The Original Colonies
Captain John Smith once said, “History is the memory of time, the life of the dead and the happiness of the living.” You might think that colonial times is very boring, but actually colonial times was a very suspenseful time period and there were very odd things that everybody did. If you are interested in the original colonies in colonial times, this book is perfect for you. You will read about the people that helped make the colonies successful and things that they did in the colonial times. There are three colonies you will be reading about. Our first colony is Roanoke, our second colony is Jamestown, and our third colony is Plymouth.
Roanoke
Do you know how Roanoke was founded?
The picture below shows Caption John White going back to Roanoke 3 years later and found the word Croatoan carved on a tree.
In Roanoke, Sir Walter Raleigh wanted to have a colony that would be powerful and as successful as Spain in the 1500’s. So in 1584, he sent two ships to explore the Coast of North America. The ships landed on a island and they named it Roanoke, after the native americans who lived there. But then, they ran short on supplies and a war erupted between the Roanoke’s and the English. The settlers gave up and returned back to England. Raleigh did not want to give up though so he sent more settlers back to Roanoke in 1587. But they realized that the Indians would not give them food to eat. So they called Captain John White to come. But White couldn't come because of the war between England and Spain. Three years later they returned and they found no sign of settlers, a ruined fort, and the word Croatoan carved on a tree. Even today we still don't know what that word means. That is why people refer to this colony as the “lost colony.” As you can see, Raleigh is a kind of person who wants everything his way and the Roanoke's are very careless. 
Did you know that in Roanoke, the houses were very unstable?
The colonists created a square, earth fort. One or two small buildings stood within the fort. These buildings held military supplies. The forts were too small for the colonists to live in. The houses were similar to the houses in England. Each house was 1 or ½ stories high. The walls were made of stapling woven between larger beams. The frameworks were called wattle. Colonists thatched their roofs and the floors were made out of dirt. The colonists also used to use brick, but it was not as sturdy as the the bricks today.
Did you know that the clothes seemed very uncomfortable in Roanoke?
The picture below shows Sir Walter Raleigh wearing very fancy clothes that you wear in Roanoke.
It must have been hard for doing work either outside or inside for wearing such heavy clothing. They brought all of their clothing from England. They did not have enough supplies to made their own clothing. The clothes back then were very precious and valuable to people. The clothing was made out of wool, linen, cloth, and some leather. The clothing came in a wide range of colors. Women and men wore a long, loose shirt under their clothing. There were many styles of hats and caps and they can wear them inside and outside. They also wore many types of leather shoes and boots. The men wore a coat called doublet over their shirts and wore knee length pants called breeches. Women wore either a waistcoat, skirt, or a gown to protect what they are wearing. Also, women’s shoe, stockings, capes, coats, and hats were almost the same as men.
Jamestown
Do you know the problems that they went through in Jamestown?
In colonial Jamestown, did you know that the supplies were limited and the forts were originally built on a marsh? It must have been bad that the forts were built on a marsh because it carried the deadly disease, malaria and it killed a lot of people. Within a month, this disease killed most of the settlers. If they had clean water, it would have been useful for bathing, drinking water, and washing clothes.
Do you know some of the people that helped make Jamestown
successful? The picture below shows Pocahontas saving John Smith from getting killed by Powhatan. A person that was very important in Jamestown is Pocahontas, a native american. Pocahontas kept Captain John Smith from getting killed by her father, Powhatan. After that, Pocahontas started helping the settlers do work. She always went to visit them and Powhatan's men also taught the settlers how to 
hunt, plant crops, and fish. Meanwhile, more and more settlers started arriving from England. That winter, only 18 colonists died! If it weren’t for Pocahontas and Powhatan, Jamestown wouldn’t be that successful during that winter.
Pocahontas’ timeline!
1607- 1613- Jan 1615- 1616- Pocahontas
Pocahantas Pocahantas Pocahantas and her family
kept John gets captured becomes a went to England
Smith from by being tricked. mother. to gain support
getting killed for Jamestown. 
Do you know about government of Jamestown, and where it was located?
The picture shows how the government used to look like.
Jamestown is the closest to Williamsburg and Yorktown. It is in the North-West of Roanoke. Jamestown is located in Virginia. The government was very important in Jamestown. The first governor was Thomas West, Lurd De La Warr. England’s leaders chose the leaders in Jamestown. In addition, a council of upper-class men also ruled Virginia. In 1619, the House of Burgesses began and Governor George Yeardley held the first assembly. They made decisions about the colony. The members included the governor, the council, and the House of Burgesses and that was America's first representative government. Also, Virgina had to follow most of England's rules. One of the laws were that colonists could only sell their goods to England and England would have to pay them a little. That is all about the government and where Jamestown was located.
Plymouth
Did you know that the Pilgrims went around Cape Cod Bay to get to Plymouth?
The Pilgrims were a group of people that wanted religous freedom. So they created the Mayflower Compact to go somewhere where they could find religious freedom. They found a colony Plymouth in Massachusetts. It is in the South-East of Massachusetts. The Plymouth colony is close to Boston, Salem and the Atlantic Ocean. Also, the reason why the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in 1620, is because if Jamestown was not successful, maybe the Pilgrims wouldn't be so sure about going to Plymouth. That is all about where Plymouth is located.
Do you know who people are that helped Plymouth become successful?
The picture below shows the Pilgrims and massasoit having a thanksgiving feast!
A very important person that
is one of the reasons why Plymouth is very successful now is because of Squanto. Squanto is a Native American that helped the Pilgrims learn how to plant corn, catch fish, and get maple syrup from a maple tree in 1621. The Pilgrims were very grateful for meeting a person like Squanto. Squanto also helped arrange an agreement with the Pilgrims and Massasoit that they would not attack each other. Since the Pilgrims were very grateful for what they had, they planned to have a yummy feast and they invited Massasoit and his tribe from the plants they had grown. This celebration is now called Thanksgiving. The feast lasted for about three days! That is all about who helped Plymouth become successful.
Did you know that Religion was very important in Plymouth?
Each church was independent and had their own religious beliefs. Members determined how they would practice religion. Also, they did not support other churches beliefs. Surprisingly, the community's general courts would send non believers away from Plymouth. Lastly, most of the people went to church twice a week instead of once. And lastly, meeting houses were used for church services.
Did you know that the government rules were very odd in Plymouth?
In Plymouth, they governed themselves. The colony had a governor, council, and a general court. The general court made laws, heard court cases, and agreements. Also, if the colonists broke the law, they were punished, including being whipped, paying fines, and going to jail. That is all about the government in Plymouth.
Conclusion
That is all you need to know about the first three colonies Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth. Something that was very surprising is that in Plymouth, they had to govern themselves. Also, that they would the non believers away in Plymouth. In my opinion, these men and women from the colonial times are the reason why our first three colonies were successful. Their hardwork and honesty helped our colonies achieve success! How would you be different if you lived in the colonial times?
Glossary
Roanoke- Was the first colony found and their goal was to be as powerful as Spain. Roanoke was not a successful colony.
Settlers- A person who settles in area.
Jamestown- Was the second colony found and their goal was to find natural riches like gold. Jamestown was a successful colony.
Marsh- A low area of wetland which is sometimes unhealthful for people.
Malaria- A deadly disease carried by mosquitoes.
House of Burgesses- The lower house of the colonial Virginia state.
Mayflower Compact- An agreement reached by the Pilgrims on the ship, the Mayflower, in 1620.
Plymouth- Was the third colony found and their goal was to have religious freedom. Plymouth was also a successful colony.
Quiz
It’s time to see how much you know!
Who married Pocahontas?
A: John Smith
B: John Rolfe
C: John White
D: None
Which colony was not successful?
A: Roanoke
B: Jamestown
C: Plymouth
D: None, they were all successful
In which year, did the House of Burgesses begin in Jamestown?
A: 1617
B: 1621
C: 1609
D: 1619
What colonies is Plymouth close to?
A: WilliamsBurg and Boston
B: Salem and Boston
C: Yorktown and Williamsburg
D: Yorktown and Salem
Who came back to Roanoke and found the words Croatoan carved on a tree?
A: John Rolfe
B: Squanto
C: John White
D: Powhatan
