The first 13 Colonies.ppt

The first 13 Colonies The New England Colonies Massachusetts (Maine) New Hampshire Rhode Island Connecticut Massachusetts Reasons for coming to the USA. Some people didn’t like the Church of England. They wanted the Church to be more pure. These people were called Puritans. They decided to start a colony in the North East part of the USA. Settling in Massachusetts John Winthrop was the leader of the Puritans. Massachusetts means at or near the great hill in Algonkian, Native American language. The colony’s first settlement was Boston along the Charles River. They wanted to still be a part of England, but have a more “pure” religion. New England Colonies Religions Church is very important to colonists in this region, especially the Puritans who are very strict. People come from England for religious freedom. The Pilgrims think the English Church kept too many Catholic ways. There is a large variety of beliefs in the New England colonies. Typically each settlement is for a specific belief, although any religion is allowed in Providence. Colonial Life Massachusetts and Connecticut had laws saying that if there were 50 families, a teacher needed to be hired and a school setup. These schools were called grammar or writing schools. Schools Boys went to grammar schools while girls went to dame school. There was no chalkboards, maps, or paper. School teachers were strict and were allowed to hit their students or make them wear a dunce hat. Physical Geography The land had poor, rocky soil and a short growing season. This was not good for crops. The ocean, Charles River, and other various lakes and rivers provided many varieties of seafood. Whales were also abundant in this region. Climate There is snow in the winter. Short growing season. Spring and summer are cool and comfortable. Natural Resources There was a large variety of seafood, including fish, lobster and whales. The seafood was obtained by the many bodies of water in New England. There was also wild