141 Best Northern Colonies Facts For Kids!

Share this! Your friends will love it...

Looking for the best Northern Colonies facts? You’ve come to the right place. You’ll find everything you need to know here!

I don’t know about you, but I love learning! I always have. That’s why I was a great teacher.

I’ve always wanted to know everything I can about, well, everything! I love history and I loved writing this post all about Northern Colonies facts.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you buy from my link I might make a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay. See the full affiliate disclosure here.

Have you ever wondered why did the colonists leave England? What were the differences between the Northern and Southern Colonies? How did they survive? What was their life like?

There are SO many questions you could ask about the Northern Colonies! I’ll answer every one of them here.

I wrote a whole post about the Southern Colonies that I know you’ll love too.

[cboxarea id="cbox-IVEtmKHDExiTjpDi"]

Hope you enjoy all of these facts!

A closeup of stacked logs.

Northern Colonies Facts

Here are some great facts about the Northern Colonies!

  1. Many people left Europe and went to the Northern Colonies for a better life.
  2. England had just changed to wool production.
  3. Many people didn’t have money and faced poverty because of this.
  4. The Northern Colonies were also called the New England Colonies.
  5. It was also called the New World.
  6. Most of the people left England and went to Northern America.
  7. They were made up of Pilgrims and Puritans.
  8. The Northern Colonies were made up the Connecticut Colony, New Hampshire Colony, Massachusetts Colony, and Rhode Island Colony.
  9. These four colonies formed the original New England colonies.
  10. People also settled in Providence and Plymouth.
  11. There were two main types of government.
  12. They were royal and charter.

Getting To The New England Colonies

Read all about how settlers came to New England!

  1. Sir Walkter Raleigh first attempted to get to American in 1587.
  2. He tried to get to the island of Roanoke.
  3. There were 91 men, 17 women, and 9 children aboard the ship.
  4. Something happened to them, and they all vanished.
  5. King James sent a royal charter to New England in 1620.
  6. It was first settled by the Pilgrims.
  7. The first year nearly half of the Pilgrims died from the cold climate and disease.
  8. After the first year, the Pilgrim’s health improved.
  9. Not as many people died from disease each year.
  10. Pilgrims came over from England on a ship called the Mayflower.
  11. There were horrible conditions on the Mayflower, but only one passenger died on the journey.
  12. They signed the Mayflower Compact while aboard the Mayflower.
  13. The Mayflower Compact bound colonists together.

Northern Colonies’ Religion

This is what the Northern Colonies’ religious life was like.

  1. Another reason Europeans left was because they wanted religious freedom.
  2. In England, if you didn’t follow the Church of England, you were forced to leave or killed.
  3. Pilgrims wanted to separate themselves from the Church of England.
  4. Puritans wanted to purify the Church of England.
  5. The Puritans thought they were better than the Pilgrims because they were upper middle class.
  6. They also had more education than the Pilgrims.
  7. There were two religious groups in the colonies.
  8. Most of the colonists were Separatists Puritans or just “Puritans”.
  9. Some were Non-Separatists Puritans.
  10. There were also some Quakers in Rhode Island.
  11. They came to the Northern Colonies to find a place where they could worship how they wanted to.
  12. Puritans had a strong tie between their government, their church, and their lives.
  13. Their lives revolved around prayer and work.
  14. They were very hard workers.
  15. They were also usually very serious people.
  16. Puritans didn’t have parties.
  17. They didn’t celebrate holidays.
  18. They didn’t play or listen to music.
  19. The Puritans believed in a simple life.
  20. They wore plain clothes.
  21. They had simple clothes and simple homes.
  22. The meeting houses in the colonies were the centers of their villages.
  23. School, meetings, and church were all held in the meeting houses.
  24. They wanted their children to know how to read so they could read the Bible.
  25. The Puritans loved education.
  26. They even founded Harvard in 1636.
  27. Women learned to read also.
  28. Women had important roles in a Puritan household.

The Northern Colonies And Native Americans

Here are facts about the Northern Colonies and Native Americans.

  1. Before the English settlers arrived, Native American Indian tribes lived there.
  2. Some settlers were hostile with the Native Americans.
  3. The Indian tribes knew how to work the land better than the settlers did.
  4. Some settlers would steal from Native Americans.
  5. Other settlers were kind to the Native Americans.
  6. A few Native Americans were kind to the white people.
  7. One was named Squanto.
  8. He taught the settlers how to grow corn and fish.
  9. They signed peace treaties with most of the Native Americans.
  10. After that, they didn’t have to spend as time defending the colonies.
  11. They could focus on building a great economy.
  12. There were religious disagreements.
  13. They led Non-Puritans to go to Connecticut or Rhode Island.
A beautiful green forest with sunlight shining through.

Land In The Northern Colonies

This is what the land was like in the New England Colonies.

  1. The landscape of the Northern Colonies was flat.
  2. It had a rocky coastline.
  3. It had many great harbors.
  4. There were many hills and mountains inland.
  5. There were dense forests.
  6. It had rocky soil.
  7. It was difficult to farm there.
  8. Because farming was so difficult, they set up businesses there.
  9. The pilgrims were self-sufficient in America after five years.
  10. The pilgrims were the minority in the colonies.
  11. They controlled the government for the first 40 years in New England.

Northern Colonies Farming And Agriculture

Here are facts about farming and agriculture.

  1. The Northern Colonies had very harsh winters. Winter was much worse than winter in the Middle Colonies or Southern Colonies.
  2. Diseases had a hard time surviving because it was so cold.
  3. They had wonderful perfect summers in the New England Colonies.
  4. Their growing season for crops was only about 5 months long.
  5. Most colonist had small farms and only farmed enough food for their own family.
  6. Some of the crops they farmed were squash, pumpkins, rye, beans, and corn.
  7. They had lots of trees and lumber because of the many forests surrounding the colonies.
  8. The trees allowed them to build great homes.
  9. Lumber was one of their biggest natural resources.
  10. They also built many building and ships with the lumber.
  11. They exported some of the lumber back to England.
  12. Early settlers also sold furs.
  13. Sawmills, grain mills, and shipbuilding were popular businesses.
  14. They also made textiles, livestock, and had some agriculture.
  15. Fishing was also a huge resource for the Northern Colonies.
  16. Whaling and cod were some of the things they fished.
  17. They used whale oil to light lamps.
  18. They sold whale oil.
  19. The colonists focused on lumber and fishing.
  20. They fished in the Atlantic cean.
  21. They imported other resources like farm products from England and other colonies.
  22. The colonies became a wealthy place for merchants.
  23. By the time the American Revolution was there, many of the Northern Colonists were wealthy.

Slavery In The New England Colonies

Here are just a few facts about slavery.

  1. New England ships would trade rum for slaves.
  2. This was called the Triangular Trade and was part of the slave trade.
  3. Over 500 Native Americans were sold into slavery.
  4. Only free white men were allowed to vote.

Famous Things In The Northern Colonies

Here are facts about famous things and people in the Northern Colonies. More of people are mentioned under each individual colony too!

  1. There were some major events that happened in the Northern Colonies.
  2. They were The Battle of Lexington, Paul Revere’s Ride, The Battle of Bunker Hill, The Battle of Concord, and The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga.
  3. There were also some famous historic people from the colonies.
  4. They were Samuel Adams, William Dawes, Paul Revere, John Adams, James Otis, Abigail Adams.
  5. 14 of the 56 singers of the Declaration of Independence were from the Northern Colonies.
  6. Plymouth Colony was the most famous and the first settlement.
  7. It became the site of the first Thanksgiving.
  8. 53 Pilgrims and 90 Native American men attended the first Thanksgiving.
  9. The oldest newspaper in the United Staes started in Connecticut.
  10. It’s called “The Hartford Courant”.
  11. It started in 1764.

Connecticut Facts

Ready for some facts about Connecticut? Here they are!

  1. Connecticut was founded in 1636.
  2. It’s name means “beside the long tidal river”.
  3. Thomas Hooker founded it.
  4. Oliver Wolcott, William Williams, Roger Sherman, and Samuel Huntington lived here.

New Hampshire Facts

New Hampshire facts comin’ at ya!

  1. New Hampshire was established around 1691.
  2. It was named for a county in England.
  3. John Mason founded it.
  4. It took the longest to develop.
  5. William Whipple, Josiah Bartlett, and Matthew Thornton lived here.
  6. The Green Mountain Boys and Ethan Allen lived here.
  7. They because famous for the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga.
A log simple log home in the forrest next to a lake.

Rhode Island Facts

Here are six facts about Rhode Island!

  1. Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams.
  2. Its name means “red island”.
  3. He was kicked out of Massachusetts Bay because he was too liberal.
  4. Rhode Island was the first colony that offered religious freedom.
  5. Anne Hutchinson fled here are she was kicked out of Massachusetts too.
  6. It was the home of Nathanael Greene, Stephen Hopkins, and William Ellery.

Massachusetts Facts

Here are 9 facts about Massachusetts when it was a colony.

  1. Massachusetts Bay Colony became the most influential and successful colony of the Northern Colonies.
  2. Its name means “large hill place”.
  3. It was established in 1629.
  4. John Winthrop founded Massachusetts.
  5. Over one thousand people went with him.
  6. They were Puritans.
  7. The Salem Witch Trials were held here.
  8. Over 20 people accused of witchery were killed.
  9. Paul Revere, John Adams, Joseph Warren, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock were from here.

The Bottom Line

The Northern Colonists were very hard working, serious people. They left England for religious freedom and to have a better life.

The colonists started their own sawmills, grain mills, and shipbuilding businesses. They were mainly Puritans. Fishing and lumber were their main resources.

The Northern Colonies were a great place to work hard and start a new life!

FAQs

What was the Northern colonies known for?

The Northern Colonies were known for fishing, whaling, and lumber. They made wood homes, buildings, and meeting houses. The Northern Colonies were known for harsh winters and perfect summers. They were Pilgrims and Puritans. They came to the American Colonies to be free from religious persecution and to have a better life.

There were some major events that happened in the Northern Colonies. They were The Battle of Lexington, Paul Revere’s Ride, The Battle of Bunker Hill, The Battle of Concord, and the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga.

There were also some famous historic people from the colonies. They were Samuel Adams, William Dawes, Paul Revere, John Adams, James Otis, Abigail Adams.
14 of the 56 singers of the Declaration of Independence were from the Northern Colonies.

Plymouth Colony was the most famous and the first settlement. It became the site of the first Thanksgiving.

The oldest newspaper in the United Staes started in Connecticut. It’s called “The Hartford Courant”, and it was started in 1764.

What are 5 facts about the colonies?

The New England Colonies were made up of Pilgrims and Puritans. They took Church and life very seriously. The settlers also made textiles, livestock, and had some agriculture. They farmed just enough for their own families. Disease had a hard time surviving here because of their cold winters.

What are 4 facts about the New England colonies?

The winters were very tough for the New England settlers. They were surrounded by thick forests. Many people fished and cut lumber for food and building supplies. 14 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence came from the New England Colonies.

What are 3 facts about the New England Colonies?

The Northern Colonists were very hard working, serious people. They left England for freedom of religion. They started their own sawmills, grain mills, and shipbuilding businesses.

More Like This

Looking for more great facts and ideas? Here are some you’ll love.

Final Thoughts On Northern Colonies Facts:

I hope you like these interesting facts as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments.

Share this! Your friends will love it...

Similar Posts