Colonial Society 18th Century APUSH 2017
British Colonial America Population growth Ratio of English to American born drops Largest colonies: VA, Mass., PA, NC, MD Major cities: 2.5 million by 1775 (20% black) Philadelphia NY Boston Charleston 90% were rural
Melting Pot Mixing of ethnicities South 90% of slaves New England not ethnically mixed mostly Puritan Middle colonies very mixed
Melting Pot Population breakdown 1790 English and Welsh 66% English language, English courts Scots Irish 5.6% Mainly poor farmers Middle colonies, back country Armed marches against wealthy East coasters Carolina Regulator 1739 Paxton Boys 1764 German 4.5% No loyalty to British crown Lutheran Retained German culture
Population Breakdown Continued Dutch 2% NY and NJ Irish 1.6% French 0.4% Other Whites.03% Swedes, Jews, Swiss African 20%
Structure of Colonial Society Stratification Small upper class Aristocratic plantation owners in South Merchants, lawyers, officials, Clergymen in North Yeoman farmers Owned majority of land Lesser tradesmen Manual workers, hired hands Did not own land Indentured Servants, criminals Little influence Slaves No rights
Reasons Behind Stratification The Rich Merchants benefit from economic system and become influential High standard of living Plantation owners become more successful b/c of slaves The Poor Later generations struggled Unclaimed land dwindles Size of farms shrink Inheritances shrink, sons become wage laborers White farmers in South struggle, often become tenant farmers Indentured servitude grows lower class Paupers and convicts come by force (50,000) Slaves denied rights, no chance to move up
Professionals (A different class) Clerics Physicians Christian ministry is honored Poorly trained, not well respected Lawyers Viewed positively Protected colonists rights Help create constitutions
Commerce and Trade Triangular Trade illegal trade designed to get around Navigation Laws NE timber, fish, cotton goods, light manufacturing-->french Caribbean NE molasses, makes it into rum shipped to West Indes the West Africa Slaves taken from Africa New World
Commerce and Trade Manufacturing Small industry Tailoring, shoemaking,baking, iron owrking, rope making, coppering, furniture Lumbering most important ship building Woman spinners and weavers at home Small business: naval stores, beaver hats, rum, carpentry
Commerce and Trade Increased Trade Increased demand for British goods British demand for American goods Molasses Act 1733: British try to stop colonists from trading rum/molasses with French West Indies Colonists mostly ignored it Transportation Terrible roads Waterways important Most cities by rivers Taverns as gathering places Postal system by mid 1700s
Religion State of religion 1 in 7 church members Toleration Major issues: Dissention in churches Religious style during Great Awakening Eventually, will lead to separation of church and state
Religion Anglican Church of England Tax supported in VA, MD, NC, SC, GA and part of NY Weakened by lack of bishops College of William and Mary in VA to train ministers
Religion Congregational Church Grew from Puritan churches NE Initially tax supported Emphasized Church of Christ s existence in each individual congregation
Religion Presbyterian Church Close to congregationalists Calvinist principles Emphasized all Presb. Churches as a unified body, no individualism Not official church in any colonies
Religion Quakers and Jews Quakers PA, RI, NJ, DE Protest NE slave trade Jews Middle colonies Only 1500 in colonies in 1750s
The First Great Awakening 1730s-1740s First mass social movement in American history Middle and southern colonies Main issue: personal faith, church practice, public decorum Reaction against doctrine, ritual, and emotional stagnation in church Arminianism: Man is not helpless in achieving regeneration; his will can be an effective force in being saved Direct, personal inspiration from God
1st GA Boys Jonathan Edwards Credited with starting it all Salvation through faith and God s grace, not good works Preached on eternal damnation More intellectual than emotional George Whitefield Most influential preacher in 1st GA Bible preacher with emotion
1st GA Ideas Old Lights Orthodox Skeptical of emotionalism Skeptical of theatrics and revivalists Believe emotions threatened their spiritual authority as preachers New Lights Supported 1st GA Believed in revitalizing Emotion in religion Conversion experience (think Baptists)
1st GA Results Schisms in denominations Brought religion to many who previously did not attend church Undermined clergy s authority Encouraged missionary work among slaves and Natives New Light colleges Dartmouth, Brown, rutgers, Princeton Anti-intellectualism
Education New England leader of Education Middle colonies Bible reading Primary and secondary schools Higher literacy rates Some primary and secondary schools Tax supported and privately owned More spread out population made school going difficult South Limited opportunity, except for privileged whites Wealthy hired tutors for children
Higher Education Clergy training, not academics University of Pennsylvania Emphasis on religion and Latin and Greek Ben Franklin helped established it First college free of religious control Modern curriculum languages, reason, experimentation Colonial colleges Harvard, William & Mary, Yale, Princeton, Pennsylvania, Columbia, Brown, Rutgers, Dartmouth
Literature and Culture Phillis Wheatley Slave taught by her masters to read and write First African American writer in known US History Abolitionists would later reference her Ben Franklin Wirting about American character Poor Richard s Almanack Emphasized thrift, morality, common sense Franklin s Autobiography Scientific experiements Electricity (think kite and key) Bifocal spectacles Started first privately supported library in America
The Colonial Press Hand operated printing press Pamphlets, leaflets, journals more than books John Peter Zenger Case Zenger's newspaper criticized governor Charged and brought to trial Jury ruled in favor of Zenger Significance? Freedom of speech
Colonial Politics-->Types of Colonies Royal Colonies Proprietary Colonies 8 colonies, governor appointed by Crown 3 colonies, proprietors (important man) who chose governors themselves Charter Colonies 2 colonies, elected governors under self-governing charter
Colonial Politics Bicameral Legislatures Upper House Council Appointed by Governor or Crown Lower House Assembly Elected by property owners (citizens) Voted for taxes
Nature of American Politics Not as powerful as Parliament Reformed, more progressive than English local governments Administration at local level Voting Restrictions Governors Legal power: veto, dissolve assembly, judiciary Weak: under Crown, outnumbered by assembly
Seeds of Democracy Tolerance Education Freedom of Speech and Press Assembly Representative government
Enlightenment Ideas of Liberalism Individual human rights Freedom of religion, speech, press Equal treatment in the law Equality of opportunity Human dignity and happiness Science, progress, rationality Representative government
Enlightenment Thinkers John Locke Montesquieu Governments to protect people Natural rights: life, liberty, property Right to rebellion Checks and balances Separation of Powers Adam Smith Wealth of Nations Capitalism, modern economic system
Enlightenment vs. Religion Deism God created the universe and then stepped back World runs like a clock Reject traditional Christianity Influenced Jefferson, Washington, Franklin Popular with intellectuals