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Primary
Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors: Archiving Early America: Letters From a Pennsylvania Farmer

For Students 9th - 10th
A voice of dissent prior to the American Revolution, John Dickenson, a Philadelphia lawyer, was active in protesting British policies. His writings, entitled Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer, were published in newspapers in 1767 and 1768.
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs: About All You Can Eat: A Feast at Plimouth Plantation

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lesson plan in the culinary delicacies of the Plymouth Plantation in 1627. In this integrated lesson plan, students examine the history of foods eaten during this colonial era and prepare an actual meal based on what they have learned....
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Primary
Other

New Netherland Institute: Early Descriptions of New Netherland

For Students 9th - 10th
Excerpts from Narratives of New Netherland, 1609-1664, published in 1909, and available for free from Google Books. The first excerpt is from a 1644 account of Henry Hudson's descriptions of the new land he saw on his 1609 voyage. The...
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Activity
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: Settlers, Slaves and Servants

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides a brief overview of how many settlers in the colonies were indentured servants and how the system of indentured servitude tied to slavery.
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Primary
Other

Virtual Jamestown: Experiences of an Indentured Servant

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the Virtual Jamestown of Crandall Shifflett provides the letter of Richard Frethorne to his parents in 1623 begging for their support in a desperate situation.
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Interactive
Quia

Quia: The English Colonies

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Test your knowledge of the thirteen colonies with these interactive games. You'll find matching, concentration, flashcards, and a word search, along with a list of terms to refresh your memory.
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Unit Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: Statesman Robert R. Livingston

For Students 3rd - 8th
Documents many of the important events in the life of Statesman Robert R. Livingston. Outlines his accomplishments, and provides two photographs and and an illustration of important pieces.
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Unknown Type
My Hero Project

My Hero: Science Hero: Benjamin Franklin

For Students 3rd - 8th
This brief article overviews some of Benjamin Franklin's accomplishments as a scientist and a political diplomat, whose efforts not only made him "one of the most famous scientists of his day," but also a hero to early American Colonists.
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Lesson Plan
Library of Virginia

Virginia Memory: Blank Space: Mapping the Unknown

For Teachers 9th - 10th
How did early maps show the mapmakers' perception of the known world? Early mapmakers used maps drawn from coastal explorations, land travels, and even information heard word of mouth from American Indians or from colonists or traders....
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Website
Other

Trail of Tears Assoc: The Story Trail of Tears National Historic Trail

For Students 9th - 10th
Follow the early history of Native American and European contact in America. As more settlers moved west, a law was passed to relocate the Cherokee from Arkansas. The routes they followed and the cruelties they suffered came to be known...
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Website
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: Square Dancing

For Students 3rd - 8th
Square dancing has been part of American culture since the colonial settlers blended their varied traditions together. Contains historic photos, and an audio track of "Gents Go Center." Requires RealPlayer.
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Handout
Siteseen

Siteseen: Land of the Brave: Anne Hutchinson

For Students 9th - 10th
Overview and biographical facts on the life of Anne Hutchinson, an early colonist of the Massachusetts Bay Colony who was banished from Boston in 1637 for her religious and feminist beliefs and fled to the Rhode Island Colony.
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Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Church of Sao Francisco De Assis, Ouro Preto, Brazil

For Students 9th - 10th
The church of Sao Francisco, with its curving geometries and lively ornamentation, stands in sharp contrast to traditional early modern Portuguese architecture which generally favored simple plans and exteriors. View pictures and read...
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PPT
British Library

British Library: Teaching Resources: The Tempest: Slideshow Who Is Savage & Who Is Civilised?

For Students 9th - 10th
These activities encourage students to explore the 'brave new world' of The Tempest in light of thought-provoking texts on early modern colonization. A link to a slideshow featuring images of Native Americans and Europeans which...
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Lesson Plan
Yale University

Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Connecticut Constitution, 1639 1789

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Develops the concept of "constitutionalism" as related to the U.S. Constitution and Connecticut's role in the Constitutional Congress and Convention. An overview of Connecticut's colonial history, and judicial origins and organization,...
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Graphic
Curated OER

Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Maps Etc: Colonial Georgia, 1732 1763

For Students 9th - 10th
A map of Colonial Georgia, showing the proclamation line of the original United States established at the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1763, the boundary when Georgia was established from the Carolinas as a buffer between the...
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Graphic
Curated OER

Etc: Maps Etc: The American Indian Nations, 1776

For Students 9th - 10th
An early map of the southeastern North America around 1776, showing the American Indian Nations of the region at the time. The map shows colonial boundaries extending from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River, towns, forts, and...
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Graphic
Curated OER

Early Setters

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Early Setters
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Website
Internet History Sourcebooks Project

Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: Coffee Fazenda of Brazil 1911

For Students 9th - 10th
The Modern History Sourcebook provides this great look at what life would be like on a coffee plantation during the early 20th century. It describes the houses, life on the plantation, colonists, and harvests.
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

Anacostia Community Museum: Still Cookin' by the Fireside

For Students 9th - 10th
This online presentation documents the role of the African American in food service from early colonial days through the 1940s. Primary source documents and photographs are included.
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Handout
Bill of Rights Institute

Bill of Rights Institute: Thomas Paine

For Students 9th - 10th
Thomas Paine was a major figure during the early years of the American Revolution. One of the foremost propagandists for American liberty in the 1770s, Paine penned words that rallied the war-weary spirit of the colonists and that still...
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Handout
Other

Jeff Miller: A West Virginia Chronology

For Students 9th - 10th
This personal site provides a timeline of the European-American settlement of West Virginia and later events up to the present.
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Handout
Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors: Archiving Early America: Abigail Smith Adams

For Students 4th - 8th
This resource provides a brief biography of Abigail Adams (1744-1818 CE).
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Website
Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors: Archiving Early America: Boston Massacre

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides a short account of the Boston Massacre. Includes the famous engraving done by Paul Revere. Be sure to click on the hyperlinks to access the primary sources about the event.