ALEX Classroom Resources

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SS2010] US10 (10) 1 :

1 ) Compare effects of economic, geographic, social, and political conditions before and after European explorations of the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries on Europeans, American colonists, Africans, and indigenous Americans. [A.1.a., A.1.b., A. 1.d., A.1.g., A.1.i.]

•  Describing the influence of the Crusades, Renaissance, and Reformation on European exploration

•  Comparing European motives for establishing colonies, including mercantilism, religious persecution, poverty, oppression, and new opportunities

•  Analyzing the course of the Columbian Exchange for its impact on the global economy

•  Explaining triangular trade and the development of slavery in the colonies

In this video from PBSLearningMedia, John Green teaches students about relations between the early English colonists and the native people they encountered in the New World. In short, these relations were poor. As soon as they arrived, the English were in conflict with the native people. At Jamestown, Captain John Smith briefly managed to get the colony on pretty solid footing with the local tribes, but it didn't last, and a long series of wars with the natives ensued. This pattern would continue in US history, with settlers pushing into native lands and pushing the inhabitants further west. In this episode, you'll learn about Wahunsunacawh (who the English called Powhatan), his daughter Pocahontas, King Philip's (aka Metacom) War, and the Mystic Massacre. By and large, the history of the Natives and the English was not a happy one, even Thanksgiving wasn't all it's cracked up to be. This video can be used to teach triangular trade and the development of slavery in the colonies.

**Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.