1. Settlement, Culture, and Government of the Colonies
Chapter 2 Lesson 2
Settlement, Culture, and Government of the Colonies

2. Bell Ringer
Migration- what is it? What are some reasons for migration?
Think about:
Why do people move?
Why do people move to different countries?
What is the difference between emigrate and immigrate?
Do people who emigrate always do so by their own choice?

3. Settling the English Colonies
Most early colonial settlers where from England.
Others came from all over Europe.
2 main reasons why people emigrated to the new colonies:
Economic opportunity
Chance to earn a living
Offered land for farming
Poor could come as indentured servants & make better lives for themselves.
Religious freedom
Europe was full of religious unrest (especially in England)
People were persecuted for religious beliefs so you had religious dissenters who wanted to change or purify the Church of England.

4. Colonial LIfe
Colonists came to America from many places, for a variety of reasons, and lived different ways depending on where they settled.
Over time three economic regions developed in the colonies:
The New England Colonies
Farthest north, cold climate, rocky soil
The Middle Colonies
IN the middle of the country, climate & soil in this region were better for agriculture
The Southern Colonies
Farthest south, warm climate, long growing season.

5. Colonial Government
Colonists developed different economies & ways of life, but still shared English heritage
However, over time colonists began to depend more on local governments for guidance rather than looking to the “mother country”.
By 1650, Parliament began passing laws to regulate colonial trade and make sure the colonies were of benefit to England.
By the mid 1700’s, the colonies had grown used to governing themselves and resentment of England began to grow.

6. Colonial Life graphic organizer
Go to your assigned group and bring a textbook with you
Read the assigned page(s) in your textbook about each economic area
One person in the group read aloud the paper of additional information on each economic region.
Complete the chart over each region
We will rotate to each station- if you finish early, work on the Virginia Colony reading quietly at your table.

7. Bell Ringer Day 2
You have decided to move from Great Britain to America in the 1700’s. Write a letter to a friend explaining which colony you have chosen to live in and why.
Use proper friendly letter format
Separate sheet of paper! You are turning this in!

8. Homework: Answer the lesson review questions below:
What reasons did dissenters and indentured servants have for coming to the American colonies?
How did the writings of people like John Locke lead colonists to resent the British governments?
How did geographic features influence life in the colonies?