My+Notes+3+-+Colonial+Society


 * 3 Colonial Society in the 18th Century**

=Population Growth= 1701 250,000 in English colonies, 28,000 slaves 1775 2.5m in English colonies/.5m slaves

European immigrants
British colonies:England,Scotland,Wales, Ireland/French Protestants (Huguenots), German, Most to middle colonies; little land and Puritans in New England Sought economic opportunity; farmers, merchants, artisans //English// – numbers slowed as life in England better //Germans// – western PA/PA Dutch/maintained customs/obeyed laws //Scotch-Irish// – little respect for British gov’t: pressured to leave Ireland/settled on western frontier //Others// – Dutch, Swedes

Africans
Largest non-English group Immigrants by force or descendants/represented 20% of population by 1775/90% lived in South Free blacks were wage earners and land owners/all colonies had restrictions on rights and opportunities

=Structure of Colonial Society= Colonies different yet similar

General Characteristics
Dominance of English culture/origin, language, customs/other cultures would influence

Self-government
Each colony had representative assemblies/white male property owners/RI & CN elected Gov./others appointed //Religious toleration// Varying degrees of religious freedom/RI & PA best/MA worst

No hereditary aristocracy
Narrower class system/economic based developed

Social mobility
All could improve status except slaves

The Family
Economic and social center/married young/many children 90% lived on farms/higher std of living than inEurope //Men// Dominated land-owning/politics/unlimited power at home – could beat wife //Women// Household tasks/educated children/worked next to husband/divorce rare/limited legal and political rights

The Economy
1760 – ½ of England’s trade/limited manufacturing/restricted competition – textiles/agriculture based/regional geography had impact in time: doctors/lawyers/teachers/ministers

//New England// Rocky soil/long winters/subsistence farming/family worked land/hired laborers logging, shipbuilding, fishing, trading, rum-distilling were alternatives

//Middle Colonies// Rich soil/wheat, corn for export/200 acre farms common/indentured servants, hired laborers Small manufacturing/iron-making/trading

//Southern Colonies// Subsistence to plantation farming/2,000 acres +/ cash crops: tobacco in Chesapeake & NC/rice, indigo in SC & GA/shortage of i/s/slaves plantations self-sufficient/located on rivers Carolinasexported timber and naval stores: tar, pitch

//Monetary system// Englanddemanded payment in specie Colonies printed paper/inflationary/ Colonial laws vetoed by Parliament

//Transportation// Easier by water/coastal cities developed importance/Boston, NY, Phila,Charleston Travel by horse and stage grew Taverns provided food, lodging, and social center Postal system developed

=Religion= Majority of Protestant denominations/Presbyterians in New England/Lutherans, Mennonites, Quakers in PA //Protestant Dominance// Established churches/tax-supported/Mass. Bay – Congregationalist/VA – Anglican (Church of England) Tax policy changed as religious diversity grew //Anglicans// Prosperous farmers in NY/plantation owners in VA/no bishop in colonies //Congregationalists// Successor to Puritans/NewEngland/critics thought domineering ,doctrine complex

The Great Awakening
1730’s and ‘40’s/fervant expressions on religious feelings

//Jonathan Edwards// Minister/Northhampton, MA/”Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” – God right to be angry at sinners/saved by penance/ New England influence //George Whitefield// From England in 1739/traveled thru colonies/spoke anywhere/large crowds/saved by professing belief/people did not need ministers to understand Gospels/

//Impact// Some ministers lost authority/emotionalism became part of service Schism between New Lights (supports) and Old Lights (opponents) Baptists and Methodists appeared

//Political influence// Common experience among all nationalities/altered view on authority(?)

=Cultural Life= 1600’s – chief concern: economic survival/little or no time for play 1700’s – life among planters and merchants get civilized

Achievements in Arts and Sciences
English styles adopted

Architecture
Georgian Style in houses, churches, and public buildings: eastern seaboard frontier: one-room log cabins //Paintings// portrait painters/Benjamin West/John Copley

//Literature// serious subjects religion: Cotton Mather and Jonathan Edwards politics: John Adams, James Otis, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, most famous: Ben Franklin/__Poor Richard’s Almanac__ (1732-1757) poetry: Phyllis Wheatley/slave

//Science// most scientists self-taught John Bartrum: botany Ben Franklin: electricity/bifocals/stove

Education
basic ed. limited/mainly men/boys //New England// first tax-supported schools/law in 1647:families over 50/100 est. primary and grammar schools

//Middle colonies// church or private supported teachers lived w/families

//Southern colonies// home taught/planters hired tutors

//Higher ed.// purpose: theological and scholarly preparation Harvard 1636/William and Mary 1694/Yale 1701

//Schools est'd following Great Awakening// College of New Jersey (Princeton) 1746, King’s College (Columbia) 1754,Rhode Island(Brown) 1764 Queens College(Rutgers) 1766,Dartmouth College1769 only non-sectarian school:College of Philadelphia (U.of PA) 1765

Professions
18th century sees new respect and prominence //Physicians// little training/apprenticeship/bleeding common treatment

//Lawyers// needed as trade expanded and laws became more complex/bars formed: set stds. and rules/argued for colonial rights/JohnAdams. James Otis, Patrick Henry

//The Press// //Newspapers// 1725 – 5/1776 – over 40/issued weekly/news from Europe/ads/essays/few illustrations/first cartoon – Ben Franklin in //Phila. Gazette// //The Zenger Case// 1735/Peter Zenger/ed. and pub./criticized NY gov./Andrew Hamilton lawyer argued he only printed the truth/violated common law but jury acquitted/newspapers now took greater risks

//Rural folkways// farmers work dawn to dusk/four seasons: spring planting, summer growing, fall harvest, winter prep/little light and heat in home: fireplace and candles entertainment: South: horse racing, card-playing/Middle: theatregoing/NewEngland: religious lectures

//Emergence of colonial character// motivations for emigration + English political heritage + American natural environment = distinct way of life: rights of free speech, free press, electing representatives, religious toleration, restless, enterprising, practical, looking to move up

Politics
1750: similar gov’ts – governor and legislature //Structure// 8 royal colonies: NH, MA, NY, NJ, VA, NC, SC, GA 3 proprietary colonies: MD, PA, DE CN and RI elected own governors legislatures: bicameral lower house: popularly elected, voted on taxes upper house : appointed

//Local government// New England: town meeting South: county w/ sheriff

//Voting// colonial democracy limited women, poor white males, slaves barred 18th c. religious restriction removed/land requirement held assemblies represented a segment of society