Social Studies - United States History I
Educational Links

U.S. I Strand 2: COLONIZATION

(Ca. 1565-1776)

Driven by economic, religious, and political opportunities, colonial powers from Europe established footholds, then empires in North America. Many colonists fled poverty or persecution to start new lives in an unfamiliar land. Africans were enslaved and brought to the Americas against their will. Interactions between colonists and the indigenous peoples living in North America added complexity to the colonies. Geographic and cultural factors influenced where colonists settled and how they lived. Sectional and regional differences emerged that would affect American history. Patterns established within the English colonies on the Eastern seaboard would shape many of the dominant political, economic, linguistic, and religious traditions of the United States.

Possible Guiding Questions to Consider:

• What is a colony?
• What role did the concepts of self-government and religious freedom play in the colonial era?
• How did economic philosophies such as mercantilism promote colonization?
• How were English colonization patterns on the Atlantic coast different from those of the French colonies in the interior and Spanish colonization in what is now the southwestern United States?
• How are colonization patterns of the French, Spanish, and English colonies evident in human geography patterns today?

• Our Documents - 100 Milestone Documents
  List of 100 milestone documents that chronicle United States history from 1776 to 1965.This site also provides excellent links, including History Day.
• Surrounded by Beauty: Arts of Native America
  Students: Click on different regions of the U.S. to read about the Native Americans from that region.

---

http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Robert  Austin and see the Social Studies website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Jennifer  Throndsen.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.