Chapter 2: The American Colonies and their Governments Lesson 2: Settlement, Culture, and Government of the Colonies

Why did people settle in England’s colonies in America? Economic Opportunity –earning a better living America offered land for farming and other jobs Indentured Servants- a worker who contracted with American colonists for food and shelter in return for his or her labor Religious Freedom Some groups were persecuted, or treated harshly, because of their religious beliefs America offered freedom to practice their religion without fear Puritans, who became known as the Pilgrims, founded the settlement of Plymouth, Massachusetts, for religious freedom Dissenter- one who opposes official or commonly held views

Colonial Life in America The features of the 13 colonies’ geography influenced each colony’s economy Economy- a system for making choices about ways to use scarce resources to make and distribute goods and services to fulfill people’s needs and wants

The New England Colonies The New England Colonies are located in the farthest north Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island The cold climate and rock soil made farming very difficult, so many people lived in towns with small farms and shops Economic Activity Fur trading Fishing Shipbuilding Shops Small Farms

The Middle Colonies New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware The climate and soil in this region were best for agriculture Cash Crops: a crop produced mainly for sale Traded overseas in port cities of New York City and Philadelphia Economic Activity Large farms Trading at ports Businesses such as sawmills, mines, and ironworks

The Southern Colonies Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia A warm climate, a long growing season, and rich soil made large scale agriculture successful Plantations: a large estate Economic Activity Tobacco and Rice Plantations Small Farms

Colonial Government Most colonists were loyal to England, but since England was so far away from the colonies in America, ruling was very difficult English leaders always believed that the main purpose of the colonies was to benefit England 1650s, English Parliament began passing laws to regulate the colonies’ trade Very hard to enforce Most colonies had a governor who was appointed by the king to enforce English laws, but colonies passed their own local laws by elected officials