8th Grade TCI Unit 1 Lesson 4

Life in the 13 Colonies

Who was the boy that came to Philadelphia in 1723?

Benjamin Franklin

What was Benjamin Franklin known for writing?

The Poor Richard's Almanac

When did Benjamin Franklin retire?

42

What did Benjamin Franklin do after retirement?

He was a scientist, inventor, political leader, and diplomat

What chores did colonists living on a farm have to do?

Chores include cutting wood, feeding animals, clearing land, tending crops, building fences, making furniture and tools, gathering eggs, spinning thread, weaving cloth, sewing clothes, making candles and soap, cooking, cleaning, and caring for babies.

What was the center of most economic activities in the colonies?

Land

Complete the sentence: nine out of ten people lived on small family farms and strove to be self-sufficient by

raising or making nearly everything they needed

What proportion of the colonial population lived on small family farms?

90% (9/10)

What percent of the population lived in the city by 1750?

5% (1/20)

What was the heart of a colonial city?

The waterfront

Complete the sentence: Nearby streets were lined with…

shops

What were cities like?

noisy, smelly places

Were city homes close together?

Yes

Why was fire a constant danger in the city?

Colonists used torches and candles to light their homes.

Where did colonists eat?

Colonists ate in taverns

Where could you find gossip in the cities?

Taverns

What were the metal containers that colonists burned grease in called?

“betty lamps” (scented with bayberries)

How did colonists think of themselves?

English citizens that had the same rights as people did in England

What does the “Magna Carta” mean?

“Great Charter”

Who signed the Magna Carta?

King John

What year did King John sign the Magna Carta?

1215

What important event happened in 1265?

The founding of Parliament

Why was James Duke of York forced off his throne?

He tried to rule without Parliament

After the Revolution, who did Parliament offer the crown to?

Prince William of Orange and his wife, Mary

What year were Prince William of Orange and his wife, Mary, crowned?

1689

Who approved the English Bill of Rights?

Prince William of Orange and his wife, Mary

Which act said that the power to make laws and impose taxes belonged to the people's elected representatives in Parliament and to no one else?

The English Bill of Rights

What were two specific things included in the English Bill of Rights?

Right to petition the king and to have a trial by jury

Did each colonial assembly pass its own laws defining crimes and punishments?

Yes

How were serious crimes such as murder, treason, and piracy punished?

Death

How were crimes such a as theft, forgery, and highway robbery punished?

jailed, whipped, or branded with hot irons

How were crimes such as drunkenness and breaking the Sabbath punished?

fines, short jail terms, or public humiliation

How did the Puritan feel about rights and wrongs?

No group had firmer ideas about right and wrong than New England's Puritans

How many accused ‘witches’ (girls) were put to death in 1692?

19

What was the name of the Puritan evil angel who rebelled against God?

Satan

Which colony started slavery?

Virginia

Did slavery expand more rapidly in the Southern or Northern colonies?

Southern colonies

How were slaves obtained?

Each year, ships from Europe filled with guns, cloth, and other goods sailed to West Africa, where they were traded for captured Africans. The ships then sailed to the Americas, where enslaved people were forced to work to produce goods that would then be sent back to Europe.

How did Africans feel about being packed on ships?

It was a nightmare

What was the ocean crossing (to bring Africans to America for slaves) called?

The Middle Passage

What did enslavers demand of African slaves?

Enslavers demanded African slaves to work hard.

What was the status of enslaved people according to colonial law?

Enslaved people were considered property by colonial law.

How did people cope with being enslaved?

Some enslaved people rebelled by refusing to work or running away, but most tried to adapt to their condition as best they could.

Why did slavery expand rapidly in the Southern region?

Cash crop planters needed slaves to work the land.

What was an important part of colonial life?

Religion

Where were church services held?

In the town meetinghouse

When did the religious movement “Great Awakening” happen?

1730

What was the religious movement “Great Awakening” spurred by?

This movement was spurred by a feeling that people had lost their religious faith.

What was the religious movement “Great Awakening”?

To revive people's religious spirit, preachers traveled from town to town holding outdoor “revival” meetings where they would deliver fiery sermons to huge crowds.

What effect did the Great Awakening have on the colonies?

The Great Awakening helped spread the idea that all people are equal in the eyes of God

Which colonial region was the only one required by law to provide public schools?

New England

Why did Puritans in New England strongly support education?

They wanted their children to read and understand the teachings of the Bible.

What did the 1647 Massachusetts education law require towns of 50 families to do?

Hire a teacher to instruct children in reading and writing

What requirement did the 1647 Massachusetts law set for towns with over 100 families?

Build a school

How did Southern families typically educate young children if they lived far apart?

Neighbors pooled resources to hire a teacher, or wealthy planters hired private home tutors

Where were older, wealthy children from Southern Colonies sent to complete college?

distant colonial cities or England

What slowed the growth of public education in the Middle Colonies?

Religious diversity

How were children educated in the Middle Colonies?

Each family or religious group decided for itself, often using church schools or homeschooling.

What payment or supplies did parents contribute to village schools?

Parents contributed whatever they could, such as money firewood, or vegetables.

What was the main textbook used to teach children the alphabet and prayers?

The New England Primer

What physical materials did students use when paper was scarce?

Students wrote on bark using ink.

How did colonial view on education differ between boys and girls?

Most colonists believed boys needed more education, while female education was limited to basic writing and math.

What physical conditions described a typical colonial classroom building?

One-room buildings with a fireplace (lacked chalkboards or maps)

Did children in the Middle and Southern Colonies generally have access to public education?

No

How did classroom activities like spelling practice usually take place?

Students practiced spelling by shouting out their words aloud in class.

Why were families in the Southern Colonies often forced to educate children at home?

Homes and plantations were widely spread out along rivers rather than concentrated in towns.

Besides reading and writing, what skill was emphasized through the New England Primer?

religious prayers

What level of education did most children outside New England receive?

little to no formal education

How many children did colonial families usually have?

7-10+

How did colonial family structure differ from today’s concept?

Included extended relatives and stepchildren

At what age did colonial men and women typically marry?

Early to mid-20s

What restriction was placed on indentured servants wanting to marry?

They had to wait until gaining their freedom.

How did the gender ratio affect women’s marriage prospects?

Men outnumbered women, making marriage proposals for women almost guaranteed.

Why were large families particularly important to colonial farmers?

Extra hands were needed for chores and harvesting.

What main expectation was held for colonial children?

To be productive, working members of the family.

What proportion of colonial children died before reaching adulthood?

Nearly half

Which disease contributed heavily to high death rates in Middle and Southern Colonies?

Malaria

How did colonial families support elderly or needy relatives?

They welcomed them into their homes regardless of limited space.

What was the purpose of colonial ‘bees’ and ‘frolics’?

Combining work with social recreation

What took place during a chopping bee?

Neighbors gathered to clear trees off land.

What social activity concluded a house or barn raising?

Feasting and dancing on the new floor.

What colonial children’s game was similar to cricket or baseball?

Stoolball.

Why did some New England towns forbid sledding/coasting?

Adults considered it too dangerous.

What was the object ball called in lawn bowling?

A jack.

Which adult games corresponded to backgammon and billiards?

Tick-tack and trock.

Which popular Southern leisure activity did New England Puritan strongly disapprove of?

Card playing

What types of contests were featured at colonial fairs?

Footraces, wrestling, dancing, catching greased pigs, and climbing grease poles

What basic toys did colonial children have?

dolls, marbles, and tops

Who wrote both the Pennsylvania Gazette and Poor Richard's Almanac?

Benjamin Franklin

During the 1700s, most colonists lived…

on small family farms

What was the colonists' economy based on?

commerce, handcrafts and farming

What did colonial cities in the 1700s smell like?

garbage and open sewers

The 1689 act that gave certain powers to Parliament and listed specific rights of citizens is called the…

English Bill of Rights

What was the colonists' system for their laws and punishments?

Each colonial assembly passed its own criminal laws and punishments.