Growing Patriots

American colonists fought with the British army in The French and Indian War, but we don't talk about it much anymore. Today, we have an expert from Fort Ticonderoga, which was really important during the war, to tell us all about why it mattered so much.

Two things I love are Christmas and learning about colonial America, so I am crazy about this episode. Matt Arthur from Tryon Palace in North Carolina joins us to answer Christmas questions from the incredible 6 year-old Ella. In this episode, learn all about how Christmas was celebrated in Colonial times.

With Hanukkah celebrations underway around the world, we're taking some time this week to talk about how Jewish holidays were celebrated in colonial America. 12 year-old Zachary joins us with questions about holidays and Jewish culture, and Andrew Porwancher, history professor with the University of Oklahoma, joins us to answer them!

In this Thanksgiving special, we talk about Thanksgiving! How did it start, and how did it become the holiday as we know it today? Plus, did Virginia have the REAL first Thanksgiving, not the Pilgrims, like we've always thought?

What did people read in the colonial era? How were books printed? How else the the written word shape early America? This week, we're joined by an expert from the American Antiquarian Society to answer these questions and more on books and reading in colonial times!

Did colonial kids celebrate Halloween? What other things did colonists celebrate at this time of year? We find out in this special episode!

This week, we talk about how people celebrated special events in colonial times. Holidays, weddings, special occasions- how were they like today, and how were they different?

I have been looking forward to this episode for MONTHS. Neal Hurst, assistant curator for textiles and costumes from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is here to tell us everything about what people wore in colonial times. The questions from 7-year old Mazarine are some of my favorites ever, too! I hope you like this one as much as I do!

Music is one thing that really connects people, so learning about the music in a time period can tell us a lot about the people who lived in it! This week, we talk about colonial music and instruments.

Let's face it- meals are a big part of our lives. How we get our food, the dishes we use, and our mealtime traditions tell people a lot about us! The same was true in colonial times. This week, 5 year-old Joy asks questions about 18th century meals and we have two food historians joining us to answer them.

We're back! In this next series of episodes, we'll be learning what life was like in colonial America. This week- what was life like for colonial kids?

This week, we are introduced to the last of the 13 colonies. These are North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia- three southern plantation colonies. We learn all about plantation life including slavery, crops, and even talk about bugs!

New York, New Jersey, and New Hampshire are the focus of this week's episode. Eight year-old Sadie joins us with questions about rough winters, colonial Jewish culture, why these colonies all start with "new" and more. Then, Allyson Schettino, Associate Director of School Programs with the New York Historical Society answers Sadie's questions and then some.

The colonies of Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania are introduced this week, and we use them as a jumping-off point to talk about religious tolerance in the American Colonies.

Learn all about the Mayflower, the Pilgrims, and Plymouth Rock here. As always, there are more resources at growingpatriots.com