The New England Colonies

1. The New England Colonies Chapter 6 section 1 Pages 150-155

2. Making a living: • Farming: in New England: • The land was hilly and rocky • The Growing season was short • People began subsistence farming, where all members of the family worked together to produce just enough food for their own needs

3. Fishing: • Fishing: in New England: • The waters were a better source of feed then farming • Cod fish were abundant and it could be salted, kept and traded • Fishers caught enough fish to Export to the West Indies • With the profits they could import goods they needed

4. Whaling: • They used whales parts of the whale to make oil lamps, candles, and other products • Nantucket and Martha's vineyard became important whaling ports

5. Living from the Forrest: • This forests covered much of New England • Timber was used in: • Building houses • Firewood • Ship building • Building ships employed many people including artisans (craftsmen)

6. Women in the Economy • Women played an important role in the economy • Many of them worked side by side with their husbands • Women who's husbands worked at sea often opened shops • Others produced goods such as cloth, candles, soap, and furniture

7. Triangular Trade Routes • Colonial ships followed regular trade routes that formed a triangle • Ships took fish, grain, meat, and lumber to the west indies • There they traded for sugar, molasses, and fruit that they took back to New England to make rum • The rum along with manufactured goods were taken to west Africa and traded for slaves • The slaves were then brought back to the colonies and traded for fish, grain, meat, and lumber.

8. Belief in Education • Puritans believed that people needed enough education to read the Bible • Parents who could read taught the children at home- this was a Dame school • Because books were scarce, many times they used a horn book, a flat piece of wood with the alphabet engraved on it covered by a transparent piece of horn

9. The First Public Schools • Because of the puritans concern for education Massachusetts law required all children to learn to read • Massachusetts School Law provided that every town of 50+ households had to hire a teacher • This was the first public school in America • The first college was Harvard, it trained ministers , lawyers, and docters

10. The Town: • Settlers built their homes in 2 rows facing each other, at one end what the Church or meeting house • The meeting house is where people met to discuss and resolve the problems of the town • This was called a town meeting