Researching Early English Colonies

In North America

Jamestown, Massachusetts Bay,

The Maryland Colony, The Pennsylvania Colony,

and the Williamsburg Settlement

Preface

This is our book and we are proud of it. Investigating history can be tough work. We know, because we did it when we researched five early English colonies in North America, Jamestown, Massa-chusetts Bay, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Williamsburg. We tried to find out who the early settlers were, and how they got along with the Native Americans. Also, we explored how they went about adapting to their new environment (often with the help of the Natives), and the ways the colony changed over time and why.

We researched these colonies by exploring both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are those that give us a look into the world of the past by someone who was actually there and experienced it herself or himself. Secondary sources are those that provide ideas about the past that are based on primary and/or other secondary sources.

For us, it was very important to use both types of sources. Why, you ask? Well, both types of sources have problems. Primary and secondary sources can have only certain points of view. For example, primary sources often only present one set of ideas about an event. Secondary sources may have missed some of the primary sources. So, we think it’s very important to check both types of sources. To really understand history, you have to investigate sources of evidence and carefully check them against each other if you want to build a strong argument or position about what happened. That’s what we tried to do in our research.

We hope you like our book and find it useful in your research. Please feel free to tell your friends about it.

The Jamestown Colony

by Cindy, Katy, J., C., and G.

Introduction

Hi! We have researched a little on Jamestown. We thought you would be interested in what we found out, so we made a book of it. Scroll down the page to see more.

People of Jamestown

By J.

The colonies that settled Jamestown included many people. Some of these people were Archer, Gabriel, Kendall, George Martin, John Radcliff, John Reed. In Jamestown in the early days, most of the out of 144 were men. Their people came from England which is in Europe. They came to North America and the reasons where is so that the could have more land. Later, they had they slaves work for them.

Primary Sources:

The first Resident of Jamestown, 1607, John Smith, "A Fine Relation of ...Virginia," 1608.

Two letters from Virginia, John Pory, 1619 and Richard Frethorne, 1623.

Secondary Source:

The Thirteen Colonies by: Dennis Fradin, 1988.

Relationship between Jamestown and Powhatans

By C.

The people in Jamestown came to know the Native Americans (the Powhatans) as enemies and as friends. On one event people say that the people of Jamestown and Native Americans went to war! On other events they gave each other food and by a matter of fact the Native Americans gave them corn when they first arrived so you see their relationship was on an up down kind of thing and no one knows what type of terms they were on with each other.

Primary Source: A Dramatic Moment, by Jon Grant, 1910 (original c. 1620)

Secondary Sources: When Jamestown was a Colonial Capital

Where the Jamestown Colonists Settled

By G.

The land was rocky and flat. They settled on an island. There were forests and meadows around the area. There were many rivers and small ponds. The natural resources in the area included fish, lumber, and deer. From the lumber they made cabins and wagons.

Secondary Source:

When Jamestown was the Colonial Capitol, 1970.

Life in Jamestown

By C.

At times the people of Jamestown’s life was hard. They built their houses from wood and straw. Their food was corn and fish. They made their homes from skins and they brought some clothes from England. Over time, clothes and shelter varied (changed) from thick to thin clothes and big to small shelter or houses.

Secondary Sources:

The Jamestown Was the Colonial Capitol, 1970

Surviving and Adapting to the Environment in Jamestown

By Cindy

How the colonists in the Jamestown area go about getting food, clothing, and shelter was by the tobacco the slaves grew. They bought land, food, and clothes from money they made selling tobacco.

The Jamestowners did have indentured servants. They had indentured servants who they worked for another person for free.

Also, these colonists did have slaves. They had slaves because they needed the slaves to work on the farm. In fact, Jamestown was the first colony to have slaves.

Slaves came from Africa. Slaves came to the Jamestown because whites made them come. Indentured servants came from England. They came to the Jamestown because they wanted to come and work for a number of years and then get their own land once they were free.

The colonists used the land to make money by raising tobacco. Then they would sell the tobacco to the Native Americans and the English.

How the way of the colonists used the land and the environment changed as the colony grew. They made one island a special place to keep hogs and chickens on.

Primary Sources:

John Pory, A Letter, 1619.

Secondary sources:

The Thirteen Colonies, by Dennis Fradin, 1988.

America Alive, by Jean Karl, 1994

Jamestown’s Main Events

By Katy

There were a few main events in Jamestown. On May 13, 1607, the first colonists came to Jamestown. From 1609 to 1610 the Starving Time began and ended, and that left only about 60 people on the island. In 1619 the population had started to get much bigger again. in 1657, Virginia celebrated Jamestown’s 50th Anniversary. In 1698 a big fire broke out. In 1699 they moved the capital to Williamsburg. In all there were 7 main events in colonial Jamestown.

1607 The colonists arrived

1609-10 The Starving Time that Winter

1610 Only about 60 people were left that Spring

1619 The population once again grew much bigger

1657 Virginia celebrated Jamestown’s 50th Anniversary.

1698 A fire broke out

1699 The capital changed to Williamsburg

Sources:

The World Book Encyclopedia, 1977.

Conclusion

By Katy

Thanks again.

The Massachusetts Bay Colony

Introduction

Our names are Wayne, Tim, Kendra, and Kedwin. We’re going to tell you a little about Massachusetts Bay Colony. We have done some research, and this is what we found.

People From England Settle at Plymouth

By Wayne

The colonists were Pilgrims. Two of their names were John Winthrop and Edward Winslow. They came from England. They came to North America because they needed religious freedom. The items they came with was clothing, food, dining table, eating utensils. They brought these things to survive. The leaders were William Brewster, and Roger Williams. The population in the colony changed over time because things went well in Massachusetts and the colony grew.

The sources I use to find the information was a Inventory of Goods 1649 that was a primary source, and I used the World Book Encyclopedia 1976 through 1977. I think the primary source was more reliable because it was the first one they wrote so it has more information. These are some information about pilgrims and the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Colonists and Indians in Massachusetts Bay Colony

By Kendra

The Native Americans in the area were the Wampanoags, Narragansett and the Penobscot. Two leaders of these tribes are Chief Massasoit and Squanto. What the Indians think of the European Colonists was very helpful and very friendly. In the first encounter between the Indians and the Pilgrims there was a fight. The Pilgrims left on their small boats which was called the Shallop. The Colonists thought the Indians were stupid about money. At first the colonists and the Indians got along very well. They ate and drank together. There was a peace treaty. The peace treaty lasted 54 years.

The Native Americans in this area used land as sailing in boats and crossing the water. They caught whales for food and grew corn. The land and environment that European learned from the Native Americans was to plant fields and crops and make fires.

Secondary Sources:

A Key Into the Language of America, by Rosel Williams, 1973

Pilgrims Plantations, by June Behrens and Pauline Brown, 1977.

If you sailed on the Mayflower, by Ann McGovern, 1969.

Where the Colonists Settled

By Kedwin

This is the information that I collected. The pilgrims landed at a flat land and next to the Atlantic Ocean. The natural resources in that area are corn, fruit, wild pigs and fish. I listed the resources on a map. Thanks for reading my piece.

Secondary Sources:

The author is James Harrison. It was made in 1992. The title of the book is The Young People Atlas. I also used The World Book Encyclopedia, 1989 by World Book Inc.

Daily Life in Massachusetts Bay Colony

By Kendra

The Native Americans in the Massachusetts Bay Colony go about getting food like fish from the streams. They also go about getting deer by killing them. For shelters they use clay, stone, and wood., but for the support they use straw.

In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, after the colony grew, they used indentured servants because they needed people to help the pilgrims and Puritans. The colonists made money by killing animals like deer and making things from the fur. They also made money by fishing for cod, killing whales, and growing crops.

Secondary Source:

A key into the language of America, by Rosel Williams, 1973.

Surviving Massachusetts Bay

By Timothy

Massachusetts Bay was probably one of the best colonies to live in. In Massachusetts Bay, colonists used stone, clay, wood, and other materials to build cottages. They used these cottages to keep them warm from cold winter nights.

Some of the foods the colonists ate were Indian corn bread, hasty pudding, and other foods. They ate these foods because it was probably the only foods they could make in that environment.

In Massachusetts Bay, colonists wore petticoats, stockings, garters, waistcoats, coifs, aprons, pockets, shoes, and other cloths to keep them warm. The weather would change over time so the buildings, homes, food, and clothing changed also.

Secondary Sources:

Sarah Morton’s Day, 1981.

Note: I think Massachusetts Bay would be a great place, from the research I did.

Time Line

By Wayne

1620 Pilgrims landed

1620 The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth

1630 The Pilgrims found Boston

1636 Harvard become the first college in the colonist

1641 Massachusetts colonists won king Philip

1675-78 Massachusetts colonists help the British win the French and Indian war

1691 Plymouth and the Massachusetts Bay colonists were combined into one colony

Sources:

The World Book Encyclopedia, 1977, Field Enterprises Educational Corp.

Conclusion

In conclusion, that was every bit of information we found. Thank-you for your time, looking at our research.

The Maryland Colony

By Vanessa, Jamie, J., Anthony, and Candy

Introduction

By Jamie

We researched the Maryland Colony. We found lots of information. Here is some of the information we research about the Maryland Colony.

The People From Maryland

By Vanessa

These people from Europe came and settled in what is now Maryland. The colonist leaders were George Calvert, Cecil Calvert, and Lord Baltimore, Francis Scott Key, and more. These people only came from England. They came to North America for their own religion, and for their own governor. When they came to North America and brought guns, children, wives, food, slaves, and much more stuff. The leaders were Lord Baltimore, Cecil and George Calvert. They got chosen because George Calvert was tight with the King of England at the time. The population in the colony changed over time. It was 500in the 1640, and in 1650, it was 4,500, and in 1660, it was 8,000 people.

Primary Source:

Lord Baltimore, is by Nan Hayden Agle and Frances Atchinson Bacon. Illustrated by Leonard Vosburgh, 1962.

On the Misfortune of Indentured Servants, by Gottlieb Mittelberger, c. 1725.

Secondary source:

The Maryland Colony by F. Van Wyck Mason, 1969

The source that I think is reliable is the primary source because it has some good information.

Colonists and Indians of Maryland

By J.

The Native Americans in Maryland are called Algonquins. The European people had to learn how to live on this land. The Indian really cared for there land and environment. The Europeans learned that some plants are good, some are medicine plants, and some are poisonous. In conclusion that is the research we did on Maryland Colony thanks for reading about our research.

Sources:

I got this info is from Arther Charles and Our Maryland Jane Eagen Illustrator Jeanne McGinnis.

Shelter In the Maryland Colony

By Jamie

The people in the Maryland Colony wear many clothes. The women wore dresses. Wealthy women wore gowns made of expensive material. Most men wore long coats and triangular hats and tight pants. These are a few examples of what they wore.

Secondary Sources??

Where They Settled in Maryland

By Anthony

The colonists settled in a colony called Maryland. The land of Maryland is good. 25% has mountains and 75% have grass. The natural resources of Maryland are clay, gravel, food from farms the colonists made, and tobacco. Also the land and resources are on two separate sheets of paper that include maps I made of the land and the natural resources. That is all the research I did.

Secondary Source: World Book Encyclopedia, 1977.

The History Timeline of the Maryland Colony

By Candy

In 1632, on June 20, a charter was given to Lord Calvert and Lord Baltimore. In 1634, settlers came to St. Clements Island. This began the Maryland Colony. After that, the Maryland grew. By 1750 Maryland had a strong tobacco crop. The colony’s population kept on growing. For more on important dates, see the time line.

1632 Maryland Charter granted

1634 St. Clement’s Island

1635 Met at St. Mary’s City

1649 Religious toleration law.

1650 General Assembly divided

1657 Lord Baltimore’s claim to Maryland

1664 Slavery sanctioned by law

1683 Head right system

1685 Printing Press

1689 Maryland Revolution of 1689

1692 Maryland governed as a royal colony

1694 Capital from St. Mary’s City to Annapolis

1727 Maryland Gazette began publication

1729 Baltimore town established

1744 Native American lose land in Maryland

1750 Tobacco crops were very important to the economy

Secondary Sources:

Where it was found was on the Maryland Historical Chronology, an Internet copy 1, 1999, and Maryland Historical Chronology, an Internet copy 2, 1999 from two different web sites.

The Quakers and the Pennsylvania Colony

by Chelsea, Jessica, Ben, A., and Alexandra

Introduction

By Chelsea

Hello! My group is going to tell you exciting information on the Pennsylvania Colonists. We have been doing a lot of research on them. We are going to talk about stuff like this, time line, environment, food, living, and other things. There is a lot of useful information. Thank-you for reading.

The Pennsylvania Colonists

By Chelsea

There were a lot of English Colonists in Pennsylvania and here are some of them: William Penn, Richard Worells, and Peter Lindestrom. The reasons the English colonists came to Pennsylvania was because of disease, starving death winters, and religious freedom. When the English came they brought with them food and weapons. They brought many other things too, but these are just some. They brought some food to eat and weapons to hunt with. The leaders were chosen to lead and help. The population changed because of icy cold winters and not enough food. Food was grown on the land but the winters killed the food source. But after time, the colonists learned how to survive the cold winters. The population grew then.

Secondary Source:

The Thirteen Colonies, by Dennis Fradin, 1988.

Colonists and the Indians in Pennsylvania

By Alexandra

For my research project I studied the topic of how the Pennsylvania colonists got along with the Indians who lived near them. Although the colonists and the Indians were not always friendly, the two groups taught one anther many things. This research paper will explain their relationships and their interactions.

The life of the English colonists was surrounded by Native Americans. The tribes that lived in the same area as the Pennsylvania colonists were the Susquehannocks, the Erie, and the Lenni Lenape and the Delaware Indians. Some of the Indians that met the colonists thought that they came from another time and world because they have never seen anyone like that. The colonists were also on good and bad terms because at first when the colonists came the Indians did not like the way they looked, talked and walked. Also, when the colonists got to know the Indians, the Indians were friends by they were still not sure about them in a way. There were also certain ways the Indians lived with the environment. These ways were: when they caught a deer, they would use the bones, meat and fur. When they caught a bird, they used the feathers, bones and meat. Some of the Indians that lived in the area taught the colonists how to garden and how to use bows and arrows. They also taught them to use everything they killed.

The Pennsylvania colonists and the Indians both learned many things from one another. They had their differences but they were not at war with one another all the time. I hope I have shown how complicated their relationship was.

Sources:

1. Some of the primary sources that I were the files called Pennsylvania Documents (primary/secondary). The documents that I used were the three packets called Historical Resource Document E, A Land of opportunity and Student Handout Document C-1, from A Society Knit as One, by the National Center for History in the Schools, 1992.

2. There are also some secondary sources that I used were called The Pennsylvania Colony by Dennis Fradin and it was published in 1988. Also there was another secondary source and it was called The Thirteen Colonies and it also was made by the same Dennis Fradin, published in 1998.

Where The Colonists Settled

By Ben

I’m studying the Pennsylvania Colony, back then they made log houses, they built these house because the material was easy to find and it wouldn’t take long to build a log house. Most of the Quakers were farmers. They ate corn, squash, deer, rabbit, pears, birds, porcupine, lima beans, green beans, peas, and kidney beans. They ate these kinds of foods because it was found near them and the Indians around would give them the food that they ate.

They tried to keep up with England’s style. The men wore deerskin, hunting jackets, leather pants, stockings, and trousers. The women wore hoopskirts, pants, umbrellas, ornaments, shoes, and dresses. They wore these clothes because Pennsylvania had a cold climate and they wanted to stay warm.

Their homes, buildings, food, and clothing changed because as time went on people got better ideas.

Secondary Sources:

The Album of Colonial America, by Leonard Ingraham, 1969.

Pennsylvania State History, by Leonard Ingraham,

The Pennsylvania Colony, by Dennis Fradin, 1988.

Life in Pennsylvania Colony

By A.

The Pennsylvania colony did not have a lot of shelter. A shelter they had was log cabins. They were made of wood. They had log cabins because they were easy to build. Also they had taverns, made of brick or wood. They had those after log cabins.

The foods the Pennsylvania colony ate were plenty. They ate meat desserts, dairy products, some meats were wild duck, roast rabbit, deer, squirrel, and pork. Some desserts was pudding, apple and pumpkin pie. Dairy products are milk, corn bread, and cheese cake. Those were the main foods they ate.

The Pennsylvania colony people wore weird clothing, thought the Indians. Some people who wore them were hunters, working men, and servants. They wore deerskin for hunting jackets, leather pants, silk stockings with good buckles and silver. For women wore hoops, skin, and umbrellas. They had plenty types of clothing.

Pennsylvania colonies started changing when the environment changed, and got bigger. So they started making different buildings, food and clothing.

The sources that were reliable were the web site, books, and articles. The most reliable was the books.

Adapting to the Environment to Survive

By Chelsea

The Pennsylvania Colonists adapted well to the environment. The colonists raised animals to cook and eat, and also they traded with other families. They needed indentured servants for the plantation. They also had slaves for the gardens because the indentured servants worked inside. They got the slaves from the market because that’s usually how they got them.

The colonists used the land to make money because they traded animals that came from the land. That is what they used for money. They also traded belongings for other goods. The environment changed because more people came and planted and used more of the land. That is how the colonists adapted to the environment.

Secondary Source:

The Thirteen Colonies, by Dennis Fradin, 1988.

The Timeline and History of Pennsylvania Colony

By Jessica

I am studying Pennsylvania Colony. My job is to tell you about the time and history of Pennsylvania. I will tell you about Pennsylvania from 1609 to 1754.

1609. Henry Hudson explores the Delaware Beach

1638. Swedes start New Sweden on the Delaware River

1643. Swedes start a capital on the Tinicum Island near present-day Philadelphia

1651. Peter Stuyvesant builds for Casmir

1655. Dutch troops recapture Fort Casmir, New Sweden

1664. The British capture the capital from the Dutch

1681. King Charles II granted land to William Penn
1682. Penn sets sail for North America; Philadelphia is laid out
1683. Quakers and Mennonites settle Germantown

1701. William Penn writes the Charter of Privalleges to help run the Colony

1750. The Pennsylvania Colony grows

1754. The French and Indian War begins in western Pennsylvania territory

Secondary Sources:

Pennsylvania, by Sharon and Susan Sherber, 1987.

Thirteen Colonies, by Dennis Fradin, 1988.

World Book Encyclopedia, section by Scott Fetzer, 1989.

Conclusion

In conclusion, that is the research we did on the Pennsylvania colony. Thanks for reading about our research.

The Williamsburg Settlement

by Brittney, Alex, Jonathan, & Tho

Introduction

by Tho

Hello, we are table 4. We are here to tell you about Williamsburg. We have done some research on Williamsburg and we are going to tell you what we found.

The Colonists From Europe

By Alex

We have done a lot of research on the colonists that came from Europe to Williamsburg. Here is what we found out.

We found that in 1633 about 37 Europeans came to Williamsburg, Virginia from Scotland. But the English were the first European settlers there in Williamsburg. A couple of reasons the colonists from England came to Williamsburg was because the English laws favored the oldest son so that son would inherit something better than everyone else. That meant the younger sons would come over to Williamsburg and get some land of their own. Some of the people who settled at Williamsburg were Thomas Jefferson, Payton Randolph, Anne and James Geddy, Annabelle and Benjamin Powell, George and Martha Washington.

In conclusion, this is what we found out about the colonists from Europe. Thank you for reading our research.

Secondary Sources:

The Thirteen Colonies, by Denis Fradin, 1988

Settling Williamsburg

By Jonathan

The colonists settled in a piece of land in Williamsburg. The area on Williamsburg is flat. Another area is many hills. The last area is a lot of farming. I also have a picture of the area on the back of this packet. That is all I know on the area of Williamsburg.

Some natural resources in the area is tobacco and rice. Another is fish and deer. The last natural resources are corn and beans. That is all I know on natural resources.

Secondary Sources:

1. The Colonies, Modern Curriculum Press, 1994.

2. Colonial America, by Louis Wright, 1965.

3. Shaw’s Fortune, by Edwin Funis, 1966.

4. Making Thirteen Colonies, by Joy Hakim, 1993 (several chapters)

5. The Virginia Colony, by Dennis Fradin, 1986

6. The Thirteen Colonies, by Dennis Fradin, 1988

The most reliable resources are the primary sources. Even though I didn’t use any in my research, the primary sources are reliable because the date is when it happened.

Life in Williamsburg

By Brittney

I am here to tell you about life in Williamsburg. We have done some research on Williamsburg. I am going to tell you what we found. I found out that they lived a hard and strange life. The clothes they wore were made by hand. The food was food like corn meal, cornbread, chicken. They made their houses of brick, stone, chimneys. They wore clothes like shoes, hats, coat, with a lot of buttons, coif, apron. Thanks for reading my book.

Secondary Sources:

World Book Encyclopedia, 1977

Surviving and Adapting to the Environment in Williamsburg

By Tho

The early people in Williamsburg lived very different then the people in Williamsburg today. One way that the early people in Williamsburg lived very different then the people in Williamsburg today is how they got their food. The early people got their food by growing the things that they need, and the people in Williamsburg today get their food by buying things that they need at supermarkets. Also, some of the early people that are rich in Williamsburg have indentured servants, but the people in Williamsburg today, well, they don’t have any indentured servants. The last way that the early people in Williamsburg lived very different then the people in Williamsburg today is how they used the land to make money. The early people in Williamsburg used the land to make money by growing tobacco and building shops, and the people in Williamsburg today used the land to build buildings then let people rent the apartments and build shops.

Secondary Sources:

The Virginia Colony by Dennis B. Fradin, 1986

The Colonies by Modern curriculum Press, 1994

The Thirteen Colonies by Dennis Fradin, 1988

Colonial America by Louis B. Wright, 1965

Shaw’s Fortune by Edwin Funis, 1966

A TimeLine of Colonial Williamsburg

By Brittney

1655. Williamsburg are settled

1664. Official named the settlement Williamsburg in honor of King William of England

1681. Williamsburg became the official capitol of Virginia Colony after a fire in Jamestown

1701. First official Williamsburg newspaper published

Secondary Sources:

World Book Encyclopedia, 1977

Conclusion

By Jonathan

In conclusion that is all we have to show on Williamsburg colony. Thank-you for reading or listening to our research.