Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: New England Colonies: William Bradford; The First Thanksgiving

For Students 5th - 8th
Plymouth Colony did not suffer the same problems as the English colony farther south, Jamestown. Read about the leadership of William Bradford, and the relationship between the settlers and the Native Americans who helped those who lived...
PPT
Virginia History Series

Virginia History Series: English Settlements in Virginia (1584 1699) [Pdf]

For Students 6th - 8th
Take a historical walk through the colony of Jamestown. Learn about the main people who influenced the development of this colony, read a list of names of the original settlers, read about the struggles of the first settlers, explore...
Article
A&E Television

History.com: Why the Wampanoag Signed a Peace Treaty With the Mayflower Pilgrims

For Students 9th - 10th
The peace accord, which would be honored on both sides for the next half-century, was the first official treaty between English settlers and Native Americans, and a rare example of cooperation between the two groups. On the orders of...
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of the American Indian: Beyond the Thanksgiving Myth [Pdf]

For Students 4th - 8th
This study guide gives information about the Native Americans who were living in the area where the Pilgrims landed in 1620 and information about the new settlers too. The myth of the title concerns the friendly meal shared by the...
Lesson Plan
Huntington Library

Early English Exploration and Settlement of the Colony of Virginia

For Teachers 5th
For this lesson, 5th graders learn about the individuals and groups who first founded the different colonies in America and what their motivations were. Students participate in a reader's theater activity, create a poster that would...
Website
Library of Congress

Loc: Encountering the American West: Ohio River Valley 1750 1820

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a PDF of the information from LOC of the exhibition of America's move to its first West, that of the Ohio River Valley. Discussion includes these topics: Contested Lands, Peoples and Migrations, Empires and Politics, Western Life...
Handout
Other

The Roman World 509 b.c. To a.d. 180

For Students 9th - 10th
This narrative site provides great overview to life in ancient Rome and Roman history. The geography, early settlers, Roman monarchy, Roman conquest of Italy are all mentioned.
Article
Other

The Independent: Carolina's Lost Colony

For Students 4th - 8th
The mystery of what happened to the Lost Colony on Roanoke Island has endured over the centuries. A clue has, until recently, lain hidden in a map created by John White that is housed in the British Museum. Archaeologists began digging...
Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Transportation

For Students 9th - 10th
Do you think that modern transportation limits our ability to see and/or enjoy what the first settlers saw and did?
Article
Henry J. Sage

Sage American History: Introduction to American Colonial History

For Students 9th - 10th
Introductory article on American Colonial History in which the author takes a look at the first European settlers who made the voyage to America and addresses the essential question of who they were as people and hence, why they made...
Handout
Other

Encyclopedia of New Zealand: New Zealand Peoples

For Students 9th - 10th
Meet the many peoples who make up the population of New Zealand! Who were the first inhabitants? Where did they come from? When did Europeans discover this faraway land? Who immigrated to New Zealand, and why? Answers to all of these...
Website
Virtual Museum of Canada

Virtual Museum of Canada: Community Stories: Lake Ainslie the Settlers Story

For Students 9th - 10th
The Cape Breton Island settlement of East Lake Ainslie is profiled. Scottish immigrants first came here to clear the land for farming and to live a peaceful island life. Changes occurred over time, yet all important events and people...
Lesson Plan
Other

Rhode Island: First Inhabitants

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
At this site read a concise description of the different Native American groups that first lived in the Rhode Island area. Also learn about the earliest European settlers and a bit about their lives after settlement.
Handout
The History Cat

The History Cat: Us History: Plymouth Colony

For Students 9th - 10th
The story of how Plymouth Colony came to be. Looks at the Puritan movement with its roots in England, the sailing of the Mayflower, and the progress of the settlers in their first years in New England. Describes their first encounters...
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Columbus to the Colonies

For Teachers 9th - 10th
From the time Columbus first set foot in the New World, Europeans were fascinated with this new land. In this lesson, students learn about the Three Gs that drove them here- gold, God, and glory- and find out how these settlers gave...
Article
University of Missouri

Famous Trials: The Osage "Reign of Terror" Murder Trials

For Students 9th - 10th
The "Reign of Terror" that overtook the Osage Reservation in 1921 is just one chapter in the long story of mistreatment of Native Americans by whites, but is one of the most horrifying. Before the chapter ends, untold dozens of Osage...
Website
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: Maryland Day, March 25, 1634

For Students 3rd - 8th
Features a brief overview of the history of Maryland, and the origin of Maryland Day. Also showcases several historical photos of Maryland from an aerial view.
Handout
Other

University of Wisconsin: Solomon Juneau, Founder of Milwaukee

For Students 9th - 10th
Solomon Juneau, a French-Canadian, was one of the first settlers in the Milwaukee area and helped to shape its future. There is a profile of him here along with photos of his last home, which is now a museum.
Handout
Other

University of Wisconsin: Josette and Solomon Juneau

For Students 9th - 10th
Josette and Solomon Juneau were among the first settlers in the Milwaukee area and helped to shape its early years. This is a short biography of the couple, who were reportedly very attached to each other.
Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: New York

For Students 3rd - 5th
Who were the first settlers in New York? Where should you "stop and smell the lilacs?" Who was Solomon Northup? Aren't sure about the answers to these questions. Use this site to learn some interesting facts about the state of New York.
PPT
PBS

Pbs: Virtual Field Trip: Creek Nation

For Students 9th - 10th
This virtual experience provides students with an in-depth look at the lives of the Creek Indians prior to the arrival of the first settlers in Georgia in the 1830s. Included is a lesson plan and user guide.
Handout
State Library of North Carolina

N Cpedia: Colonial Period Overview

For Students 9th - 10th
The first permanent English settlers in North Carolina emigrated from the tidewater area of southeastern Virginia. The first of these "overflow" settlers moved into the area of the Albemarle Sound in northeast North Carolina around 1650....
Handout
Countries and Their Cultures

Countries and Their Cultures: Afrikaners

For Students 9th - 10th
The Afrikaners are descendants, to a great extent, of Dutch, German, and French Huguenot settlers, and, to a lesser extent, of English, Scottish, Irish, and other settlers of South Africa. The Dutch language of the first White settlers...
Study Guide
Oswego City School District

Regents Prep: Us History: Immigration & Migration: Era of 'Old' Immigration

For Students 9th - 10th
The earliest waves of settlers to the Americas, up through the first half of the 19th century, constitute the era of 'old' immigration. There are some distinctions between those settlers who came prior to the Revolutionary War and those...