Colonial Times for Kids | Learn about the colonial America

Colonial Times Can you imagine someone working 16 hours a day, 6 days a week? Now, can you imagine if that someone was you? From about the 1500s to the 1700s, there was a period in history called the Colonial Times. During that time, children worked long hours to help their families. People who lived during the Colonial Times were called colonists. Many colonists lived on a farm and worked hard for what little they had. Their days began very early when the sun came up. After a breakfast of porridge or bread, everyone would get to work. They worked all day long until the sun went down at night. Since there weren't machines in those days to help them do their work, most of the work was done by hand. If they were lucky, they might have had some help from an ox or horses. A farmer's main job included planting and harvesting their fields. Some of the crops they grew were wheat, corn, barley, oats, tobacco, and rice. Another job for a farmer was caring for their livestock or the animals on their farms. Those animals included sheep, hogs, chickens, and eventually cows and bulls. In addition to those chores, farmers chopped wood, mended fences, and made any needed repairs to their barns or houses. Some colonist children were able to go to school, but many could not. Most of the families that lived on a farm were very poor. These kids would learn to read or write from their father or minister. Any learning that was done was usually done at home, since the children on farms did not attend school as much as the children in the city. They were expected to work on the farm just like any other adult. Life for both men and women on the farm was much harder than for those living in the city. Many of the families who lived in the city had more money than the families who lived on farms. Colonists that lived in the city weren't rich, but they did have more opportunities than those that lived on the farms. Some of the wealthier city families were able to hire tutors for their children or send them to schools located in England. The boys normally attended a place called the Dame School where they learned how to read or write. They also attended a Latin grammar school where they would learn Latin, Greek, and some basic math. Unfortunately, during this time, girls did not have the same opportunities for living as the boys did. Many of the girls never went to school or even learned to read or write. The reason that the girls did not go to school was because the responsibilities of men and women were quite different during the colonial era than they are today. In colonial times, women and girls stayed home and took care of the children. They also made their own clothing, soap, candles, and many other goods and products that their families needed. In addition, they had to prepare, cook, and serve the meals, sometimes with food from small gardens they tended. The girls in these families learned how to do the same jobs their mother did. The jobs that men had during colonial times depend on whether they lived on a farm or in the city. Some men were tradesmen, which meant that they learned a trade or skill. One valuable tradesman was a blacksmith. His job was to make various tools like axe heads, hammers and nails, and horseshoes. The blacksmith also made plow shares for plowing a farmer's field to get it ready for planting. Cabinetmakers, shoemakers, and candle makers were some of the other jobs that tradesmen had. Boys as young as six or seven years old would spend nearly seven years learning some of these trades. A tailor, or someone that made clothes, a cooper, or someone that makes barrels, or a wheelwright, which is someone who repairs wheels. These boys were called apprentices because they were just starting to learn a job. Once they learned the trade, they would become journeymen. They would still work for a master though and earn regular wages. Today, we still use the colonial terms apprentice, journeyman, and master. We use these titles for people who are plumbers, electricians, machinists, and carpenters. Just like colonial times, today these titles tell us how much experience each of these people have. If a man in the city was not a tradesman, then he was called a professional. A professional worked as a lawyer, doctor, or merchant. A merchant was an owner of a store. He ran his own business, spending many hours on the job. Sometimes he traveled to other countries, trading products to be sold in his shop. The central meeting place for many people during colonial times was their church. Religion was very important to the colonists. Everyone was expected to attend church every Sunday, regardless of whether they were a farmer, a tradesman, or a professional. In the 1700s, instead of the 50 states we have now, there were 13 British colonies located along the eastern coast of the United States. These colonies were ruled by the British. That means the British made the laws for the Eventually, the British wanted more and more control over the colonies and the people who lived in them. The citizens were not happy with how the British were trying to rule or govern them. What do you think would happen if some of the towns in your state today decided that they didn't want to be governed or ruled by their leaders? Maybe the citizens in your town would decide to start a new state with their own new rules. Well, that's exactly what happened in the The 13 colonies decided to start their own country. The British didn't like that one bit and tried to stop them. So, the 13 colonies revolted against the British. To revolt against something means you rebel or protest. The colonists' revolts eventually led to a big war. The war was called the Revolutionary War. It was a war between the 13 colonies and England. Can you guess what happened as a result of that war? If you think colonies won, you're right. After the war, the British no longer governed the 13 colonies. The 13 colonies then became the United States of America. United means that the states stand together. Unfortunately, slavery was also very common throughout the 13 colonies during the 1700s. Before slavery, people who were called laborers were brought over from Britain. These people became indentured servants. An indentured servant would agree to work for free for someone for about seven years if that person would then pay for their passage to America. Slavery grew in the colonies because the indentured servants cost a lot of money and were difficult to find. Some of the first African indentured servants were forced into slavery, which means they were unpaid servants for the rest of their lives. These people were called slaves. Many of them were brought on a large ship from Africa to the United States. As the colonies grew, there was more work to be done and the practice of slavery increased. Many of the slaves lived in very small houses near the Life for slaves was very difficult and many of them were treated very badly by their owners. During colonial times, most farmhomes were quite small and usually had only one room. The frames of their houses were wooden and the roofs were made of dried grasses. Inside, the floors were dirt and the windows were covered with paper. A fireplace was used for cooking and for heat during the winter. There was very little furniture. Straw piled on the floor was used like a mattress for sleeping. In later years, homes grew larger. They had glass windows, plenty of furniture, and more space. Homes in the city had wood floors or carpeting and nicer furniture. These homes were bigger too. Some of them were even two or three stories high. However, none of the homes had running water, electricity, or telephones. Living during colonial times was quite different than the way you live today, but the people worked hard and most enjoyed their lives just like you do. Hope you had fun learning with us. Visit us at learnbright.org for thousands of free resources and turnkey solutions for teachers and homeschoolers.