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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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