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Unit

Chapter 2: The Colonial Era 1607-1763

Guiding question

Invite students to explore the religious, political, and social movements and events that fostered a sense of autonomy from Great Britain among the American colonists between 1607 and 1763.

Grade
9–12
Published
Sep 20, 2021
Download unit inquiry organizer
This is a 1670 painting showing bare-chested, barefoot black men in knee-length pants, doing various tasks associated with tobacco drying. Some stand in sheds hanging the leaves up to dry.

Chapter 2 of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, BRI’s U.S. History Curriculum Resource, invites students to explore the religious, political, and social movements and events that fostered a sense of autonomy from Great Britain among the American colonists between 1607 and 1763. Discover our suggested sequence for Chapter 2.

Teacher resource

Chapter 2: The Colonial Era 1607-1763 Inquiry Organizer

What religious, political, and social movements and events fostered a sense of autonomy from Great Britain among the American colonists between 1607 and 1763?

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Lessons

A historical document with intricate designs and calligraphy in brown and blue ink on aged paper.
Colonial Comparison: The Rights of Englishmen in the Colonial Era
  • 3 Activities
  • 90 min

This Lesson will provide additional context for the Colonial Identity: English or American? Point-Counterpoint.

Benjamin Franklin holding a kite and key, surrounded by cherubs, depicting his experiment with electricity.
Benjamin Franklin Mini DBQ
  • 1 Activity
  • 55 min

This Lesson should follow the Colonial Identity: English or American? Point-Counterpoint.

Illustration of a woman at a dining table observing figures presenting food and goods labeled "Mother Country" and "Colony."
Mercantilism
  • 3 Activities
  • 45 min

This Lesson should come at the end of Unit 1 as a preview of the problems in the British colonies leading up to the American Revolution.

A historical painting depicting the signing of the U.S. Constitution with numerous historical figures in a formal setting.
Colonial Era Civics Connection: The Colonial Origins of American Republicanism
  • 4 Activities
  • 80 min

A review lesson for Unit 1 (1491-1763) that explores the significance of constitutional principles in the context of the events students have studied.

Unit resources

A historical scene depicting a group of early settlers walking through a snowy landscape with trees in the background.
ActivityColonial Identity: English or American?

How much did the colonists form their own American identity and how much of the identity of their mother country did they keep? Malcolm Gaskill and Phillip Hamilton debate this question.

Text from a sermon titled "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," preached in Enfield, July 8, 1741.
ActivityWhat Was the Great Awakening?

Was the Great Awakening a coherent movement, or a construct that historians retroactively created? Thomas Kidd and Frank Lambert debate this question.

Portrait of a man with a beard, wearing a black outfit and a white ruffled collar against a dark background.
ActivityA City Upon a Hill: Winthrop’s “Modell of Christian Charity,” 1630

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

A historical scene depicting a group of men in traditional clothing marching with a drummer at the forefront.
ActivityBacon vs. Berkeley on Bacon’s Rebellion, 1676

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

A historical painting depicting a meeting between European settlers and Native Americans in a natural setting.
ActivityWilliam Penn’s Letter Recruiting Colonists, 1683

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

A historical handwritten document with faded text and ink, showing signs of aging and wear.
ActivityGermantown Friends’ Antislavery Petition, 1688

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

Historical illustration depicting George Washington and M. St. Pierre in a tent with figures in the background.
ActivityGeorge Washington’s Journal: Expeditions to Disputed Ohio Territory, 1753–1754

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

Historic map of Virginia depicting geography, settlements, and illustrations from the early 17th century.
ActivityMaps Showing the Evolution of Settlement, 1624–1755

Use this primary source imagery to analyze major events in history.

This is a map showing the English, Dutch, French, and Spanish colonies on the Atlantic coast and the dates of their settlement, as well as the names of Indian tribes inhabiting those areas. English colonies are New Hampshire 1623, Massachusetts Bay 1629 to 1630, Plymouth 1620, Rhode Island 1636 to 1643, Connecticut 1636 to 1639, New Haven 1636 to 1664, Pennsylvania 1681, Maryland 1634, Virginia 1606 to 1607, Carolina 1663, and Georgia 1732. Dutch colonies are New Netherlands 1624 and New Sweden 1638. French colony is New France 1534. Spanish colony is Florida 1513. Indian tribes inhabiting these colonized areas are Penobscot, Abenaki, Kennebec, Narragansett, Pequot, Mohawk, Oneida, Huron, Ottawa, Seneca, Onondaga, Cayuga, Iroquois, Tuscarora, Delaware, Western Delaware, Shawnee, Upper Cherokee, Middle Cherokee, Lower Cherokee, Catawba, Yamasee, Upper Natchez, Lower Natchez, Creek.
EssayChapter 2 Introductory Essay: The Colonial Era 1607-1763

Investigate British, French, and Spanish colonial policies in North America.

Historical maritime map showing coastlines, ships, and navigational symbols.
EssayThe English Come to America

How did the English colonies in America develop over time?

A historical painting depicting a courtroom scene with diverse figures in period attire.
EssayThe Anglo-Powhatan War of 1622

What caused war between the English and Powhatan people?

An image shows the execution of Charles the first. Crowds of people surround the stage where he is being executed.
EssayThe Founding of Maryland

Why did Maryland become a haven of religious freedom?

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