1. Life in the English Colonies
Chapter 6
Life in the English Colonies

2. Working and Trading Artisan- a skilled worker who makes things by hand
Apprentice- a young person who learns a skill from a more experienced person
Disadvantages of being an apprentice
They worked long hours
Had very little free time
Rarely had a day off

3. Colonial Jobs Shoe maker Blacksmith Fisherman Cooper Printer Surveyor
Miller
Merchant
Dressmaker

4. Economy in the Colonies
New England Colonies
Economy was based on products from forests and the sea
Trees were used to build houses, ships, and barrels
Fishing became an important industry
Middle Colonies
Economy was based on farm products and valuable minerals like iron
Known as the “bread basket of the colonies” because it grew so much wheat

5. Economy continued… Southern Colonies Economy was based on farming
Cash crops included tobacco, rice, and indigo

6. Colonial Trade Routes Important part of colonial trade was slave trade
Ships would bring captive Africans to the colonies
They were sold and then forced to work as slaves
Some trade routes were known as triangular trade routes
The route the ships took looked like giant triangles
Ships would leave a new colony, travel to West Africa to trade guns and other goods for captive Africans and gold, and then travel to the West Indies to trade the gold and Africans for sugar and molasses. Finally they would return home.
They usually had two stops during the triangular trade routes before returning home

7. Cities, Towns, and Farms Philadelphia Diverse city
People with different ethnic backgrounds and religions
By middle 1700s it was the largest city of the 13 colonies.
Benjamin Franklin had important part in the success of Philadelphia. He started:
First newspaper
First public library
First hospital
First volunteer fire department

8. Cities, Towns, and Farms continued…
Colonial Towns
New England towns were self-sufficient
They relied on themselves for most of what they needed
Meeting house
The most important building in town
This is the location where citizens could help make decisions at town meetings and attend church on Sundays

9. Cities, Towns, and Farms continued…
Southern Plantations
These plantations were large farms where cash crops were grown.
Tobacco, rice, and indigo were some examples
Most work on these plantations were completed by enslaved Africans
Most were owned by wealthy land owners known as planters

10. Everyday Life in the Colonies
Schooling
Education was very important in early settlers in New England
Laws were passed requiring towns to establish free public schools
Different from schools of today
Most schools had just one room
Students of different ages sat together
They learned the basics like reading, writing, and arithmetic
Also learned rules of polite behavior

11. Life in the Colonies continued…
Religion
An important part of life in the English Colonies
Most colonist left Europe because of religious persecution
In most colonies, people were able to have religious freedom
Reading
Many colonists were reading newspapers
Important form of entertainment
Most popular book was Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac

12. Slavery in the Colonies
Slaves in the North
Worked on farms
Worked in stores , inns, and as skilled artisans
Worked in peoples homes as cooks or personal servants
Some were able to earn money by taking on extra work at night or weekends
Some saved enough money to purchase their freedom
Could not travel or go onto a ship without written permission

13. Slavery continued… Slavery in the South
Most of the slaves worked on plantations
Slaves contributed a variety of skills that could be used in cities and on plantations
Slaves tried to keep their culture “alive” by supporting each other and making drums and banjos to play music when they were not working
Slaves were denied many rights
They were considered property and freedom was restricted so they would not be likely to escape.

14. Resisting Slavery Enslaved people found many ways to resist slavery
They tried to trick owners and overseers by
Working slowly
Breaking tools
Pretending to be sick
Some even attempted escape