Module 1: American Beginnings - 1607 to the 1750s

Martina and Terrance are on a quest to see how America was born, what made the nation grow and change, and how America became the way it is today. In this module, you will join the two as they begin their travels from the year 1607 through the 1750s. They will visit the Southern, New England, and Middle colonies as each area is explored, colonized, and settled by various groups of people for numerous reasons. They will begin in the Southern colonies, where they will visit the first permanent settlement at Jamestown and learn about the people seeking financial prospects. Follow them as they go to the New England colonies and come in contact with the Pilgrims and Puritans who settle Massachusetts as an exile for religious freedom. Finally, explore the the Middle colonies with Martina and Terrance as they meet immigrants who are seeking both economic opportunities and religious freedom.

Getting Started

Prior to this history course, you may have learned about European colonization and why certain groups of people came to the New World. Take a moment to refresh your knowledge by playing the Colonial Voyage game. In this non-graded activity, select your ship and see if your ship can make it from England to Virginia by answering a series of questions. Click the player button to get started.

 

Key Vocabulary

To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.

American Indians	Mayflower Compact	Presbyterian
Baptist	mercantilism	proprietary colony
cash crop	Methodists	Protestant
covenant community	Middle Passage	Puritans
direct democracy	Native Americans	Quakers
evangelical religion	New Amsterdam	representative democracy
Great Awakening	New Netherland	Rolfe, John
House of Burgesses	Newport, Christopher	stock-company
Huguenots	Penn, William	subsistence farming
indentured servants	Pequot War	triangular trade
indigo	Pilgrims	Winthrop, John
Jamestown	plantation
King Phillip’s War	Plymouth Colony