Download The Thirteen Colonies

Chapter 5,
Lesson 1
ACOS #5: Identify major leaders in colonial society.
ACOS #5d: Identify geographic features, landforms, and
differences in climates among the colonies.
ACOS #5e: Describe emerging colonial governments.
ACOS #5f: Describe the development of the emerging
labor force in the colonies.
Key Vocabulary Words
• Growing season – the time of year when it is
warm enough for plants to grow.
• Tidewater – the water in rivers and streams
rises and falls every day with the ocean’s tides.
• Fall line – the point where rivers from higher
land flow to lower lands and often form
waterfalls.
• Backcountry – the higher land on the other side
of the fall line. The sparsely populated area on
the western side of the fall line.
The Thirteen Colonies
• During the 1600s and 1700s, many English settlers
moved to North America.
• Why do you think they moved to North America?
• Many moved for religious reasons.
• Many believed they had a better chance to make a
living in North America.
• Many also believed they would find more freedoms.
• It was these settlers that established the 13 English
colonies.
The Location of the
Thirteen Colonies
The colonies were located:
1. Along the Atlantic Ocean.
2. To the N was New France.
3. To the S was New Spain.
4. To the W was the
Appalachian Mountains.
5. They were a natural barrier
6. The geography & climate
of the 13 colonies
separated them into 3
regions: New England,
the Middle Colonies, &
the Southern Colonies.
New England
• New England’s geography was shaped by glaciers formed
during the Ice Age.
• As the glaciers moved across New England, rocks trapped in
the glaciers cut deep valleys through the mountains. They
scraped New England’s rich soil and pushed it South.
• New England was left with thin and rocky layers of dirt.
• Farming was difficult.
• Summers were warm but winters were long and very cold. The
growing season was short.
Growing Season
The time of year
when it is warm
enough for
plants to grow.
New England had
a short growing
season.
Most farmers
could only grow
enough food for
their families.
Very little was left
over to sell.
Cultural Regions
New England’s Geography
• Farming was hard for
New England colonists.
• With a short growing
season, they learned to
depend on natural
resources to survive.
• They used the wood
from the forests to build
ships and buildings.
• They used the Atlantic
ocean to catch fish for
food and other
products.
The Middle Colonies
• The soil scooped from the New England
Colonies stopped in the Middle Colonies.
• Crops grew well here
because of the fertile soil.
• The climate was also
good for farming.
• They had a much longer
growing season than in New England.
• There were plenty of sunny days
and good rain.
• They had wide rivers that made
them good for transportation.
• Farmers used riverboats to sell
their crops in nearby towns.
• The nearby woods were full of animals.
Colonists hunted and trapped animals such as deer and beaver.
Southern Colonies
• The Southern coast was
full of rivers, bays, and
wetlands.
• The climate & soil of the
tidewater were excellent
for farming.
• The growing season
was long.
• The climate was warm
and there was plenty of
rain.
Tidewater
• The water in rivers and streams rises and
falls every day with the ocean tides.
• The climate and soil produced by the
tidewater were excellent for farming.
Fall Line
• The tidewater ended at the fall line.
• At the fall line, rivers from higher land
flow to lower lands and often formed
waterfalls.
Backcountry
• The higher land on the
other side of the fall line
was called the
backcountry.
• The backcountry was “in
back of” the area where
most colonists.
• It had steep and covered
forests.
• Colonists hunted and
fished for most of their
food.
Review: Lesson 1
• Why was farming difficult for New England colonists?
--Soil was too rocky and sandy
--The growing season was too short.
--The climate was extremely cold in the winter.
• Why was farming in the Middle and Southern Colonies
better than in New England?
--They had fertile soil.
--They had longer growing seasons.
--They had milder climates.
• Why was the tidewater good for growing crops?
--Soil in the tidewater was rich and fertile.
• What natural resources did colonists have in NE?
--Forests and the Atlantic Ocean
Northwest Coast