Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: Puritan Life
Find out about the life of the Puritans. Education was important, as well as church attendance. Read about the forms of punishment, and the ways Puritans had fun.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: Witchcraft in Salem
The hysteria in Salem which resulted in trials of innocent people accused of witchcraft has invited many theories on why the accusing girls made such claims. Read about the evidence admitted in the trials and the results of the trials....
Yale University
Avalon Project: A Grant of the Province of Maine
The text of the legal document granting the province of Maine to Sir Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason in 1622.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: William Bradford; The First Thanksgiving
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...
Other
Lost Colony: England's Expeditions to the New World 1584 1590
A short history of the attempt to establish a British colony on Roanoke Island which ended with the mysterious disappearance of the colonists.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Explore Colonial Boston
Use this interactive activity to explore colonial Boston and the geographic and human-made features of the Shawmut Peninsula in 1723. Learn how geography has shaped the lives of the people of Boston and see how different Boston's...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Report the Trials: Salem Hysteria
Learners will act as a radio/TV reporter informing the public of the hysteria of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. Within partners/groups, students will create a podcast/vodcast connecting Puritan life and culture with the events in Salem.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Utopian Promise: Mary Rowlandson
After immigrating to the New England colonies, being captured by Wampanoag Indians, Puritan and author acclimates herself to the Native American culture as a form of survival and documents her time kept captive. See "Mary Rowlandson...
Quia
Quia: The Thirteen Colonies Quiz
Take this 15-question, multiple-choice quiz to test your knowledge of the Thirteen Colonies.
SMART Technologies
Smart: Colonial Life
Factors that shaped British Colonial America. Compare and contrast life in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern colonies.
Stanford University
Sheg: Document Based History: Reading Like a Historian:examining Passenger Lists
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students use primary source documents to investigate central historical questions. In this investigation, students critically examine the passenger lists of ships headed to New England and Virginia to...
Other
The Descendants of Henry Doude: Perspectives: The Pequot War
A brief description of the Pequot War, a conflict between the Pequots and the English colonists from the Massachusetts Bay colony. There are two maps showing the location of Indian tribes in 1636 and again in 1639.
Syracuse University
Syracuse University: Map of New England, 17th Century
A map that shows the seventeenth-century migration routes of the Puritans from England to New England. Early population centers are designated as well as some interregional migrations.
Huntington Library
Huntington Library: American Indians and English Settlers in Colonial America
In this lesson, 5th graders examine the relations between Indians and the settlers in the 1600s and 1700s. Background information for teachers is included. Students will work in groups to look at three different colonies and read primary...
Brown University
John Carter Brown Library: Slavery and Justice
Brown University boasts ownership of one of the greatest collections of early Americana in the world. In 2007 the university's John Carter Brown Library introduced a thorough exhibit after the publication of "Report of the Brown...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Utopian Promise: William Bradford
Seventeenth century author, William Bradford, set sail on the Mayflower and embarked on a journey to the New World using his experiences for his writings. Click on "William Bradford Activities" for related artifacts and activities.
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Colonial House: Fearless and Faithful
A lesson plan based on the PBS program, Colonial House, which aired in 2004. The program is available on DVD and the link to the activity is still available. This lesson plan explores why ordinary people left their homes in Europe to...
The History Cat
The History Cat: Us History: Plymouth Colony
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...
Arizona State University
Archaeological Research Institute: A Walking Tour of Plimouth Plantation
A visual exploration, supported by interpretive text, of Plymouth Plantation as it existed in the 1600s. Includes photographs of buildings, a wigwam, European and Native American clothing, and tools used.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Fort Raleigh: The Roanoke Voyages: A Mystery Story for Young People
The history of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island is told in story form. It tells of the conflict between England and Spain to establish a foothold in the New World, the voyages arranged by Sir Walter Raleigh, the establishment of a...
Other
Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Park
The fortress of Louisbourg was one of the pivotal centre's of control and defense in the colony of New France. Ultimately, whomever controlled Louisbourg controlled access to the St. Lawrence Seaways and access to the New France...
Other
School Wires: The Commerical North [Pdf]
The Northern colonies developed a predominantly urban society, based on commerce and trade.
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Connecticut: A Case Study in Anti Imperialism
Lesson plan for 7th and 8th grade. Gives notes on imperialism, mercantilism and how Great Britain used the colonies as a source for raw materials.
Other
Time Page: 13 Originals: Founding the American Colonies
Information about each of the thirteen colonies with links to additional good quality resources.