Exploration and Early Settlements
European explorers crossed the Atlantic Ocean to reach this part of the world.
The Americas
New England had long, cold winters and a short season for growing these.
Crops
Which Middle Colony was founded by William Penn?
Pennsylvania.
The Southern Colonies’ warm climate gave farmers a longer growing ______.
season
These peoples already lived in North America before European colonists arrived.
Native Americans / Indigenous peoples
Name one reason European countries explored and established colonies.
(Hint:3G's)
Gold, God, Glory
New England’s rocky soil made large-scale farming difficult. Name one other way people earned money.
Fishing, shipbuilding, trade, or working with lumber.
This founder established Pennsylvania as a colony where Quakers could practice their religion.
William Penn
What is a cash crop?
A crop grown mainly to sell for money.
Name one way Native Americans and European settlers cooperated.
They traded goods, formed alliances, or shared knowledge about farming and local resources.
Founded in Virginia in 1607, this settlement became the first permanent English settlement in North America.
Jamestown
This agreement signed by the Pilgrims established rules for governing their colony.
The Mayflower Compact
What does religious tolerance mean?
Allowing people to practice different religions.
Name two important cash crops grown in the Southern Colonies.
Tobacco, rice, or indigo. Accept any two.
Why did colonists’ demand for more land lead to conflict with Native Americans?
Colonists took or moved onto Native American lands, threatening their homes, resources, and independence.
This cash crop helped Jamestown’s economy grow.
Tobacco
How did town meetings allow some colonists to participate in government?
They could discuss local issues and vote on decisions.
How did rivers and ports help the Middle Colonies’ economy?
They helped people transport crops and goods and trade with other places.
How did Southern plantation owners use enslaved Africans to increase their wealth?
They forced enslaved Africans to grow and harvest crops without wages, then sold the crops for profit.
King Philip’s War involved English colonists and Native American peoples in this colonial region.
New England
Explain how settling near water could help colonists. Give two benefits.
Water provided transportation and trade routes, access to food, and water for daily needs. Accept any two.
Explain how New England’s geography shaped its economy. Include two details.
Rocky soil and cold weather limited farming. Forests supplied wood for ships, and the coast supported fishing and trade.
Give one similarity and one difference between the Middle and New England Colonies.
Both used ports for trade. The Middle Colonies had more fertile soil and grew more grain; New England relied more on fishing and shipbuilding.
Explain how geography helped plantations grow in the Southern Colonies. Give two details.
Warm weather created a long growing season, and fertile soil supported crops. Rivers also helped transport crops to markets. Accept any two.
Explain one way colonial society created a power imbalance between groups.
European colonists controlled colonial laws and governments. Enslaved Africans were denied freedom, and Native Americans often lost land and influence as colonies expanded. Accept one explained example.