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Social Studies 5: Tell Me More About These Colonies 55 Views


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Description:

Today we'll learn all about the colonies in North America. Protip: The middle colonies were totally the best. Moderate weather, more diversity, and they ended up with WAY less slavery. Good times.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:05

[Dino and Coop singing]

00:13

You know what they say about the colonies…

00:15

"If you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere!"

00:17

…Hang on…that might just be New York… [Woman stood in New York]

00:20

Well, anyway!

00:21

The colonies were divided into three distinct regions, each offering something unique to [The colonies shown in different colors on a map]

00:25

would-be colonists.

00:26

First, there were the New England Colonies.

00:28

If you’re in the mood for turkey and cranberry sauce, New England is where you want to be. [Guy dreaming of a turkey walking past a pot of cranberry sauce]

00:33

That’s because New England was founded by Puritans, also known as the Pilgrims, also

00:37

known as the People Who Brought You Thanksgiving. [Pilgrims having a thanksgiving dinner]

00:40

They fled England hoping to find religious freedom, and they found it!

00:43

They also found a climate of cold winters, mild summers and hard rocky soil that made [Shovel digging into the soil]

00:48

farming difficult.

00:49

Without cash crops to make a living on, New Englanders turned to fishing, lumbering, fur

00:53

trading and mining, instead. [Coop pointing at a blackboard]

00:55

Of course, if they wanted something fancy, they still had to order it special from England. [Woman using a computer]

00:59

Amazon Prime wasn't a thing, yet.

01:00

If you were lacking in Puritan work ethic, but were pro-diversity, you probably would've

01:05

enjoyed the Middle Colonies.

01:06

They were largely founded by Dutch Quakers also seeking religious liberty. [Dino pointing at a blackboard]

01:11

In the middle colonies, just about anyone was free to practice whatever form of worship

01:14

they wanted.

01:16

Their diverse culture was also a reflection of their diverse climate.

01:19

Moderate weather and fertile soil made it easy to grow cash crops like cotton, fruit, [Crops popping up in a field]

01:24

grains…

01:25

… and other farm-to-table-ready foods for the enjoyment of 18th century British hipsters. [18th century people taking pictures of their food]

01:29

If farming wasn’t your thing, there were still plenty of other options to make a living

01:32

in the middle colonies, including mining, fur trading, lumber, ship-building… and,

01:37

depending on your moral compass, slave-trading.

01:39

But if you care less about religious freedom and diversity, and more about lifestyle and

01:43

gold, then you probably would've called the Southern Colonies home sweet home.

01:47

These colonies were founded by rich English gentlemen who were all about ye olde Benjamins. [Man jumps into swimming pool full of money

01:52

Or, actually, the pound sterling, since the US dollar wasn’t invented yet and Ben Franklin

01:57

was still just a kook with a key and a kite. [Franklin holding on to his kite in stormy weather]

01:59

The South’s economy was driven by cash crops – especially tobacco.

02:03

No one in the 18th Century knew the link between smoking and lung cancer, so demand for tobacco [Guy has a chest x-ray it says lung cancer in his chest]

02:08

was high…

02:09

…which made Southerners happier than pigs in a blanket.

02:12

Warm climates and rich soil made the crop super easy to grow. [Picture of old crop field]

02:15

But these enormous plantations required lots of work to keep the cash flowing in... [Guy dreaming of farming work]

02:19

…Which is why Southerners turned to slavery.

02:22

…which makes us sadder than pigs without blankets. [The blanket is taken away from the pigs]

02:25

So, no matter your religion, lifestyle, or job preference, the colonies had something

02:28

for everyone.

02:29

And you know what they say…"What happens in the colonies stays in the colonies…"

02:33

…No?

02:34

That's Vegas? [Lit up Vegas sign]

02:35

Shoot…we'll get it right one of these times…

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