17 th Century Inhabitants of North America

Tennessee Curriculum Standards  CULTURE  Culture encompasses similarities and differences among people, including their beliefs, knowledge, changes, values, and tradition. The student will explore these elements of society to develop an appreciation of and respect for the variety of human cultures.

Performance Indicators 4.1.spi.2. identify cultural groups who inhabited North America in the 17th century (i.e., Puritans, Quakers, Spanish, French).

Settlement in America From the 1500s to the 1700s, Spanish explorers explored and settled North American lands.

St. Augustine in Florida became the first settlement of Spain in North America and is the oldest city in the United States built by Europeans.

European explorers Spain was not the only nation trying to claim North American lands.

The English, French, and Dutch also explored North America.

The Dutch West India Company was an important trading company in the Netherlands and wanted to bring new families to North America to settle.

Was very important to many of the first English settlers in North America. In England, everyone was supposed to belong to the Church of England. People who broke away from that church became known as Separatists or Pilgrims. Religion

Puritans This was another religious group that disagreed with the Church of England. However, they did not want to separate from the church. A Puritan wanted to be pure and make the church pure, or free from fault.

Puritan Meetinghouse – Hingham, Massachusetts Old Ship Meetinghouse, built 1681

By 1640s as many as 20,000 English Puritans had moved to what is now the northeastern part of the United States. Massachusetts Bay Colony

William Penn William Penn founded the colony of Pennsylvania were people could worship freely. He was a member of a religious group called the Quakers.

Quaker Meetinghouse

Quakers  Believed that all Christians should be free to worship in their own way.  Many Quakers went to jail for their beliefs.  William Penn was given land by the King Charles II of England in the Middle Colonies. This became known as Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania  William Penn created laws that allowed colonists to voice their opinions and worship freely.  Colonists could also elect representatives to an assembly.  Penn respected American Indians and wanted colonists to live with them as equals.

Penn’s fairness helped Pennsylvanians and Indians live peacefully for many years.

Penn’s Peace Treaty with the Indians

What did new settlers bring to North America? Different beliefs, music, religions, backgrounds, foods, and languages.

Diversity is the variety of people in a group. In New Amsterdam (New York), 18 different languages were spoken.

The population in New England included German, English, Swedish, French and free and enslaved African Settlers.

Missionaries from France taught people about Catholicism and built missions in New France.

Missionaries from Spain taught people about Catholicism and built missions in New Spain.

French and Spanish missions in North America (red Spanish; yellow French)

Words to know

Religion The belief in one or more gods.

Puritan A person who wants to be pure and make the church pure, or free from fault

Quaker Member of Christian group that believes people should live together in peace

Culture (noun) Beliefs, accomplishments and behavior patterns of a people acquired through social learning

Mission (noun) A religious community where priests taught Christianity to American Indians.

Town Meeting A gathering where colonists held elections and voted on the laws for their towns. It was held at least once a year.

Voting Everyone could attend a town meeting, but only men who owned property could vote.

Meetinghouse On Sundays, the town gathered at the meeting house for church. The meetinghouse was the most important building in a Puritan community.

Self Government People making laws for themselves.

Missionary (noun) A person who teaches his or her religion to others who have different beliefs.

Colony (noun) a region ruled by another country

Convert (verb or noun) To change a religion or belief

Treaty An official agreement between nations or groups.

Learning Activity Cultural Groups in 17 th Century