Colonial America Study Guide Answers
Key People
Identify the accomplishments of each of these colonial people and what colony they are from.
John White –
William Bradford –
Leader of R.I., found everyone missing
first governor of Plymouth and helped write
the Mayflower Compact.
Virginia Dare –
John Winthrop –
first English baby born in North America
was the first governor and religious leader of
Massachusetts Bay
John Smith –
William Penn –
saved Jamestown from starvation and had the
founder and proprietor of Pennsylvania
famous saying, "He who does not work, does not eat”.
John Rolfe –
James Oglethorpe –
saved Jamestown by discovering that tobacco
the founder and proprietor of Georgia
grew well in Virginia soil, and married Pocahontas
Pocahontas –
King George III –
Powhatan princess who saved John
Smith and married John Rolfe
the British king from 1760-1820
Colonies
Founded By?
Founded Why?
What Happened?
Roanoke Island
English settlers
Economic
Everyone disappeared,
attempted to settle twice
Jamestown
English settlers
Economic
Plymouth
Pilgrims
Religious
Saved by the Johns, first
permanent English
Colony
1st government of the
colonies, 1st Thanksgiving
Massachusetts Bay
Puritans
Religious
Site of Salem Witch
Trials
Pennsylvania
William Penn and the
Quakers
Religious
Offered religious freedom
to all
Georgia
James Oglethorpe
Economic
Settled to help people in
debt, created as a buffer
zone against Spain, last
colony to be established
Colonies Map – Color and label the map below.
Mass. Bay
Plymouth
PA
Jamestown
Roanoke
Island
Georgia
Colonial Regions – Color and label the three colonial regions, complete with the
names of each of the thirteen colonies.
Regions – Using your notes, fill in this chart.
Colonial Regions
New England
Mid-Atlantic
South
Fish, Trees, Deep
Harbors
rich farmland
lots of rivers
fertile land
wide rivers
good harbors
rocky soil – poor
farming
mild summers,
cold winters
coastal lowlands
bays and harbors
mild winters
mild summers
coastal plain
humid climate
mild winters
hot summers
fishing
shipbuilding
naval supplies
livestock
grains
fish
tobacco
cotton
indigo
South - cotton
Mid-Atlantic - grain
and livestock
New England ships and
manufactured goods
South - cotton
New England manufactured goods
Mid-Atlantic - food
village and church
at center of life;
lots of religious
reformers
villages and cities
diverse lifestyles
diverse religions
plantations at center
of life; few cities, few
schools; relied on
slaves for labor
town meetings
market towns
county system of
government
MA, RI, CT, NH
NY, NJ, PA, DE
MD, VA, NC, SC,
GA
Natural Resources
Geography/Climate
Specialization
Examples of
Interdependence
Social Life
Political Life
Colonies
Colonial Social Roles - Describe what life was like for each of the following groups,
listing at least three details about each social role:
Plantation owners
Women
Owned large pieces of land, often hundreds or even
thousands of acres
Lived mostly in the Southern colonies
Relied on indentured servants and slaves to do the
hard work on the farm
Had some education, mostly from private tutors
Worked as caretakers (taking care of a family's house
while they are away), houseworkers (domestic
servants like cooks and maids), and homemakers (stay
at home moms that took care of all the needs of the
family)
Could not vote
Had very few opportunities for education
.
Had a rich social culture based on the plantation life
Small Farmers
African-American Slaves
Owned enough land to support their families and to
sell food crops in towns and cities
Grew different crops depending on soil condition and
the climate of the region
Relied entirely on family members to help work the
farm - it pays to have a big family - "Many hands
make light work."
Were captured in their native Africa, sold to slave
traders, and shipped to the colonies where they were
sold into slavery
Slaves were owned as property for life with no rights
or freedoms
Slaves were usually forbidden to receive any kind of
education
Children born to slaves were born into slavery, never
living free
Artisans
Free African-Americans
Worked as craftsmen in towns, villages, cities, and
plantations
Worked with their hands to make a product to sell
Had very specific jobs that required extensive training
and apprenticeship
Usually had to leave home by age 12 to begin training
Examples of artisans: blacksmiths, silversmiths,
tailors, carpenters, glass makers, etc.
Were able to own land
Had economic freedom
Could choose their work and how to spend their
money
Could not vote
Indentured servants
During the colonial era, a trip to America was very
expensive - several thousand dollars in today's money
Many that could not afford to pay for the journey
would sign on as indentured servants
They would sign a contract agreeing to work for 5-7
years without pay in exchange for passage to America
Indentured servants often learned valuable skills that
they could use to go into business for themselves
At the end of the contract, they were free to go
wherever they wanted.