CHAPTER 4 • SECTION 1
Farms and Towns Farming in New England was not easy. The growing
season was short, and the soil in many places was rocky. Most farmers
farming That is, they produced just enough food for
practiced subsistence farming.
themselves and sometimes a little extra to trade in town.
Most New England farmers lived near a town. Colonial officials sold large
congregation. The conplots of land to groups of people—often to a Puritan congregation
gregation settled the town and divided the land among its members.
This pattern of settlement led New England towns to develop in a unique
way. Usually, a cluster of farmhouses and a meetinghouse were built around
common—shared land where public activities took place. Because people
a common
lived together in small towns, a diverse economy developed. Farmers sold
produce to shopkeepers; shopkeepers had enough customers to make a
living. Along the coast, seaport towns shipped farm products and provided
a marketplace for goods coming into New England.
More About . . .
Harvesting the Sea
New England fishing vessels usually headed
for the Grand Banks, one of the world’s
richest fishing areas. The Grand Banks
are a series of raised underwater plateaus
off the southeast coast of Newfoundland.
Many kinds of plants and fish flourish in
the shallow water of the Grand Banks. In
the 1960s and 1970s, however, fish stocks
started declining. In 1977, Canada declared
its exclusive fishing rights to most of the
Grand Banks. Strict conservation measures
were put in place to restore the populations
of cod, flounder, turbot, ocean perch,
haddock, and other species.
The New England Colonies
1750
History
1. Location the Hudson River
2. Make Inferences The colonies were
beside the sea; there were many ports and
good fishing grounds.
n River
ANSWERS
Hudso
DRAW CONCLUSIONS Ask students to
explain why shipbuilding was especially
prominent in northern Massachusetts and
southern New Hampshire. (The location was
close to timbering areas, and it was on the
coast near much fishing.)
iver
Connecticut R
Connect Geography
Harvesting the Sea The Atlantic Ocean offered many economic opportunities. Near New England’s coast were some of the world’s best whaling and
fishing grounds for mackerel, halibut, cod, herring, and other fish.
New England’s forests provided everything needed to harvest these “pastures” of fish. Wood from oak trees made excellent ship hulls. Hundred-foottall white pines were ideal for masts.
Shipbuilders used about 2,500 trees
The New England Colonies 1750
to produce just one ship!
The forests were a valuable
MAINE
Major Exports
(part of Mass.)
resource. Soon New England was
Furs and skins
Cattle and grain
exporting timber, as well as fish, to
Fish
the world. As merchants grew rich
Iron
from exporting these goods, their
Ships
ships began carrying goods proClaimed by
Rum
duced in other places as well. New
N.Y. & N.H.
Timber
England’s ships became an imporPortsmouth
NEW
Whaling Products
HAMPSHIRE
tant part of international trade.
Throughout New England, the
Salem
0
50
100 miles
Boston
population
benefitted from the
0
50
100 kilometers
MASSACHUSETTS
wealth being created in the seaports.
The colonists were soon competing
AT L A N T I C
OCEAN
with England’s fishermen, shipbuildNewport
ers, and merchants. As coastal towns
N
0°N
4
RHODE
CONNECTICUT
E
like Boston, Salem, and Newport
ISLAND
W
70°W
grew rich, the English government
S
began to take notice.
Connect Geography
History
1. Location All of the New England colonies are located to the east
of what major river?
2. Make Inferences Why do you think New Englanders exported so
many ocean-related products?
More About . . .
New England Whaling
New England whaling began as a shorebased operation. Small ships would set out
when a whale, usually a right whale, was
spotted. The whale would be killed and
dragged back to the beach to be stripped
of blubber, which provided oil for burning.
In 1712, a Nantucket ship killed a sperm
whale. Its oil burned cleaner than that of
right whales, and its prized spermaceti
could be used to make candles. Soon the
sperm whale became the whale of choice
and was hunted globally by New England
whalers.
96 • Chapter 4
The Navigation Acts According to
mercantilism,
the economic theory of mercantilism
the mother country was supposed to
profit from its colonies. As the American colonists prospered, England
wanted to make sure that it profited
96 Chapter 4
DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
Struggling Readers
Gifted & Talented
Illustrate New England’s
Industries
Compare Industries Past
and Present
Have students reread the section under
the heading “Harvesting the Sea.” Then
ask students to create a visual aid that
summarizes New England’s colonial
industries. For example, they might draw
trees with an arrow pointing to a ship
or a ship with an arrow pointing to fish
or whales. Have students explain their
visual aid to the class.
Lead a discussion about why colonial
New England had so many nonagricultural products. Have them
compare the map on p. 96 with New
England’s economy today. Have students
use almanacs, encyclopedias, and the
Internet to identify current products
made in New England. Students should
then create a map, similar to the one
in their textbooks, illustrating their
findings.
CHAPTER 4 • SECTION 1
from colonial prosperity. So the English government began passing the
Navigation Acts in 1651. The Navigation Acts had four major provisions
designed to ensure that England made money from its colonies’ trade.
1. All goods had to be carried on English ships or on ships made in the
More About . . .
English colonies.
2. Products such as tobacco, wood, and sugar could be sold only to
England or its colonies.
Blackbeard
3. European imports to the colonies had to pass through English ports.
4. Officials were to tax any colonial goods not shipped to England.
The colonists resented these laws. Merchants ignored the acts whenever
possible. England had trouble controlling colonial shipping and patrolling
Smuggling—importing or exporting goods
the long coastline of the colonies. Smuggling
illegally—was common. England also had great difficulty preventing pirates,
like the legendary Blackbeard, from interfering with colonial shipping.
CAUSES AND EFFECTS Explain why England passed the Navigation Acts.
CONNECT
Answer: To ensure that
it made money from its
colonies’ trade.
To Today
PIRACY
In the late 1600s, England faced a problem that it had helped create—Atlantic piracy.
For decades, England had encouraged pirates to attack Spanish shipping.
But as England itself grew rich from commerce, pirates began
attacking English ships. They also smuggled goods into and
out of colonial ports.
Pirates in colonial times
CONNECT
Rich cargoes have always attracted pirates. Today, piracy
flourishes in southeast Asia, especially in the busy Malacca
Strait between Indonesia and Malaysia.
To Today
Piracy
Ask students to describe their image of a
pirate. (Possible Answer: sailors with eye
patches, bandanas, earrings, parrots, and
swords)
Each year 50,000 ships, carrying half the world’s oil shipments, pass through the strait. Hundreds of ships are
attacked annually. Vessels are often hijacked and the
crew held to ransom. In 2004, Indonesia, Singapore,
and Malaysia agreed to fight piracy in their waters.
• How might pirates today differ from those
in colonial times? (Possible Answers:
Pirates today may have more modern
dress and weapons. They may have power
boats instead of sailing ships.)
Modern coastguard on the
lookout for piracy near Guam
CRITICAL THINKING
1. Make Inferences Why was piracy a threat to the mercantilist system?
2. Draw Conclusions Why are modern pirates attracted to the Malacca Strait?
The Colonies Develop 97
INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES
CONNECT
Blackbeard, whose real name was Edward
Teach, was a famous pirate who attacked
colonial ships. His nickname came from
his thick black beard. Blackbeard was
known to put lit wicks in his beard and hair
during battle to enhance his frightening
appearance. Blackbeard operated around
the Virginia and North Carolina coasts in
a ship called Queen Anne’s Revenge. His
pirating career was short, spanning from
1716 to 1718, when he was killed in battle.
Through the years, many people have
searched for the treasure supposedly buried
by Blackbeard. It has never been found, and
many believe it never existed.
to Language Arts
CONNECT
to Art
Editorial on the Navigation Acts
Illustration of Pirates: Myth vs. Fact
Briefly discuss the characteristics of a good
editorial, including a discussion about point
of view, controversial issues, and persuasive
writing. Ask students to write editorials for
an 18th century colonial or British newspaper,
either supporting or opposing the Navigation
Acts. Editorials should be persuasive and include
reasons that support their opinion. Volunteers
can read their editorials aloud to the group.
Have students choose a real-life historical pirate
to draw. Students should conduct research to
find details about clothing, facial features, and
other unique physical characteristics. After
students complete their illustrations, lead a class
discussion about myths and perceptions about
pirates compared with historical fact.
• What do pirates today have in common
with pirates of colonial times? (Possible
Answer: They both attack ships for
financial gain.)
CRITICAL THINKING ANSWERS
1. Make Inferences It interfered with
colonial shipping, creating a loss of
money and supplies.
2. Draw Conclusions The Malacca
Strait is very busy, so there are many
ships that can be attacked.
Unit 2 Resource Book
• Active Citizenship, pp. 201–202
Teacher’s Edition • 97