Powerful 13 Colonies Primary Sources for Students

5 Primary Sources on the 13 Colonies that Your Students will Understand

Finding great 13 Colonies primary sources for kids is time-consuming. It’s easy to get lost browsing through thousands of transcripts, prints, and maps. Good thing teachers have pleeeenty of time!

Ha. Sorry, that was a bad joke.

When I was teaching, I barely had time to eat lunch. Or run to the ladies’ room. Or look at myself in the mirror once (Wait, has that pencil smudge been on my face all day? Cool.)

I definitely did not have hours to spend on the Library of Congress’s website looking for impactful primary sources that my students would actually be able to analyze.

So, I’ve done the work for you (because teaching is the most important job out there and you deserve help). I’ve created lists of kid-friendly primary sources.

Here are 5 powerful primary sources for teaching about the 13 colonies.

Watercolor painting of a Native American chief by colonist John White (1585)

Description of Primary Source:

This watercolor painting by John White is based on his firsthand experiences with the Native Americans he encountered in what is now North Carolina. Fun Fact: John White was the governor of Roanoke Colony. Sad Fact: White left the colony to get more supplies from England and when he returned, all of the colonists (including his family) were missing. 

Read more about the painting here.

Class Discussion Questions:

• What do you see in the painting (objects, people, and activities)?

• Who do you think created the artwork?

• Why do you think this was created?

• What is the main idea?

• Do you think that this is an accurate representation of the Native Americans that John White met? Why or why not?

Resources for this Primary Source:

• Download the Print from the British Museum (Note: You will have to create a free login).

• Student worksheet for analyzing artwork (National Archives)

John Smith’s Map of Virginia (1624)

Description of Primary Source:

This is John Smith’s map created during his explorations of Chesapeake Bay. It can be a little tricky to read, since it was written before English was standardized. I highly recommend comparing this map to a modern day map of the same area using this tool by The National Parks Service.

Class Discussion Questions:

• What do you see?

• Does the map have a compass rose, legend, and scale?

• What places are on the map?

• When was the map drawn?

• Why do you think the map was made?

• How does it compare to a current map of the same place?

Resources for this Primary Source:

• View the map online (Library of Congress) 

• Read more about this map (National Parks Service)

• Student worksheet for analyzing a map (National Archives)

Pages from The New England Primer (First published in 1688)

Description of Primary Source:

The New England Primer was a reading textbook used by millions of American colonists for more than a century. The Primer taught children reading skills as well as Puritan attitudes and doctrine (A is for Adam sinning, B is for the Bible, etc. Read what they wrote for F!)

Create a lesson out of this primary source with The Gilder Lehrman Institute’s lesson plan.

Class Discussion Questions:

• Who wrote it?

• Who read/received it?

• What is it talking about?

• Why did the author write it?

• List the values taught along with the ABCs.

• What was happening at the time in history this document was created?

• How does The New England Primer reveal the importance of religion in colonial Puritan life?

Resources for this Primary Source:

• Download the pages from the Primer (Gilder Lehrman Institute)

• View the Primer Online (Gilder Lehrman Institute)

• Student worksheet for analyzing a document (National Archives)

Newspaper advertisement from the 1780s for the sale of slaves at Ashley Ferry (South Carolina)

Description of Primary Source:

This is a newspaper advertisement from the late 1700s about the sale of African slaves at Ashley Ferry outside of Charleston, South Carolina.

In addition to analyzing this advertisement, I highly recommend reading slaves’ own experiences about being sold at slave auctions. You can find narratives about this topic from former slaves here and here (from the National Humanities Center).

Class Discussion Questions:

• What do you see? What do the words tell you?

• Notice the pictures, what do you see?

• Who do you think made the advertisement? Why did they make it?

• What is the main idea of the advertisement?

• Why do you think the slavers mentioned smallpox?

Resources for this Primary Source:

• Download the Newspaper Advertisement (Library of Congress)

• Student worksheet for analyzing a poster (National Archives)

Portraits of Penelope and Josiah Winslow, pilgrims who lived in Plymouth Colony

Description of Primary Source:

In a world of selfies, it’s difficult to grasp the significance of sitting for a portrait. In the 1600s, most people never had their portraits painted. For the wealthy, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience (imagine the pressure of choosing the “right outfit”)!

The above portraits are of Penelope and Josiah Winslow. Penelope was born in England but came to America when she was 8 years old. She later married Josiah, the son of two Mayflower passengers. Their portraits are in the Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, Massachussets.

The museum has created a great lesson about these portraits, if you need one.

Class Discussion Questions:

• What are Josiah and Penelope wearing? Why do you think they chose those outfits?

• Describe their facial expressions or moods.

• What body language are the Winslow’s showing?

• Why do you think Josiah and Penelope had their portraits painted?

Resources for this Primary Source:

• Portrait of Penelope with Biographical Information (Pilgrim Hall Museum)

• Portrait of Josiah with Biographical Information (Pilgrim Hall Museum)

• Student worksheet for analyzing a painting (National Archives)

Want a FREE 13 Colonies Timeline Lesson?

In this lesson, students place the colonies in order of settlement on a timeline. They also learn about who founded each colony and their reasons for settlement.

This activity includes task cards which will get your students out of their seats! I’ve also included a reflection sheet for early finishers.

Enter your email below to grab your free 13 Colonies Timeline lesson!

More 13 Colonies Resources

If you enjoyed these 13 colonies primary sources and want more help teaching about the 13 colonies, my 3-week unit has been used by thousands of teachers and is one of my best-selling resources. Your students will love the Jamestown simulation where they make decisions that will determine their survival.

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• Free 13 Colonies Map Lesson
• 13 Colonies Interactive Unit
• More US History Primary Sources