Colonial Towns and Houses
The colonists first settled on the land near the coast. The Native Americans had already cleared this land for farmland. The colonists put together shelters as quickly as possible to protect themselves from the cold and wild animals. Sometimes they moved into caves, or they used the sails from the ship to make tents. Some put together logs and branches and made huts.
As time went on people were able to build homes out of wood and stone. But because they had to make their homes quickly to protect themselves from the bad weather, they couldn’t spend a lot of time to make their homes large and comfortable.
In the Plymouth colony, the people wanted to make their homes look like the ones they left behind in England. They had come from big cities and had no idea on how to build a house, or farm, or hunt. They did the best they could, and as they learned a new skill they would share it with their neighbors.
The villages were based on the English towns. They made their houses in rows on a central street. At the end of the street was a “green” or “common” area, where the animals would graze. They built the church right away. Religion was a big part of the life and was very important to them.
Most of the first houses were very small. They were log cabins, which had been first built in Delaware by the Swedish and Finish settlers. Later, a farm family would be able to build a larger wooden home. Eventually they might build a brick house, if they could afford it.
In the South some rich families lived on huge farms called plantations.
Around each house was enough land for a vegetable garden and an animal pen. Each town had a few small shops, one school, and a church.
In Rhode Island, a large family lived together in one house. Parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents lived together in one house! There was a brick fireplace in the house. The fire was used to cook the meals and to heat the house. They gathered around the fire to visit, talk, and sing.