New England Colonies
What natural resource and industry helped New England colonists build ships and houses?
Lumber/forests (timber) and shipbuilding.
Which colony was founded by William Penn and welcomed many religions?
Pennsylvania.
Name two cash crops commonly grown on Southern plantations.
Tobacco and rice (also indigo, later cotton).
What is an indentured servant?
A person who worked for a set number of years for someone who paid for their trip to America; they earned freedom after the term.
Name two common jobs or industries in New England related to the sea.
Fishing and whaling.
Name two types of crops Middle Colony farmers sold to other colonies.
Wheat and barley (also pork, beef).
What is a plantation?
A large farm that grows cash crops for sale, usually worked by many laborers.
Give one reason a young man in the colonies might become an apprentice.
To learn a skilled trade (example: printer) so they could earn a living or open a shop later.
Explain one reason Puritans came to Massachusetts Bay Colony.
To practice Puritan religion freely / leave the Church of England.
Why did the Middle Colonies attract a diverse population (people from many countries)?
Fertile land and strong economy offered many jobs; tolerance and religious freedom attracted settlers from Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, etc.
Name two types of workers who labored on plantations before enslaved Africans became more common.
American Indians and indentured servants.
Name two daily chores or skills colonial women commonly performed.
Cooking, sewing, making soap and candles, spinning, weaving, caring for children and household management.
What type of farming was typical in New England and why was it that way?
Small family farms (subsistence farming) because soil was rocky and climate was colder.
How did cities like New York and Philadelphia affect job opportunities in the Middle Colonies?
Cities had shipyards, workshops, stores, printers, merchants — more varied skilled jobs and apprenticeships
Why did the climate in the South make plantation farming possible?
Warm, long growing seasons and rich soil allowed large-scale crops that needed many laborers.
Describe one reason childhood and family life in the colonies often included many relatives living together.
High death rates and remarriage; households often included grandparents, aunts/uncles, stepchildren, or adopted orphans so families grew large and pooled resources.
Describe one way New England towns practiced local government that was more democratic than in England.
Town meetings where colonists decided local issues by majority vote; elected representatives for lawmaking.
Explain how Pennsylvania became more democratic in 1696 (what change happened in government).
The General Assembly gained power in 1696 so elected members could write laws.
Explain one political change in Georgia between its founding and 1752 regarding who controlled the colony and slavery laws.
Georgia's founders initially controlled government and banned slavery; in 1752 control passed to King George II and the colony allowed slavery and white male voters elected an assembly (the king could overturn laws).
Explain how geography influenced choices people made about work — give one clear example from the document.
Example: New England had rocky soil and rich fishing grounds, so colonists specialized in fishing and shipbuilding; Southern colonies with warm climate and fertile soil grew rice and tobacco on plantations.