In 1607 a joint-stock company sent a group of settlers to form the colony of Jamestown in Virginia. Although the colonists were ill-prepared to start a new settlement, eventually they learned to grow tobacco, which provided them with a profitable crop. Nonetheless, the Virginia settlers faced conflicts with American Indians and among themselves.

The Puritans formed the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which grew and thrived as new settlers from England came to join them. The New England colonies governed themselves and based their government on church membership. 

Other groups formed colonies on the East Coast for different reasons. For Example, Maryland was founded as a colony for Catholics. The English in the Carolinas and the Dutch in New Netherlands established colonies for profit. Pennsylvania was founded by the Quakers seeking religious freedom. Georgia was set up to give poor debtors a chance to a fresh start.

One of the first colonies established in the New World was a proprietary colony, a colony which was owned by a company. This was the settlement in Jamestown. Read about Jamestown in your textbook on page 62 - 63. You can also find more information on the Internet by looking at the Jamestown page. People that came to Jamestown were recruited by the London Company.

The thirteen colonies were separate communities along the Atlantic coast from New England to Georgia. The colonies governments and economies were tied to Britain. Colonial trade and the planting of cash crops brought many African slaves to the colonies. The Great Awakening revived and renewed colonists commitment to God. It also increased communication within and between the colonies.

Others came to North America to seek freedom to worship. England at the time was dominated by the Church of England. It was either worship as they said or leave, so some groups left. Two of the more known groups were the Pilgrims and the Puritans who settled in colonies located in New England. Read about these on pages 72 - 78 in your textbook. What an incredible journey this must have been! Read what William Bradford, leader of the Pilgrims, thought about the trip and setting up the colony. Both of these groups brought significant contributions to the New World. The Pilgrims drafted the first plan of government in the new colonies. Read the Mayflower Compact on page 69. By reading this original document, you are reading what historians call a primary source. It's the original. Think about who the signers of this document promised to serve and why it would be important that all men on the boat sign the Mayflower Compact. Why didn't the women sign it? Answer the questions related to Bradford's writings.

Middle and Southern colonies were established for various reasons. Lord Baltimore established Maryland for reasons different from other colonies. Read about him in section 4, pages 79 - 85. Look at the chart on page 84 in your textbook. This chart offers a lot of information. Be prepared to compare and contrast some of the information listed there.

Changes came and went in the colonies. No change was greater in the life of the young colonies than a period called the Great Awakening. George Whitfield  and Jonathan Edwards were two preachers very instrumental in this renewal movement calling the colonists back to God. Their message was that all people are sinners; in order to be saved, people must confess their sins and accept God's grace. By preaching that all people had the same opportunity to be born again - rich, poor, urban, rural, men, women, all races - the Great Awakening brought different people groups together. The wide spread news of the revival made a significant impact on the communication between all of the colonies. Read about this movement in your textbook on pages 104 - 107 in your textbook. Read about Jonathan Edwards answer the questions included with this link.

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1. How did American Indians help the Jamestown colonists? What caused the conflicts between the Powhatan and the colonists?

2. Write a brief letter to someone back in England describing the Mayflower Compact and explaining why your group felt that it was necessary.

3. Of the colonies described in this chapter, where do you think that you would have most liked to have lived? Where would have least liked to have lived? Explain your answer.

4. Imagine that you have attended one of George Whitfield's revivals. Write a short newspaper editorial describing what you have seen (how many people) and heard at the revival (what he preached and the emotional intensisty) as well as the effect that Whitfield's sermon might have on your life in the future (religious freedom).