Life in

Colonial America

 

 

 

 

 

Haven’t you always wondered what it was

like to live in Colonial America? 

 

Now is your chance to find out!  Click on

 one of the links below.  You will be transported back in time.

 

 

Housing

·        The following links will transport you back in time to learn about the different types of housing the colonists built.

 

House Photographs  This site shows you various photographs of different houses from the colonial period.  Only use this page to view the photographs.  It will not be necessary to read the text.   Date visited: 10/20/03

http://www.microweb.com/harle/colonial.html

 

Building Materials and other interesting facts about colonial life   This site tells a story from a child’s point of view.  It has information about the building materials used for homes in the colonial period and some other interesting facts Check it out!  (Sometimes this site does not work the first time you visit it.  If this happens, click the back button and try again.)  Date visited:10/20/03

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002611F/house.htm?tqskip1=1&tqtime=1020

 

Where did you live if you were rich or poor?   This site tells interesting facts about the differences in housing from rich people to poor people.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002132/shelters.html

 

 

Clothing

·        The following links will transport you back in time to learn about the different types of clothing worn during the colonial period.

 

What did they wear?   This site tells interesting facts about the types of clothing worn by colonial people.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002132/clothes.html

 

Liberty Kids (What Boys Wear)   This site shows a short video explaining the clothing boys wore in the 18th century.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://pbskids.org/libertyskids/nowthen/lk_nt115.html

 

Liberty Kids (What Girls Wear)    This site shows a short video explaining the clothing girls wore in the 18th century.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://pbskids.org/libertyskids/nowthen/lk_nt116.html

 

Colonial Williamsburg   This site tells about clothing worn by men and women during the 18th century.  There is also an interactive scrapbook which shows clothing worn by African Americans during the 18th century.   Date visited:  10/20/03

http://www.history.org/history/clothing/intro/index.cfm

 

Colonial Clothing- Was it all the same?   This site is unique because it shows you the different types of clothing worn by each religious or regional group of colonial people.  This is a great “kid friendly” site.  It was actually written by kids!   Date visited 10/20/03

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/colonial_times/colonial_america.htm

 

Virtual Museum of Colonial Clothing    This site is great because it gives you a close up view of many commonly worn items.  Click on each picture for a description of the item.  Date visited:  10/20/03

http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/iadcost/iadcost-main1.html

 

Common Colonial Clothing    This site describes the type of clothing commonly worn by colonial men and women.  (Sometimes this site does not work the first time you visit it.  If this happens, click the back button and try again.) Date visited:10/20/03

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002611F/clothing.htm?tqskip1=1&tqtime=1020

                            

 

School

·        The following links will transport you back in time to learn about the different types of schooling that was available to colonial children.

 

What was school like?  This site tells a few interesting facts about the colonial schools. Date visited: 10/20/03

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002132/school.html

 

Liberty Kids (Staying in School)    This site shows a short video explaining the number of years of schooling in the 18th century.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://pbskids.org/libertyskids/nowthen/lk_nt136.html

 

Colonial Schooling: Rich verses Poor  This site explains the difference in schooling for girls and boys and the difference between rich and poor children’s levels of schooling.  When visiting this site, click on the link above and then click on the link that says “school”.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://www.nps.gov/fofr/col_kids.htm

                  

Details about colonial schools   This site gives great details about colonial schools.  Highly recommended!  (Sometimes this site does not work the first time you visit it.  If       this happens, click the back button and try again.) Date visited: 10/20/03

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002611F/school.htm?tqskip1=1&tqtime=1020

 

Colonial Schooling and Literacy   This site offers facts about three aspects of colonial schools.  It tells about Hornbooks, Dame School, and the New England Primer.  Date visited 10/20/03

http://alumni.cc.gettysburg.edu/~s330558/schooling.html

         

 

Favorite colonial pastimes (adults and children)

·        The following links will transport you back in time to learn about the different pastimes children and adults enjoyed in Colonial America.

 

Liberty Kids (Favorite Games)  This site shows a short video explaining favorite games played in the 18th century.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://pbskids.org/libertyskids/nowthen/lk_nt109.html

                  

Liberty Kids (An Evening at Home)  This site shows a short video explaining a typical evening at home in the 18th century.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://pbskids.org/libertyskids/nowthen/lk_nt122.html

                  

Liberty Kids (Popular Instruments)  This site shows a short video explaining one of the popular instruments in the 18th century.  Date visited: 10/20/03   

http://pbskids.org/libertyskids/nowthen/lk_nt126.html

 

Liberty Kids (Listening to Music)   This site shows a short video explaining how colonial people listened to music in the 18th century.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://pbskids.org/libertyskids/nowthen/lk_nt133.html

 

Colonial Games  This site tells about some popular games enjoyed by girls and boys in the 18th century.  When visiting this site, click on the link above and then click on the link that says “games”.  Date visited:10/20/03

http://www.nps.gov/fofr/col_kids.htm

 

Colonial Children’s Pastimes   This site tells interesting facts about many colonial pastimes from games and toys to Tongue Twisters and Riddles.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://www.ctstateu.edu/noahweb/games.html

                  

Recreation  This site gives more information about some popular colonial games and toys. (Sometimes this site does not work the first time you visit it.  If this happens, click the back  button and try again.)  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002611F/recreation.htm?tqskip1=1&tqtime=1020

 

Common areas of Villages    This site tells about the common area of most villages and small towns during the colonial period.  Date visited:  10/20/03

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/13coloniespark.htm

         

 

Chores/Occupations (Trades)

·        The following links will transport you back in time to learn about the different chores and occupations that children and adults had in colonial America.

 

Colonial Jobs  This site gives a brief overview of various colonial trades.  Date visited:  10/20/03

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002132/jobs.html

 

Colonial Chores  This site gives a brief overview of various colonial chores.  Date visited:  10/20/03

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002132/chores.html

 

Colonial Occupations  This site tells about common colonial occupations.  Click on the image to learn more about each occupation.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215447/occupationpage.htm

                  

New England Occupations  This site tells about specific occupations in the New England colonies.  Date visited:  10/20/03

http://www.usahistory.info/colonial/customs.html

 

More about Colonial Occupations  This is a well organized site which gives information about 11 popular colonial jobs.  (Sometimes this site does not work the first time you visit it.  If this happens, click the back button and try again.)  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002611F/town.htm?tqskip1=1&tqtime=1020

                  

Farming  This site gives many details about farming.  Farming was one of the most popular occupations in the colonies.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/13coloniesfarm.htm

               

 

Travel and Transportation

       

·        The following links will transport you back in time to learn about the different chores and occupations that children and adults had in Colonial America.

 

Most Common Mode of Transportation   Click on the picture to find out what the most common mode of transportation was during colonial times.   Date visited:  10/20/03

http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/perspectives/dailylife.html

 

Did everyone travel the same way?   Read the information on this website to find out the difference between traveling for the rich and the poor.  Date visited:  10/20/03

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002132/travell.html

                    

Liberty Kids (Philadelphia to Boston)  This site shows a short video explaining the difference between colonial travel and travel today.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://pbskids.org/libertyskids/nowthen/lk_nt101.html

 

Liberty Kids (New York to France Non-Stop)  This site shows a short video explaining the difference between colonial travel and travel today.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://pbskids.org/libertyskids/nowthen/lk_nt118.html

 

Liberty Kids (Jets and Sailing Ships)  This site shows a short video explaining the difference between the speed of travel during colonial times and the speed of travel today.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://pbskids.org/libertyskids/nowthen/lk_nt132.html

 

More Transportation Information  This site tells more about the various modes of travel used during the colonial period.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002611F/transportation.htm?tqskip1=1&tqtime=1020

 

 

Food And Drink

·        The following links will transport you back in time to learn about the different types of food and drink they had in Colonial America.

 

What did the colonists eat?  Click on the picture to find out what the colonists ate.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/perspectives/dailylife.html

 

What else did they eat?  Read the text on this page to find out some of the foods the colonists ate.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002132/food.html

                    

Liberty Kids (Get Milk)  This site shows a short video explaining how the colonists got milk. Date visited: 10/20/03

http://pbskids.org/libertyskids/nowthen/lk_nt107.html

 

Liberty Kids (Chill a Drink)  This site shows a short video explaining how the colonists chilled their drinks.   Date visited: 10/20/03

http://pbskids.org/libertyskids/nowthen/lk_nt110.html

 

Liberty Kids (What’s for dessert?)  This site shows a short video explaining what the colonists ate for dessert.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://pbskids.org/libertyskids/nowthen/lk_nt114.html

 

Liberty Kids (Making Dinner)  This site shows a short video explaining how the colonists made dinner.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://pbskids.org/libertyskids/nowthen/lk_nt128.html

                  

Recipes for Colonial Food  This site actually gives the recipes used to make favorite colonial dishes.  Check it out, maybe you can cook a colonial dinner tonight.  Date visited:  10/20/03

http://www.history.org/Almanack/life/food/foodhdr.cfm

 

Other popular foods the Colonists Ate  This site gives great details about what the colonists ate.  Be sure to read the first and last paragraph.  That is where you will get most of the information from this page.  Date visited: 10/20/03

http://www.apva.org/exhibit/eats.html