British ColoniesUnit 1.4

Coastal Cities• Cities in the Colonies were on the water. Why?• By 1750, the largest (Primary) cities were: Philadelphia, NYC,

Boston, Charles Town, and Baltimore• Primary Port Towns: Headquarters for large scale trading

• Secondary Port Towns – Smaller cities that handled inter-colonial trading. Not regulated by Crown as much. More smuggling.• Political activism would emerge out of these ports

• Fall Line cities – those on rivers as far as a boat could reach• Connected frontier to coastal communities

New England Colonies• Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island• Had a diversified economy• Farming, shipbuilding, trading, fishing, industry, timber• Slavery would die out. Why?

• Towns – base of social and political life – Town Meetings• Dominion of New England – united together for short time in

late 1600s, but ended after Glorious Revolution (1689)• First time of colonies uniting• Why did crown not want that?

Massachusetts, RI, and Plymouth• Plymouth colony founded

by Pilgrims but later merges with Massachusetts.• Massachusetts founded by

Puritans and biggest in New England

• Rhode Island – founded by Roger Williams• Lived up to idea of

Separation of church and government• Paid Indians for land

Connecticut and New HampshireConnecticut

• Rev. Thomas Hooker left Mass. and started Hartford• Fundamental Orders of

Connecticut – established representative government

New Hampshire• King separated it from

Mass. as he wanted to weaken power• (notice Vermont and Maine

not colonies- why?)

Middle Colonies• New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware• Cosmopolitan and diverse economy• Agriculture more diverse and slavery dies out

• Representative government emerges strongly here.

New York and New JerseyNew York

• James, Duke of York takes over Dutch in 1664• Renames New Amsterdam

New York• When James tried to rule

without assembly, taxation without representation met great opposition

New Jersey• Founded by Swedish

and Finnish, taken over by Dutch and then English

Pennsylvania (and Delaware too)• William Penn and Quakers• How was it acquired?

• “Holy Experiment” – very cosmopolitan• Charter of Liberties – guaranteed freedom of worship to all

• How is this different than Massachusetts?

• Proprietary Colony – granted to individual by king• Delaware started when Penn allowed 3 counties to split

Chesapeake Colonies• Virginia, Maryland, (and Pennsylvania and Delaware)• Center of British Colonies• Colonies developed in different ways• Tidewater area is the area near water• Plantation based economy

Maryland and Virginia• Maryland• Founded by Lord Baltimore

(George Calvert) as a haven for Catholics

• Proprietary colony• Act of Toleration – 1639

allowed for the freedom of religion• What groups had freedoms?

• Virginia• After Virginia Company

failed, it was made a Royal colony

• Lasting problem of divide between rich and poor

• Most powerful of all colonies

Southern Colonies• Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina (could include Virginia

and Maryland too)• Plantation economy based on cash crops• Tobacco, rice, and indigo (Not cotton yet!)• Why did Indentured servitude die out?

• Hierarchy in social structure• Planters on top

• How was women’s power as single compared to married?• More health problems than north due to poor water.

Georgia and the CarolinaGeorgia

• Founded by James Oglethorpe• Founded for 2 reasons• Buffer colony against Spanish Fla• Prison colony (mainly debtors)

• Why debtors?

• Carolinas• Remember those

younger brothers?• Royal Colony with tracts

of land given to King’s friends and family• SC – more aristocratic• NC – more small farms• Split in 1729

Reflection Questions• How were the economies different with the different regions

of the British North American colonies?• Over time, what happened with slavery in different colonies?• Where did cities develop and why?• How were the colonies that started for religious reasons

different in their tolerance of other religious groups?

Links• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-iRa6jtuh4 – Review

video• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-9pDZMRCpQ – school

house rock• http://www.history.com/topics/thirteen-colonies - colonies

video• http://

americanhistory.about.com/library/charts/blcolonial13.htm - colonies chart