Colonial Times

America began as colonies of England, France, Spain, and the Netherlands. The story of America as a nation must begin with the colonization of the East Coast.

Jamestown: First English Colony in America
Explorers had been landing in America for some time before English settlers arrived in what is now Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. But it was in that spot on the James River that English colonization began and with it, the history of America.

The Pilgrims: Voyage to Freedom
Follow the Pilgrims as they sail across the Atlantic Ocean, from England to America, in search of religious freedom. See who they meet when they land in New England. Find out about the first Thanksgiving.

The 13 American Colonies
This fun, illustrated article describes the 13 American Colonies in detail, from economics to religion to agriculture to revolution. Also includes a clickable map with links to individual descriptions of each colony and a list of the first European settlements in North America. Outstanding resource!

Farming in the 13 American Colonies
The focus is on agriculture in this look at how the colonists farmed and what they grew. See wheat turn into flour!

Religion in the 13 American Colonies
In colonial America, how you worshipped depended on where you lived. See how each colony taught religion and where they gathered for worship.

Education in the 13 American Colonies
Did colonial schools really keep girls out? Find out this and more in this entertaining look at education in colonial times.

Food in the 13 American Colonies
What did the colonists eat and how did they get it? This fun, illustrated article tells you.

Parks and Fun in the 13 American Colonies
Did colonial kids play? If so, what games did they play? This article has the answers for you. Some things haven't changed.

John Peter Zenger and Freedom of the Press
This was the first libel case in America. It forever set the standard for freedom of the press and made a hero of not only Zenger but also his lawyer, Andrew Hamilton.

The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals in the North American British colonies during the 17th and 18th Centuries.

The French and Indian War
This easy-to-read, illustrated article describes the struggle between France and England over territory in North America. Find out what part a young George Washington played in this war. Also includes a timeline of the war. This article fills in the gap between colonial development and revolutionary war.

Triangular Trade
This was the economic cycle of goods that sailed in a triangular pattern between England, Africa, and America and back again. Major commodities included timber, rum, sugar, silk, and (of course) slaves. Find out more about this early period of American economic history.

Patrick Henry: Voice of Freedom
Patrick Henry was one of the leading lights of the American Revolution, a voice that would not be silenced until Americans were free and could govern themselves.

Samuel Adams: Ringleader of the American Revolution
Described as a firebrand, a revolutionary, and a patriot, the young Adams was perhaps the most vocal of his generation to demand independence from Great Britain. He believed in the higher cause of independence, and he didn't often let laws that he thought unjust stand in his way.

Benjamin Franklin: America's Renaissance Man
Benjamin Franklin was one of the most famous people of his generation, his country, and his country’s history. He was as close as Colonial America came to having a Renaissance man.

John Hancock: The Money Behind the Revolution
John Hancock is perhaps best known for his very large signature on the Declaration of Independence. However, he was much more important to the American Revolution and the Revolutionary War as a businessman who had large sums of money at his disposal and used that money to support the American cause.

The Boston Tea Party
What caused Americans to get so upset about tea? Find out in this easy-to-read article.

The House of Burgesses
first legislature anywhere in the English colonies in America was in Virginia. This was the House of Burgesses, and it first met on July 30, 1619, at a church in Jamestown. Its first order of business was to set a minimum price for the sale of tobacco.

African-Americans in Colonial Times
Find out what life was like for African-Americans in the early days of the colonies. Read fact sheets on famous people. The primary sources are also especially helpful.

Lost Colony of Roanoke
Just what happened to the people who landed on Roanoke Island? Site explores the why and the what-ifs?

The Fur Trade in North America
Trace the development of the fur trade, from its beginnings in New France (Canada), through the conflicts between European powers and Native Americans, to the ascendancy of the U.S., to the end of the trade. Beavers and bison were big business, but what other animals were prized? And who were the most famous of the traders, other than John Jacob Astor and William Henry Ashley?

Search This Site

Get weekly newsletter

Custom Search

Get weekly newsletter

Social Studies for Kids
copyright 2002–2020
David White