Disagreement was not tolerated in these Puritan colonies. This caused a split and founded the Rhode Island colony. Roger Williams preached that the church should be separate from the government. In the fall of 1635 he was banished, and after many weeks of traveling he purchased land from the natives (whom he called the true owners of the land, rather than England) and founded the town of Providence, RI.
Eventually the settlements were split into 13 different colonies. The first Great Awakening swept through the new world de-emphasizing church rules and focusing instead on the need for a personal relationship with Jesus. Preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield taught many that salvation comes from God alone, and oversaw many conversions. This change unified the colonies and created a bold spirit of willingness to confront authority. In class activities 10/22/13:
- discussed the expansion of the MA Bay colony into multiple colonies
- mapped the 13 colonies
- made our own mini-quilts
- learned about every-day life in the colonies, including trade
- discussed the first great awakening
- added to our history notebooks
Optional lesson extension activities:
- Read the story of Dorothy's hornbook (page 13) from Everyday Life in the Colonies - free online
- Click and drag to label all 13 colonies
- Learn about the various trades in the colonies.
