The Importance of Education In 1647, the leaders of Massachusetts passed a law requiring towns to establish free public schools Free schools did not exist in Europe All different ages sat together and learned the basics Reading Writing Arithmetic Polite behavior

Off to work Students then did not stay in school as many years as we do today Usually as children hit early teens, they started working full time on family farms Some began apprenticeships

College was an option for some Some students, but very few, attended college Harvard which is established near Boston is the oldest college in the US Next is The College of William and Mary in Virginia (1693)

Free time When children were not at school, they helped on family farms. They had much less free time than we do today but still found ways to have fun Danced Played hide and seek Tag Climbed trees Swam Flew kites In winter months, children went sledding and skating

Religion Religion was an important part of life in all areas of the English colonies Most came to live in the colonies to escape religious persecution Many pursued that plan

The Jewish Religion Most Jews settled in Rhode Island, New York, and South Carolina In 1762, in Newport Rhode Island, a synagogue was built This is the oldest synagogue in the US

Great Awakening An important religious movement for Christians in the 1730s Led by Protestants traveling from town to town giving sermons that were very emotional Services were held outside to accommodate the large crowds Many new churches were built and new college for ministry training

Thursday, December 19, 2013 No Homework Do Now: Take out notes from yesterday

Reading in the Colonies Reading was a big source of entertainment for people in the colonies It was also used as a source of information The Boston News-Letter was the first newspaper to be published on a regular basis The New-York Weekly Journal also became popular By the 1770s, there were dozens regularly printed newspapers

Letter Writing Letters gave colonists living far apart a way to keep in touch and communicate Letters were folded and sealed with wax Envelopes were not used because paper was expensive and hard to make

Colonial Meals Colonists had learned to grow corn from Native Americans They used corn to make breads, puddings, and pancakes (served with maple syrup) Stews made with fish or meat and vegetables were made in large pots

Colonial Desserts Ice cream, donuts, and fruit pies were common in the colonies Desserts were not always the best part. Sometimes they were not very tasty at all

Slavery in the Colonies Slavery grew rapidly in the 13 colonies by 1760 There was slavery in both the north and the south, but much a much larger population of slaves were in the southern colonies Slaves worked in stores, inns, and as skilled artisans as well as in people’s homes as cooks and servants

Slavery in the North These slaves usually had more opportunities to improve their lives than those in the south Some took an extra job at night or on weekends to earn money Some would save enough money to purchase their freedom, but this was a long and difficult process

Slavery in the South Most slaves in the south were forced to work on large plantations Enslaved people from West Africa brought along their knowledge of growing rice Some enslaved people were expert carpenters, blacksmiths, or tailors No matter what skill they possessed, many were forced to work all day or even through the night

Preserving Families and Cultures Facing these harsh conditions, slaves still tried to keep their families together, but this was a difficult task Owners could sell family members and break them apart, but they tried to stay together as much as possible Slaves kept African culture alive by making drums, banjos and other instruments similar to what they knew in Africa Some plantations banned the use of these instruments though

Resisting Slavery Enslaved people found many ways to resist slavery including tricks They would work slowly, pretend to be sick, or break tools Some escaped and were aided by freed slaves or even whites with money or hiding them Armed rebellions did occur – Stono Rebellion 1739