Pathfinder: Colonial Life

Websites

Early America

http://www.cybrary.org/colonial.htm

Information on each colony, daily life in colonial America, and places to visit.

Jump Back in Time to Colonial America

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/colonial

This Library of Congress site has a time line, and information about people and events from 1492 to 1763.

Colonial Kids

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002611F/

Life for children in colonial Pennsylvania with information on home, school, transportation, clothing and more.

Books

Colonial America

Steins, Richard
X973.2 STEINS

This volume in the series “The Making of America” describes the daily life and important events in the American colonies. Includes maps, glossary, timeline and bibliography.

Colonial Kids: An Activity Guide to Life in the New World

Carlson, Laurie
X973.2 CARLSON

Students can get an idea of how colonial children lived and worked by following the instructions in this book for making everyday things such as candles, rag rugs, buttons, homemade ink, or toys. Includes a time line and bibliography.

Colonial Living

Tunis, Edwin
X973.2 TUNIS

Detailed information and drawings of tools, equipment, homes and clothing during Colonial times in America.

Good Women of a Well-Blessed Land: Women’s Lives in Colonial America

Miller, Brandon Marie
X305.4 Miller

A social history of the American colonial period with a focus on the daily lives of women, including European immigrants, Native Americans, and slaves.

The Thirteen Colonies (series name)

Connecticut
X974.6 GIROD

Delaware
X975.1 KALLEN
Georgia
X975.8 GIROD
Maryland
X975.2 STREISSGUTH
Massachusetts
X974.4 BJORNLUND
New Hampshire
X974.2 BLOHM
New Jersey
X974.9 STREISSGUTH
New York
X974.7 WOOG
North Carolina
X975.6 USCHAN
Pennsylvania
X974.8 SHERROW
Rhode Island
X974.5 KLING
South Carolina
X975.7 GIROD
Virginia
X975.5 PRICE
Primary Sources
YA 973.2 PRIMARY
 

Colonial Craftsmen (series name)

Fisher, Leonard Everett.

Titles in this series include:

The doctors
X610 FISHER 1997
The blacksmiths
X682 F 1976
The shoemakers
X685 F 1967
The printers
X655 F 1965
The papermakers
X676 F 1965
The hatters
X685 F 1965
The wigmakers
X679 F 1965
The glassmakers
X666.1 F 1964

Note: Many of the books about the American colonies and Colonial life will be located together in the call number X973.2 area but don’t limit your searching to that section. Try looking for materials on colonial costume in the costume section at X391; or look for materials about colonial food and cooking in X641.5. There is a series called “Colonial Craftsmen” by Leonard Everett Fisher that has books in various call numbers, depending on the trade described.

Databases

eLibrary elementary

(Best for Grades 3-5)

Use the topic search and click on U.S. History>History by Period>1607-1763 Colonial Period

There are lots of subjects listed there and you can choose what you want to search for.

World Book Online Reference Center

Search for “Colonial Life”

The first listing will be “Colonial Life in America” which is a good overview of the subject. On the left side of the article is an outline and you can go directly to a specific area. You can also search by state or the name of a person.

Gale Student Resource Center

(For Middle school and High School students)

Select History Search

Helpful Hint: Search for specific subjects such as Pilgrims, Jamestown, the name of a colony or person or “United States History 1600-1775 (Colonial Period)”

Note: If you just type in “Colonial” or “Colonies” you will end up with many results that are not related to the American Colonies.

eb 03/06 updated by dmt 08/06