers had great authority.
Government Affected Religion
Government leaders outlawed
certain religious views.
Government leaders punished
dissenters.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-13
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 47
hunting for whales that swam close to shore.
Whales were captured with harpoons, or
spears, and dragged to shore. Whaling pro-
vided valuable oil for lighting.
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding became an important industry
in New England for several reasons. The area
had plenty of forests that provided materi-
als for shipbuilding. As trade—particularly in
slaves—in the New England seaports grew,
more merchant ships were built. The fi sh-
ing industry also needed ships. New England
shipyards made high-quality, valuable ves-
sels. Ship owners sometimes even told their
captains to sell the ship along with the cargo
when they reached their destination.
Skilled Craftspeople
The northern economy needed skilled crafts-
people. Families often sent younger sons to
learn skilled trades such as blacksmithing,
weaving, shipbuilding, and printing. The
young boys who learned skilled trades were
known as apprentices.
Apprentices lived with a master craftsman
and learned from him. In exchange, the boys
performed simple tasks. Apprentices had to
promise the craftsmen that they would work
for them for a set number of years. They
learned trades that were essential to the sur-
vival of the colonies. Apprentices received
food and often clothing from the craftsmen.
Gabriel Ginings was an apprentice in Ports-
mouth, Rhode Island. He received “suffi cient
food and raiment (clothing) suitable for such
an apprentice,” as his 1663 contract stated.
After a certain amount of time had
passed, apprentices became journeymen.
They usually traveled and learned new skills
in their trade. Eventually they would become
a master of the trade themselves.
READING CHECK
Categorizing What types of
jobs were common in the New England colonies?
colony of Portsmouth, later a part of the col-
ony of Rhode Island.
Perhaps the worst community confl icts
in New England involved the witchcraft tri-
als of the early 1690s. The largest number of
trials were held in Salem, Massachusetts. In
Salem a group of girls had accused people
of casting spells on them. The community
formed a special court to judge the witch-
craft cases. The court often pressured the sus-
pected witches to confess. Before the trials
had ended, the Salem witch trials led to 19
people being put to death.
READING CHECK
Identifying Cause and
Effect What led to religious disagreements
among the Puritans, and what was the result?
New England Economy
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hamp-
shire, and Rhode Island were very different
from the southern colonies because they
emphasized manufacturing. The often harsh
climate and rocky soil meant that few New
England farms could grow cash crops. Most
farming families grew crops and raised ani-
mals for their own use. There was thus little
demand for farm laborers. Although some
people held slaves, slavery did not become as
important to this region.
Merchants
Trade was vital to New England’s economy.
New England merchants traded goods locally,
with other colonies, and overseas. Many of
them traded local products such as furs, pick-
led beef, and pork. Many merchants grew in
power and wealth, becoming leading mem-
bers of the New England colonies.
Fishing
Fishing became one of the region’s leading
industries. The rich waters off New England’s
coast served as home to many fi sh, includ-
ing cod, mackerel, and halibut. Merchants
exported dried fi sh. Colonists also began
Fishing remains
an important
industry in New
England, earning
hundreds of
millions of dollars
each year.
THE IMPACT
TODAY
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_2_The_English_Colonies_Part_1_23DnN0D Image-14
48 CHAPTER 2
Section 2 Assessment
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Recall Why did the Pilgrims and Puritans leave
Europe for the Americas?
b. Elaborate Do you think the Pilgrims could have
survived without the assistance of Squanto and
Massasoit? Explain your answer.
2. a. Describe What role did the church play in
Massachusetts?
b. Analyze Why did some colonists disagree with
the leaders of Massachusetts?
3. a. Identify Describe the economy in the New
England colonies.
b. Analyze Why do you think New England mer-
chants became leading members of society?
4. a. Describe What steps did the Massachusetts Bay
Colony take to promote education?
b. Predict What are some possible benefi ts that
New England’s emphasis on education might bring?
Critical Thinking
5. Categorizing Copy the chart below and use it to
identify the characteristics of the New England
colonies.
Role of Church Economic Activities Education
FOCUS ON WRITING
6. Comparing Colonies Take notes on the early
New England colonies. Be sure to note what
advantages they offered to settlers and what dif-
culties settlers faced. Put a star beside the colony
or colonies you might use in your infomercial.
KEYWORD: SS8 HP2
Online Quiz
Education in the Colonies
Education was important in colonial New
England. Mothers and fathers wanted their
children to be able to read the Bible. The
Massachusetts Bay Colony passed some of
the fi rst laws requiring parents to provide
instruction for their children.
Public Education
To be sure that future generations would have
educated ministers, communities established
town schools. In 1647 the General Court of
Massachusetts issued an order that a school
be founded in every township of 50 families.
Schoolchildren often used the New Eng-
land Primer, which had characters and stories
from the Bible. They learned to read at the
same time that they learned about the com-
munity’s religious values.
The availability of schooling varied in
the colonies. There were more schools in
New England than in the other colonies
where most children lived far from towns.
These children had to be taught by their
parents or by private tutors. Most colonial
children stopped their education after the
elementary grades. Many went to work, either
on their family farm or away from home.
Higher Education
Higher education was also important to the
colonists. In 1636 John Harvard and the
General Court founded Harvard College.
Harvard taught ministers and met the colo-
nies’ need for higher education. The second
college founded in the colonies, William and
Mary, was established in Virginia in 1693.
By 1700 about 70 percent of men and 45
percent of women in New England could read
and write. These fi gures were much lower
in Virginia, where Jamestown was the only
major settlement.
READING CHECK
Analyzing Why was
education important to the New England colonies?
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you learned about the role that religion
played in the New England colonies. In
the next section you’ll learn about New
York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Public schools
remain the
primary source
of education
for most U.S.
children. Total
enrollment to-
day is around 50
million students.
THE IMPACT
TODAY
HSS
8.2.1

Subjects

U.S. History

Grade Levels

K12

Resource Type

PDF

US History Textbook 8th Grade Chapter 2 The English Colonies Part 1 PDF Download

. California Standards Science Students understand the major events preceding the founding of the nation a elate their significance to the development of American constitutional democracy . Students analyze the political principles underlying the Constitution and compare the enumerated and implied powers of the federal government . Analysis Skills Students construct various time lines of key events , people , and periods ofthe historical era they are studying . Arts Writing Present detailed evidence , examples , and reasoning to support arguments . Reading Use word meanings within the appropriate context . Focus on Writing an Infomercial What if television had been invented during the time that the English colonies were being founded in North America ?

Instead of relying on printed flyers and word of mouth to attract settlers . the founders of colonies might have made infomercials . In this chapter you will read about life in the American colonies during different times . You will choose one time period and colony and write an infomercial encouraging English citizens to settle in the colony of your choice . The Pilgrims sign the Mayflower Compact . Work is finished on India Taj I Mahal . Mayflower courtesy of the Pilgrim 32 CHAPTER Society , Plymouth , Massachusetts

William Penn establishes the colony of Pennsylvania . 1682 Great becomes czar of Russia . History Impact video series Watch the video to stand the impact of freedom of religion in North America . I . What You Will Learn Plymouth Colony thrives again in this highly accurate . The original colonists came to North America in 1620 in search of religious freedom . By 1627 , the year this scene , the colonists were well established . Their success encouraged others . In this chapter you will learn about English settlements that dotted the east coast of North America . Pontiac , an American Indian , Patriots stage leads a rebellion on the Boston the western frontier . Tea Party . British explorer James Cook sets sail on his first trip to the South Pacific , meeting people like this Sandwich Islander . THE ENGLISH COLONIES 33

Reading Social Studies Economics Focus on Themes In this chapter you will read about the people who settled the early colonies of North America . You will learn about the problems they faced as they felt the tug between their land and their new land . You will see how they Vocabulary Clues Geography Religion Politics their politics . Focus on Reading When you are reading your history textbook , you may often come across a word you do not know . If that word isn listed as a key term , how do you find out what it means ?

Using Context Clues Context means surroundings . Authors often include clues to the meaning of a difficult word in its context . You just have to know how and where to look . by Beers Science and Technology Society and Culture settled political differences ( sometimes peacefully , other times not ) and learned how to trade goods and grow crops to establish a thriving economy You will discover that the economy often influenced Graphic organizers are available in the 34 CHAPTER . Clue How It Works Example Explanation Direct Includes a definition in In the late England , like The phrase the practice of Definition the same or a nearby most western European nations , creating and maintaining wealth sentence practiced mercantilism , the practice by carefully controlling trade of creating and maintaining wealth defines mercantilism . by carefully controlling trade . Restatement Uses different words The British continued to keep The word permanent is another to say the same thing a standing , or permanent , army way to say standing . in North America to protect the colonists against Indian attacks . Comparisons Compares or contrasts Unlike legal traders , smugglers did The word unlike indicates that or Contrasts the unfamiliar word not have permission to bring goods smugglers are different from with a familiar one into the country . legal traders .

ELA Reading Show ability to verify word meanings by definition , restatement , example , comparison , or contrast . You Try It ! The following sentences are from this chapter . Each uses a definition or restatement clue to explain unfamiliar words . See if you can use the context to figure out the meaning of the words in italics . Context Clues Up Close I . In 1605 a company of English merchants From asked King James I for the right to found , or establish , a settlement . 36 ) The majority of these workers were indentured servants , people who a free trip to North America by ing to work without pay for a period of years . 38 ) In New England the center of politics was the town meeting . In town ings people talked about and decided on issues of local interest , such as paying for schools . Answer the questions about the sentences you read . In example I , what does the word found mean ?

What hints did you find in the sentence to figure that out ?

In example , where do you find the meaning of indentured servants ?

What does this phrase mean ?

In example , you learn the definition of town meeting in the second sentence . Can you combine these two sentences into one sentence ?

Try putting a dash after the word meeting and replacing town meetings with a place where . As you read , look for context clues that can help you figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words . and ( Chapter Section Jamestown ( 36 John Smith ( Pocahontas ( 37 ) indentured servants ( Bacon Rebellion ( 38 ) Toleration Act of 1649 ( 39 ) 41 ) slave codes ( 41 ) Section Puritans ( Pilgrims ( 42 ) immigrants ( Mayflower Compact ( Squanto ( John Winthrop ( Anne Hutchinson ( 46 ) Section Peter Stuyvesant ( 49 ) William Penn ( staple crops ( Section town meeting ( English Bill of Rights ( 55 ( Middle Passage ( 58 ) Great Awakening ( 58 ) Enlightenment ( 59 ) Pontiac ( 61 ) Section Samuel Adams ( 65 ) Committees of Correspondence ( 65 ) Stamp Act of 1765 ( Boston Massacre ( 67 ) Tea Act ( 68 ) Boston Tea Party ( 68 ) Intolerable Acts ( 68 ) Academic Vocabulary In this chapter , you will learn the following academic words authority ( 37 ) factors ( 38 ) THE ENGLISH COLONIES 35

SECTION What You Learn . The settlement in Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in America . Daily life in Virginia was to the colonists . and nomic opportunities were motives other southern colonies , including Maryland , the Carolinas , and Georgia . Farming and slavery were important to the economies of the southern colonies . The Big Idea Despite a difficult beginning , the southern colonies soon flourished . Key Terms and People Jamestown , 36 John Smith , 37 Pocahontas , 37 indentured servants , 38 Bacon Rebellion , 38 Toleration Act of 1649 , 39 , 41 slave codes , 41 Students understandthe major events preceding the founding of the nation and relate their to the development of American constitutional democracy . 36 CHAPTER The Southern Colonies If YOU were there A year ago , in 1609 , you moved to the colony of Virginia . But life here has been hard . During the winter many people died of cold or sickness . Food is always scarce . Now it is spring , and a ship has come from England bringing supplies . In a week it will sail home . Some of your neighbors are giving up and returning to England . They ask you to come , too . Would you take the ship back to England ?

BUILDING BACKGROUND Several European nations took part in the race to claim lands in the Americas . Their next step was to establish colonies in the lands that they claimed . The first English colonies were started in the late but failed . Even in ful colonies , colonists faced hardships and challenges . Settlement in Jamestown In 1605 a company of English merchants asked King James I for the right to found , or establish , a settlement . In 1606 the king granted the request of the company to settle in a region called Virginia . Founding a New Colony The investors in the new settlement formed a company called the London Company . This allowed the group to share the cost and risk of establishing the colony . On April 26 , 1607 , the 105 colonists sent by the London Company arrived in America . On May 14 , about 40 miles up the James River in Virginia , the colonists founded Jamestown , the permanent English ment in North America . A lack of preparation cost a lot of the colonists their lives . Most of the men who came to Jamestown were adventurers with no farming experience or useful skills such as carpentry . Jamestown was surrounded by marshes full of mosquitoes . By the time winter arrived , of the original colonists had died .

yo ' I Williamsburg was founded in 1633 as Middle Plantation by settlers from Jamestown . The forest could provide wood for building and for fuel . The waters provided fish for food . But the water , so near the sea , was salty . Jamestown was located with defense in mind . Enemy Spanish ships would have to pass through a narrow channel to reach Jamestown , making the ships easy marks for the settlers cannons . GEOGRAPHY SKILLS , INTERPRETING MAPS . Interaction What were the advantages and disadvantages of locating Jamestown on a river ?

Interaction What do you think would have been a commonly used method for people in this region ?

Confederacy Jamestown fared better under John Smith , who took control of the colony in 1608 and built a fort . He forced the settlers to work harder and to build better housing by ing rules that rewarded harder workers with food . The Jamestown colonists received help from the powerful Confederacy of Indians after Smith made an agreement with them . The brought food to help the colonists , and then taught them how to grow corn . In 1609 some 400 more settlers arrived in Jamestown . That winter , disease and War in Virginia John Rolfe married Pocahontas , daughter of the leader , in 1614 . Their helped the colonists form more peaceful relations with the . However , died three years later in England , which she was visiting with Rolfe . In 1622 , colonists killed a leader . The responded by ing the Virginia settlers later that year . ing between the colonists and the continued for the next 20 years . Because the London Company could not protect its colonists , the English Crown canceled the ine once again hit the colony . The colonists Company charter in 1624 . Virginia became ACADEMIC called this period the starving time . By the a royal colony and existed under the spring of 1610 , only 60 colonists were still authority of a governor chosen by the king . authority alive . Jamestown failed to make a profit until . to rule Finding Mam Ideas colonist John Rolfe introduced a new type of tobacco that sold well in England . What problems did the Jamestown colonists face ?

THE ENGLISH COLONIES 31 ACADEMIC VOCABULARY causes Daily Life in Virginia In early Virginia , people lived on scattered farms rather than in towns . Tobacco farmers soon began establishing large farms called plantations . Headright System These plantations were made possible in part by the headright system , which was started by the London Company . Under this system , colonists who paid their own way to Virginia received 50 acres of land . A colonist could earn another 50 acres for every additional person brought from England . Rich colonists who brought servants or relatives to Virginia gained large amounts of land . Primary Source LETTER A Note from Virginia In this 1619 letter , the secretary of the Virginia colony , John Pory , encouraged people to move to Virginia . Ar the 0009 ' three thong there be , my the colony to perfect ?

Flam ' All richer for the do on hA 95 one noun by her he to to the 200 ! and by the mean of , out one crop , There be , yet mre , yet to be alone by ANALYSIS The Words , edited . SKILL ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES How does this letter indicate the importance of tobacco in Virginia ?

38 CHAPTER Labor in Virginia Colonists in Virginia faced a hard life . They suffered very high death rates , which led to labor shortages in the colony The majority of workers were indentured servants , people who received a free trip to North America by ing to work without pay for a period of years . Expansion of Slavery Not all laborers in Virginia came from Europe . A Dutch ship brought the first Africans to Virginia in 1619 . Some Africans were servants others had been enslaved . Some African servants became successful farmers when their contracts ended . The demand for workers was soon greater than the supply of people willing to work as indentured servants . Over time , the cost of slaves fell . These factors led some colonists to turn to slave labor . By the most Africans in Virginia were being kept in long slavery . Bacon Rebellion As plantations grew , the economy of town began to expand . Soon , colonial began to ask for more taxes . During the poor colonists protested the higher taxes . They were also upset about the nor policies toward Native Americans . They thought the colony was not well protected against attack from Indians . In 1676 a group of former indentured servants led by Nathaniel Bacon attacked some friendly American ans . Bacon opposed the policies trade with American Indians . He also thought the colonists should be able to take the Indians land . When the governor tried to stop him , Bacon and his followers attacked and burned Jamestown in an uprising known as Bacon Rebellion . At one point , Bacon controlled much of the colony . He died of fever , however , and the rebellion soon ended . Analyzing led to the increased use of slave labor in Virginia ?

Other Southern Colonies As Jamestown was developing in Virginia , new groups of colonists began planning their move to America . Many English Catholics came to America to escape religious tion . English Catholics had long been against England separation from the Roman Church . For this reason they were not allowed by the Church of England to worship freely . English leaders also feared that English Catholics would ally with Catholic countries such as France and Spain in . Maryland In the George Calvert , the first Lord Baltimore , asked King Charles I for a ter establishing a new colony in America for Catholics . In 1632 Charles issued the charter to Calvert son , who took over the planning of the colony . known as the second Lord Baltimore , named the colony Maryland in honor of England queen , etta Maria . It was located just north of Virginia in the Chesapeake Bay area . Calvert intended for the colony to be a refuge for English Catholics . It would also be a proprietary colony Southern Wealth colonists overcame tough to create large and wealthy settlements like this one in Virginia . Churches were often the first major buildings in a growing town . How does the large church in the picture show Virginia wealth ?

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation This meant that the colony proprietors , or owners , controlled the government . In 1634 a group of 200 English Catholics came to Maryland . the group were wealthy landowners , servants , craftspeople , and farmers . Settlers in Maryland from the lessons learned by the Jamestown colonists . They spent their time raising corn , cattle , and hogs so that they would have enough to eat . Before long , many colonists also began growing tobacco for . Although Catholics founded Maryland , a growing number of Protestants began ing there the . Soon , religious conflicts arose between Catholics and Protestants the colony . To reduce tensions , Lord Baltimore presented a bill to the colonial assembly that became known as the Toleration Act of 1649 . This bill made it a crime to restrict the rights of Christians . This was the first law supporting religious tolerance passed in the English colonies . The Toleration Act did not stop all religious conflict . However , it did show that the ment wanted to offer some religious freedom and to protect the rights of minority groups . THE ENGLISH COLONIES 39

our oo Population ( in thousands ) 1650 Total Population , 1750 Slaves 20 40 camera Slave Populations In the Colonies About how many slaves lived in the English SKILL CHARTS ' colonies in 1700 and in 1150 ?

The Carolinas and Georgia Colonies were also established south of . In 1663 the English king , Charles II , gave much of the land between Virginia and Spanish Florida to eight of his supporters . At Carolina was a single colony . ever , the settlements were far apart , and it was hard to govern them . In 1712 the colony separated into North and South Carolina . Most of the colonists in North Carolina were who had moved south from Virginia . Colonists primarily from Europe settled South Carolina . Those who paid their own way received large grants of land , and some brought enslaved Africans with them . By 1730 about enslaved Africans were living in the colony , compared to some white settlers . South Carolina proprietors managed the colony poorly , and the proprietary ment was overthrown in 1719 . The Crown vi South Carolina large land grants encouraged plantation owners to bring in thousands of slaves . James tried to prevent slavery in Georgia . But slaves soon provided the labor for the colony many rice plantations . then purchased North and South Carolina in 729 , making them royal colonies . In 1732 King George II granted a charter to James and other trustees to found Georgia . The king hoped that Georgia would shield Britain other colonies from Spanish Florida . wanted the new colony to be a place where debtors , who had been jailed for their debts in England , could make a new start . In 1733 and 120 colonists , mostly from England , founded the city of Savannah . did not want Georgia to have large plantations owned by a few wealthy individuals . He wanted many small ers . To reach this goal , outlawed slavery and limited the size of land grants . Soon , however , the settlers grew unhappy with strict rules . In 1752 the British government made Georgia a royal ony with new laws . Coastal Georgia was soon with large rice plantations worked by thousands of slaves . Finding Main Ideas What were some ofthe reasons colonists came to the southern colonies ?

Economies of the Southern Colonies The economies of the southern colonies depended on agriculture . They also exported materials for building ships , such as wood and tar . Some colonies traded with local Indians for to sell . The economies of the colonies were is , based on farming . They had many small farms and some large plantations . Farms did well because the South enjoyed a warm climate and a long growing season . Many farms grew cash crops that were sold for . Tobacco , rice , and plant used to make blue the most important cash crops . The southern colonies cash crops required a great deal of work to grow and harvest . This meant a large workforce colonies . One former slave named recorded his experiences . Tortures , murder , and every other imaginable barbarity are practiced upon the poor slaves with impunity no punishment hope the will be abolished . from The Interesting Narrative of the Life , or , the African Most of the southern colonies passed slave codes , or laws to control slaves . Colonies with large numbers of slaves had the strictest slave codes . For example , South Carolina slaveholders feared that slaves would revolt . As a result , South Carolina code said slaves could not hold meetings or own weapons . Some colonies did not allow slaveholders to free their slaves . Summarizing What role did play in the southern plantation economy ?

was needed . By the enslaved Africans , How was it regulated ?

rather than indentured servants , had become the main source of labor . Slavery was a viciously brutal tion for many inhabitants of the southern SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section you read about life in the southern . In the next section you will learn about the New England colonies . online Quiz Section Assessment KEYWORD Reviewing Ideas , Terms , and People a . Describe How did John Smith improve tions in Jamestown ?

Explain What events led to a conflict between the Jamestown settlers and the ?

a . Recall Why were indentured servants in Virginia ?

Evaluate What do you think was the most ous problem faced by settlers in Virginia ?

Why ?

a . Identify Which colony was the first to promote religious tolerance ?

Analyze Why did more enslaved Africans live in South Carolina than did white settlers ?

Predict How might the colony of Georgia have been different if plan had succeeded ?

a . Recall What was the purpose of slave codes ?

Analyze Why were slaves in high demand in the southern colonies ?

Critical Thinking . Contrasting Using a chart like the one below , identify when and why each of the southern colonies was founded . Year Founded Reason for Establishment Colony . Gathering Some Ideas As you read this section , take notes on the early colonies of Virginia , land , the Carolinas , and Georgia . Be sure to note what advantages they offered to settlers and what difficulties settlers faced . Start to think about the people who would be most likely to settle in the southern colonies . THE ENGLISH COLONIES 41

The New England Colonies What You Will Learn If were You live in a town near London in the early 17005 . Some of your neighbors are starting new lives in the American colonies . You would like to go with them , but you can not afford the cost of the . The Pilgrims and Puritans came to America to avoid religious persecution . Religion and government trip . There is one way you can go , though . You can sign a paper were closely linked in the . New England colonies promising to work as a servant for five years . Then you would be The New England economy in a new country ! was based on trade and farming . Would you sign the paper and go to America ?

Education was important in the New England colonies . The Big Idea English colonists traveled to New England to gain religious freedom . BUILDING BACKGROUND England first successful colonial settlements were in Virginia . They were started mainly as business ventures . Other colonists in North America had many different reasons for homes . Many , like the Pilgrims and Puritans , cameto have freedom to practice their religious beliefs . Others , like the person KEV and above , simply wanted a new way of life . Puritans , 42 Pilgrims , 42 immigrants , 42 , Mayflower compact , Pilgrims and Puritans Squanto , Religious tensions in England remained high after the Protestant Wi , Reformation . A Protestant group called the Puritans wanted to Anne Hutchinson , 46 purify , or reform , the Anglican Church . The Puritans thought that bishops and priests had too much power over church members . Pilgrims on the Move The most extreme English Protestants wanted to separate from the Church of England . These Separatists formed their own churches and cut all ties with the Church of England . In response , Anglican leaders began to punish Separatists . The Pilgrims were one Separatist group that left England in the early to escape persecution . The Pilgrims moved to the Netherlands in 1608 . The Pilgrims were immigrants who have left the country of their birth to live in another country . The Pilgrims were glad to be able to practice their religion of the Magna Carta , the English Bill of freely . They were not happy , however , that their children were Rights , and the Mayflower Compact . 42 CHAPTER

ing the Dutch language and culture . The feared that their children would forget their English traditions . The Pilgrims decided to leave Europe altogether . They formed a company with some merchants and then received permission from England to settle in Virginia . On September 16 , 1620 , a ship called the left England with more than 100 men , women , and children aboard . Not all of these colonists were Pilgrims . However , grim leaders such as William Bradford sailed with the group . The Compact After two months of rough ocean travel , the Pilgrims sighted land far north of Virginia . The Pilgrims knew that they would thus be outside the authority of Virginia colonial government when they landed . Their charter would not apply . So , they decided to establish their own basic laws and social rules to govern the colony they would found . On November 21 , 1620 , 41 of the male passengers on the ship signed the Compact , a legal contract in which they agreed to have fair laws to protect the general good . The Compact represents one of the first attempts at in the English colonies . In late 1620 the Pilgrims landed at outh Rock in Massachusetts . The colonists struggled through the winter to build the Plymouth settlement . Nearly half of the tired Pilgrims died during this winter from sickness and the freezing weather . Pilgrims and Native Americans In March 1621 a Native American named walked boldly into the colonists settlement . He spoke in broken English . had learned some English from the crews of English boats . He gave the Pilgrims useful about the peoples and places of the area . He also introduced them to a Indian named Squanto . Squanto had at one time lived in Europe and spoke English as well . Primary Source HISTORICAL DOCUMENT The Mayflower Compact In November 1620 , Pilgrim leaders aboard the Mayflower drafted the Mayflower Compact . This excerpt from the Mayflower Compact describes the principles of the Pilgrim government . We whose names are underwritten . having The Pilgrims undertaken , for the glory of God , and describe the ment of the Christian faith , and the honour of our King and country , a voyage to plant the a colony in first colony in the northern parts of Virginia , do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God , and one of another , covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends North America . aforesaid and by virtue hereof , to enact , The Pilgrim constitute , and frame such just and equal to obey laws that laws , ordinances , acts , constitutions , and . as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony ) unto which we promise all due . obedience . help the whole colony . aforesaid mentioned above virtue authority ordinances regulations meet fitting by these presents by this document covenant promise civil body politic group organized to govern ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES . Why do you think the colonists felt the need to establish a government for themselves ! How do you think the Mayflower Compact influenced later governments in America ?

From Squanto the Pilgrims learned to fertilize the soil with remains . Squanto also helped the Pilgrims establish relations with the local Indians . Conditions the Plymouth colony began to improve . The Pilgrims invited chief and 90 other guests to celebrate their harvest . This feast became known as the Thanksgiving . For the event , the Pilgrims killed wild turkeys . This event marked the survival of the Pilgrims in the new colony . THE ENGLISH COLONIES 43

44 CHAPTER Pilgrim Community Although the Pilgrims overcame many , their small settlement still struggled . Most Pilgrims became farmers , but the land around their settlement was poor . They had hoped to make money by trading furs and by . Unfortunately , at first ing and hunting conditions were not good in the area . Some colonists traded corn with American Indians for beaver furs . The made little money but were able to form a strong community . The colony began to grow stronger in the when new settlers arrived and after colonists began to gain more rights to farm their own land . The Pilgrims settlement was different from Virginia in that it had many families . The Pilgrims taught their children to read and offered some education to their indentured servants . Families served as centers of religious life , health care , and community . All family members worked together to survive during the early years of the colony . Women generally cooked , spun and wove wool , and sewed clothing . They also made soap and butter , carried water , dried fruit , and cared for livestock . Men spent most of their time repairing tools and working in the . They also chopped wood and built shelters . Women in the Colony In Plymouth , women had more legal rights than they did in England . In England women were not allowed to make contracts , to sue , or to own property . In America , Pilgrim women had the right to sign contracts and to bring some cases before local courts . Widows could also own property . From time to time , local courts the ways women helped the business community . Widow Naomi received a large share of her husband estate . The court called her a frugal thrifty and laborious hardworking Puritans Leave England During the England economy . Many people lost their jobs . The lish king , Charles I , made the situation worse by raising taxes . This unpopular act led to a political crisis . At the same time , the Church of England began to punish Puritans because they were dissenters , or people who disagree with opinions . King Charles refused to allow Puritans to criticize church actions . Great Migration These economic , political , and religious in England led to the Great Migration . Between 1629 and 1640 many thousands of English men , women , and children left England . More than of these people moved to English colonies in New England and the Caribbean . In 1629 , Charles granted a group of Puritans and merchants a charter to settle in New England . They formed the Massachusetts Bay Company . In 1630 a of ships carrying Puritan colonists left England for Massachusetts to seek religious freedom . They were led by John Winthrop . The Puritans believed that they had made a covenant , or promise , with God to build an ideal Christian community . A New Colony The Puritans arrived in New England well pared to start their colony . They brought large amounts of tools and livestock with them . Like the Pilgrims , the Puritans faced little resistance from local American Indians . Trade with the Plymouth colony helped them too . In tion , the region around Boston had a fairly healthful climate . Thus , few Puritans died from sickness . All of these things helped the Massachusetts Bay Colony do well . By 1691 , the Massachusetts Bay Colony had expanded to include the Pilgrims Plymouth Colony . Summarizing What role did religion play in the establishment of the Bay Colony ?

History Plymouth Colony Plymouth Colony was surrounded by stakes that formed a wall of protection . Outside the wall were colonists crop fields . Religion and Government in New England Massachusetts Bay Colony had to obey lish laws . However , its charter provided more independence than did the royal charter of Virginia . For example , it created a General Court to help run the Massachusetts colony . The Puritan colonists turned this court into a type of to represent the needs of the people . Each town sent two or three delegates to the Court . After John Winthrop served as the colony first governor , the General Court elected the Several years later , the second colony , was founded . Plymouth Bay The Pilgrims landed in a region of forests , streams , and rocky soil . ANALYSIS A SKILLS ANALYZING VISUALS In what ways were Plymouth Colony and the Indian village similar and different ?

governor and his assistants . In 1644 the eral Court became a , or , legislature . Politics and religion were closely linked Puritan New England . Government ers were also church members , and ministers often had a great deal of power in Puritan communities . Male church members were the only colonists who could vote . Colonists became full members in the church by ing what the Puritans called God elect , or chosen . Reaching this status was a process . Individuals had to pass a public test to prove that their faith was strong . THE ENGLISH COLONIES 45

BIOGRAPHY Anne Hutchinson In 1634 Anne Hutchinson emigrated with her family from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony . After tling in Boston . she worked as a nurse and midwife . She also hosted a study class that met in her home . Over time , Hutchinson began to question the teachings of the local ministers . Meanwhile , her popularity grew . After being banished from the colony , Hutchinson settled in Rhode Island and , later , Long Island . She died in an can lndian attack . Today we remember her as a symbol of the struggle for religious freedom . Drawing Conclusions Why do you think church leaders disliked Hutchinson ideas ?

Church and State Religion Affected Government church members . Ministers had great authority . Government Affected Religion xi outlawed certain religious views . punished dissenters . I 46 CHAPTER In 1636 minister Thomas Hooker and his followers left Massachusetts to help found Connecticut , another New England colony . In 1639 Hooker wrote the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut . This set of made Connecticut government more democratic . For example , the Orders allowed men who were not church members to vote . As a result , some historians call Hooker the father of American democracy . The mental Orders of Connecticut also outlined the powers of the general courts . Not all Puritans shared the same religious Views . Minister Roger Williams did not agree with the leadership of Massachusetts . He called for his church to separate completely from the other New England congregations . Williams also criticized the General Court for taking land from American Indians without paying them . Puritan leaders worried that Williams ideas might hurt the unity of the colony . They made him leave Massachusetts . took his supporters to southern New England . They formed a new settlement called Providence . This settlement later developed into the colony of Rhode Island . In , Williams supported the separation of the church from the state . He also believed in religious tolerance for all members of the community . In Boston , an outspoken woman also angered Puritan church leaders . Anne Hutchinson publicly discussed religious ideas that some leaders thought were radical . For example , Hutchinson believed that relationship with God did not need guidance from ministers . Hutchinson views alarmed Puritans such as John Winthrop . Puritan leaders did not believe that women should be religious leaders . Puritan leaders put Hutchinson on trial for her ideas . The court decided to force her out of the colony . With a group of lowers , Hutchinson helped found the new

colony of Portsmouth , later a part of the ony of Rhode Island . Perhaps the worst community in New England involved the witchcraft als of the early . The largest number of trials were held in Salem , Massachusetts . In Salem a group of girls had accused people of casting spells on them . The community formed a special court to judge the craft cases . The court often pressured the witches to confess . Before the trials had ended , the Salem witch trials led to 19 people being put to death . Identifying Cause and Effect What led to religious disagreements among the Puritans , and what wasthe result ?

New England Economy Connecticut , Massachusetts , New shire , and Rhode Island were very different from the southern colonies because they emphasized manufacturing . The often harsh climate and rocky soil meant that few New England farms could grow cash crops . Most farming families grew crops and raised mals for their own use . There was thus little demand for farm laborers . Although some people held slaves , slavery did not become as important to this region . Merchants Trade was vital to New England economy . New England merchants traded goods locally , with other colonies , and overseas . Many of them traded local products such as furs , led beef , and pork . Many merchants grew in power and wealth , becoming leading bers of the New England colonies . Fishing Fishing became one of the region leading industries . The rich waters off New England coast served as home to many , ing cod , mackerel , and halibut . Merchants exported dried . Colonists also began hunting for whales that swam close to shore . Whales were captured with harpoons , or spears , and dragged to shore . Whaling valuable oil for lighting . Shipbuilding Shipbuilding became an important industry in New England for several reasons . The area had plenty of forests that provided als for shipbuilding . As in the New England seaports grew , more merchant ships were built . The ing industry also needed ships . New England shipyards made , valuable . Ship owners sometimes even told their captains to sell the ship along with the cargo when they reached their destination . Skilled Craftspeople The northern economy needed skilled people . Families often sent younger sons to leam skilled trades such as blacksmithing , weaving , shipbuilding , and printing . The young boys who learned skilled trades were known as apprentices . Apprentices lived with a master craftsman and leamed from him . In exchange , the boys performed simple tasks . Apprentices had to promise the craftsmen that they would work for them for a set number of years . They leamed trades that were essential to the of the colonies . Apprentices received food and often clothing from the craftsmen . Gabriel was an apprentice in mouth , Rhode Island . He received food and raiment ( clothing ) suitable for such an apprentice , as his 1663 contract stated . After a certain amount of time had passed , apprentices became journeymen . They usually traveled and leamed new skills in their trade . Eventually they would become a master of the trade themselves . categorizing of jobs were common in the New England colonies ?

TODAY Fishing remains an important industry in New England , earning hundreds of millions of dollars each year . THE ENGLISH COLONIES 41 rue IMPACT TODAY Education in the Colonies Education was important in colonial New England . Mothers and fathers wanted their children to be able to read the Bible . The Massachusetts Bay Colony passed some of the laws requiring parents to provide instruction for their children . Public Education To be sure that future generations would have educated ministers , communities established town schools . In 1647 the General Court of Massachusetts issued an order that a school be founded in every township of 50 families . Public schools remain the Schoolchildren often used the New ' land Primer , which had characters and stories . for most US . from the Bible . They learned to read at the children , Total same time that they learned about the 10 ' munity religious values . 50 The availability of varied in million students . the colonies . There were more schools in New England than in the other colonies where most children lived far from towns . These children had to be taught by their parents or by private tutors . Most colonial children stopped their education after the Section Assessment elementary grades . Many went to work , either on their family farm or away from home . Higher Education Higher education was also important to the colonists . In 1636 John Harvard and the General Court founded Harvard College . Harvard taught ministers and met the need for higher education . The second college founded in the colonies , William and Mary , was established in Virginia in 1693 . By 1700 about 70 percent of men and 45 percent of women in New England could read and write . These were much lower in Virginia , where Jamestown was the only major settlement . Analyzing why was education important to the New England colonies ?

SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section you learned about the role that religion played in the New England colonies . In the next section you learn about New York , New Jersey , and Pennsylvania . ram online KEYWORD Reviewing Ideas , Terms , and People Critical Thinking a . Recall Why did the Pilgrims and Puritans leave Europe for the Americas ?

Elaborate Do you think the Pilgrims could have survived without the assistance of Squanto and ?

Explain your answer . a . Describe What role did the church play in Massachusetts ?

Analyze Why did some colonists disagree with the leaders of Massachusetts ?

a . Identify Describe the economy in the New England colonies . Categorizing Copy the chart below and use it to identify the characteristics of the New England colonies . Role of Church Education Analyze Why do you think New England chants became leading members of society ?

a . Describe What steps did the Massachusetts Bay Colony take to promote education ?

Predict What are some possible benefits that New England emphasis on education might bring ?

48 CHAPTER . Comparing Colonies Take notes on the early New England colonies . Be sure to note what advantages they offered to settlers and what settlers faced . Put a star beside the colony or colonies you might use in your infomercial .