The Topic:  Colonial Life

Easier - A colony is a group of people who leave their country to settle in a new land. Colonial life involves the everyday work and play of these settlers. In North America, the Colonial period was between the early 1500s and late 1700s. 

 

Harder - In the 1500s and 1600s, Spanish, French, Dutch, Swedish, and British were all establishing colonies in North America. Many people came to the colonies for land, work, or religious freedom. Others came as convicts, indentured servants, or slaves. When the colonists arrived, they found Native Americans already living in the area. The combination of various European, African, and Native American people created a diverse and sometimes volatile cultural mix. The Colonial period ended with the start of the Revolutionary War which was fought to gain independence from the British.

 

Archiving Early America 

http://earlyamerica.com/

This site houses primary source material from 18th Century America; original newspapers, maps and writings just as they appeared to our forebears more than 200 years ago.

 

Colonial America at the Hargrett Library Rare Map Collection, University of Georgia 

http://scarlett.libs.uga.edu/darchive/hargrett/maps/colamer.html

Here you have maps showing some of the first colonies and divisions.

 

Colonial America 1600-1775

http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/colonial.htm

This is a K-12 Resource links.

Other Links-Sites on Colonial Life:

2) Colonial America http://pw1.netcom.com/~wandaron/col.html#eng

3) Colonial America at History Online http://www.jacksonesd.k12.or.us/k12projects/jimperry/colony.html

4) Colonization from KidInfo http://www.kidinfo.com/American_History/Colonization_Colonial_Life.html

 

Colonial Williamsburg 

http://www.history.org/

Visit the restored 18th-century capital of Virginia.

Not To Be Missed Sections:

2) Historical Almanack http://www.history.org/almanack/almanack.htm

3) Experience Colonial Life http://www.history.org/almanack/life/life.htm

Websites By Kids For Kids

Colonial Kids: A Celebration of Life in Southeastern Pennsylvania in the 1700's

(Award-winning 2000 ThinkQuest Junior Project) 

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002611F/

Life as a colonist is uniquely presented through the eyes of children who lived during this period of American history. Their daily routines, schooling, home life, and recreation are brought to life with stories and facts as told by the children who would have experienced them.

 

Colonial Stamp Project (Germantown Academy, Grade 4) 

http://www.ga.k12.pa.us/academics/LS/4/sstudies/Colonial/SThomepg.htm

This site contains student reports on the people, places, and events in Colonial America.

 

Colonial Webpage (Grade 5, Cadwallader School, San Jose, California) 

http://www.esd.k12.ca.us/Cadwallader/Room%2020/Colonies/Main.html

This website has information on the three groups of colonies: the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies.

 

Early American Newsletters (Grade 7, Pocantico Hills School, Sleepy Hollow, New York) 

http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/earlyam/earlyam.htm

Here you can read newsletters written by students studying early American history.

 

Lost Colony in Roanoke: A Mystery in History (ThinkQuest Junior Project) 

http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/3826/intro.html

Learn about the mystery behind the disappearance of this first English settlement in the New World in 1587.

 

Puritans by Nate 

http://www.ga.k12.pa.us/academics/LS/4/sstudies/Colonial/4K/4k98/4knkm.htm

At this site, you can read a student report on this religious group.

 

More Colonial Life Websites

Colonial America (Grade 5) 

http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/travilahes/colonialframe.html

Learn more about life in colonial America by joining a school visit to reconstructed historical sites in Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown, Virginia.

 

Colonial Life 

http://hastings.ci.lexington.ma.us/Colonial/Life/Life.html

What did people wear? What did they eat? Find out more about life in the Colonies.

 

Colonial Life in Virginia 

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/7647/colonial.htm

This website summarizes the reasons for European immigration to the New World, events in 17th century Virginia, and the three-tiered class system.

 

Colonial Period at An Outline of American History (United States Information Agency) 

http://www.usemb.se/usis/history/chapter2.html

Learn about the education, government, and history of the American colonial era.

 

Contact: Europe and America Meet, 1492-1620 

http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/Lessons/crossroads/sec2/essay02.html

This essay examines why Europeans colonized the Americas.

 

Cycles of U.S. History - Colonial Cycle (Advanced Level) 

http://www.seanet.com/Users/pamur/colo.html

This site contains timelines, historical information, maps, and links to numerous sites on colonial history and topics.

 

Diversity and Phyllis Wheatley at Liberty: Chronicle of a Revolution 

http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle/diversity-phyllisw.html

This site has a description of the different people and religions found in the colonies.

Related Section at Liberty: Chronicle of a Revolution:

2) Daily Life in the Colonies http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/perspectives/dailylife.html

Another Related Website:

3) Chronicling Black Lives in Colonial New England from the Christian Science Monitor http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/1997/10/29/feat/feat.1.html

 

Early America at Outline of American History 

http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/H/1994/chap1.htm

This site includes descriptions of early American life and colonial times.

Related Section at Outline of American History:

2) Colonial Period http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/H/1994/chap2.htm

 

Early Colonial Era: Beginnings to 1700 at The History Place 

http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/rev-early.htm

This is the site of a timeline of events in colonial America.

Related Timeline Websites:

2) English Colonial Era :700 to 1763 http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/rev-col.htm

 

Schooling, Education, and Literacy, In Colonial America 

http://alumni.cc.gettysburg.edu/~s330558/schooling.html

Here you find information about education in the Colonies.

 

Websites For Teachers

American Life: A Comparison of Colonial Life to Todayís Life by Phyllis Grenet (Grade 1) 

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1990/5/90.05.04.x.html

This plan focuses on school, clothing, games and toys, cooking, furniture and homes in colonial Connecticut.

 

Colonial America Thematic Unit (Grade 4-5) by Karen Sutton 

http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/colunit.htm

The unit can span the entire curriculum culminating in a "Colonial Days" fair to showcase the students' knowledge of everyday colonial life through games, food, arts & crafts, costume, skits, etc.

 

Colonial America: 1600-1776 (Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Newsletter) 

http://www.carolhurst.com/newsletters/newsletters11f.html

This site lists possible discussions, activities and works of literary merit for study of colonial life.

 

Colonial Living: A Look at the Arts, Crafts, History, and Literature of Early Americans by Kelley O'Rourke 

http://130.132.143.21/ynhti/curriculum/units/1992/4/92.04.02.x.html

This curriculum plan combines literature and social studies and involves making 'johnny cake' and dying fabric.

 

Life in Early America (Grade 3) by Kimberly Cox Burkett and Brenda Morton 

http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/Colony.htm

In this thematic collaborative unit, students will explore the people, places, and events of life in the early settlements and colonies of the United States of America.