Many Europeans decided to sail to the New World in search of land, wealth, religious freedom and a fresh start. These travelers set up colonies in North America. A colony is a group of that settles in a new area but remains subject to a mother country.

The Native Americans lived in America before the settlers arrived in the 1490’s. They had different values and beliefs than the European settlers. Some of the differences included beliefs about land ownership and religion. These differences would cause the Native American’s societies to be destroyed by war and disease.

Many different religious groups came to America. Some came to spread the word of God and others came to escape religious persecution. The Pilgrims, Puritans, and Quakers are all examples of the different religious groups that settled in America.

The American colonies suffered from a severe labor shortage, especially on the southern plantations. The colonists begin to keep slaves and by 1750 there were more than 200,000 enslaved Africans in America. The colonies developed slave codes that regulated slavery and defined the relationships between the enslaved and the free.

After a long war with France, Britain was in debt and decided to pass laws on the colonists to raise money. These laws were very unpopular and the colonists felt a need for self-rule. After the British ordered troops to control the colonies in 1775 the Revolutionary War began. On July 4, 1776 America declared her independence establishing the United States of America. This was a long war fought between American militia men and British soldiers. After many years of fighting Britain finally accepted America’s independence in 1783.

The Native Americans viewed animals and plants as part of a great cycle of life that must be respected. Through tales and songs the Native Americans expressed their views of the sacredness of the natural world. Native Americans used oral tradition to pass down stories from generation to generation. These stories taught the history and beliefs of the Native Americans. Native Americans did not believe that you could own the land. This idea sharply contrasted the European idea of land ownership.

For European settlers life was difficult due to conflicts with the Native Americans. War and disease would wipe out almost all of the Native Americans by the end of the 1600’s. The Puritans saw corruption in the Church of England and came to America to start a “pure” religion. The Puritans were very plain and believe that one needed to focus on faith and not material items. Their writing was also plain and straight forward. A movement called the Great Awakening spread throughout America. Puritans believed you had to repent and convert in order to be born again. The central idea of the movement was a personal experience between the individual and God. Africans were brought to America and forced to give up all values and traditions from Africa. They were forced to live in horrible conditions and lost their identity as Africans.

The culture of the American colonies was shaped by the hardworking spirits of the settlers that came and started new lives in America. The idea of royal blood was no longer and anyone (white, wealthy, and male) could rise up to a new level in America. The idea of “inalienable” or basic rights that could never be taken away propelled the colonies to declare independence. This is largely due to an emphasis on education and self-improvement in the colonies.