Lesson 4: Daily Life in the Colonies
Getting Started
A tremendous number of the things that we buy from stores today were made at home in colonial times. Importing goods from England was expensive, and few people had the cash available to buy a lot of expensive imported goods. So colonists provided for themselves, their families, and their communities by making the most of the natural resources available to them. In this lesson, you'll learn more about how colonial people obtained the things they needed; you'll also create either a costume or models of items from daily life that you can use in your final project for this unit.
Stuff You Need
- Great Colonial Projects You Can Build Yourself! by Kris Bordessa
Ideas to Think About
- In what ways can the change of place of a physical migration inspire or make possible changes in culture, community, and ways of life?
Things to Know
- Imported goods were extremely expensive in colonial America, so people grew or made much of what they needed at home or bought them locally.
- Some colonial activities, like candle-making, were necessary but also served as opportunities for social interaction.
- Clothing was very expensive in the colonies -- most people had only a couple of outfits, rather than a whole wardrobe of clothes!
Skills
- Analyze the important geographic, political, economic, and social aspects of life in the region prior to the Revolutionary Period. (SS)
- Assess the impact of geography on the settlement and developing economy of the Carolina colony. (SS)
- Identify and describe American Indians who inhabited various colonies and assess their impacts on those colonies. (SS)
- Identify geographic and political reasons for the creation of various colonies and evaluate the effects on the government and economics of the colony. (SS)
- Describe the roles and contributions of diverse groups, such as American Indians, African Americans, European immigrants, landed gentry, tradesmen, and small farmers to everyday life in various colonies. (SS)
Introducing the Lesson
In this lesson, your child will learn more about daily life in the colonies and how colonial people obtained the things they needed; she will also create either a costume or models of items from daily life that she can use in her final project for this unit.
Materials: Great Colonial Projects You Can Build Yourself! by Kris Bordessa
Read Chapters 3 and 4 in Great Colonial Projects You Can Build Yourself! by Kris Bordessa and then answer these questions.
Questions
- Describe a typical colonial house.Answers will vary: See pages 25-30 for information your child might include.
- In Puritan New England, what would happen if a woman committed a felony?Her husband would be punished.
- How did aristocrats show off their wealth in their attire?Fancy clothing details — such as bodices with stays, layered gowns, petticoats, paniers, and fine fabrics — all showed off the wealth of an aristocratic colonist. Gentlemen might wear a doublet, a cape, or other fine clothing.
- What materials could be used to make clothing?Flax or wool for common people, or finer fabrics like silk for the wealthy.