First colony was Virginia and started in 1607 at Jamestown. The colonies declared independence from Britain in 1776 during the American Revolution.

Many northern colonists came to the New World in search of a separation of government and the Church

The middle colonies attracted the most diverse number of European ethnic groups-Dutch, English, French, German, Swedish, and Welsh

Over a hundred travelers embarked on the voyage of the Mayflower in September 1620. 

 The Mayflower voyage took about two months

The winter of 1609 to 1610 was called the starving time for the Jamestown settlers. They suffered food shortages.

Pilgrims moved the cannon from the Mayflower and placed it on a hill in Plymouth.

MAYFLOWER COMPACT- Pilgrims decided that they would rule themselves, based on majority rule of the townsmen. 

There were over 300 Native American nations, speaking 143 different languages living in North America when the colonists arrived.

Native Americans traded deerskin and beaver pelts in return for metal products and clothing made by the colonists

Some Native Americans used war paint when fighting Some Native Americans used war paint when fighting. The warriors painted their bodies with bear fat and mixed it with read coloring. Europeans saw them and called them “red men.”

Colonists of the 1600s learned to make the white birch bark canoes from the Native Americans

Clothing Wore capes and mittens

Clothing Boys and girls wore dresses

Clothing Babies sometimes wore padded pudding caps much like crash helmets to protect their heads

Iroquois Native Americans had a Great Council Iroquois Native Americans had a Great Council. Benjamin Franklin observed a council meeting to learn from their form of government.

In New England, house-raisings were popular In New England, house-raisings were popular. A group of men and boys built an entire house in one day.

Glass windows were extremely expensive and rare.

It was common for wooden homes to burn down every few years It was common for wooden homes to burn down every few years. The family would locate the nails from the burned down house and use them to build a new one.

Wealthy southern plantation owners had their homes built out of expensive brick rather than wood.

Early colonial homes did not have a bathroom. Colonists used outhouses Early colonial homes did not have a bathroom. Colonists used outhouses. In the winter they used pots that had to be emptied daily.

In the 1600s colonists in Delaware were the first to build log cabins.

Center of a village was a village green Center of a village was a village green. It was a common space where children played, cattle grazed, and colonists gathered to hear news.