Colonial Life

1. Colonial Life • Immigration: • Colonial population rose due to European immigration • Immigrants came from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Germany, France, the Dutch and Swedes. • Which group comprised the largest part of colonial population? • Scottish-Irish What was the largest single group of non-English speaking immigrants? Africans By 1775, the African population was 20% of the colonial population. 90% lived in the southern colonies and formed a majority of the population in South Carolina and Georgia.

2. Structure of Colonial society Government: each colony had a representative assembly that was elected by eligible voters. Who was eligible to vote in colonial society? white male property owners What are some examples of self – government in the colonies? 1. Mayflower Compact 2. House of Burgesses 3. Fundamental Orders of Connecticut: first constitution 4. Salutary neglect 5. town meetings: New England 6. Great Awakening -colonists exercised the rights of free speech and a free press, became accustomed to electing representatives to colonial assemblies and tolerated a variety of religions. No hereditary aristocracy – class system was based on economics Social Mobility – all people in colonial society had an opportunity to improve their standard of living & social status by hard work. Example - Benjamin Franklin

3. The Economy New England colonies: trade. Small family farms worked by family members (100 acres) Middle colonies: dual economy. 200 acre farms using a few hired laborers. Also traded in areas like Philadelphia & New York Southern colonies: Agriculture: 2,000 acre farms worked by slave labor. Majority of population was subsistence farming Monetary system: British limited the use of money as a way to control colonies. Imports from Britain had to be paid for using specie. For domestic trade, each colony issued paper money which caused inflation. Transportation: over water is fastest. Major cities were located on good harbors & rivers. Examples? Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Charleston. Overland travel was still widely used by the mid 1800’s with taverns providing food & lodging for travelers and social centers where news and politics were discussed. A postal system using overland travel and rivers was in use within & between the colonies by the mid 18th century. Who was the first post master general? Benjamin Franklin

4. Religion -most colonists were Protestant. What is a protestant? New England: Congregationalists (successors of Puritans) & Presbyterians were most common New York: Reformed church (Dutch) and Anglican were most popular Pennsylvania: Lutherans, Mennonites, and Quakers were most common Virginia & the South: Anglican Established Churches: church supported by tax payer money (financed by the government). Examples: Virginia – Church of England, Masschusetts - Congregational

5. Religion • The Great Awakening (1730’s & 1740’s)– Sinners in the hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards. Souls who paid no attention to Gods commandments would suffer eternal damnation. • George Whitefield – God was all powerful & would only save those who openly professed faith in Jesus Christ. With faith and sincerity, ordinary people could understand the gospels without depending on ministers to lead them. • Effects: more emotionalism, people studied Bible on their own= minsters lost power, “New Lights” vs. “Old Lights” • Political effects: first shared experience for all colonies, lead to increase in democratic ideals. How?

6. Culture • Didn’t really develop until 1700’s. Why? • Arts & Sciences: • Architecture: Georgian style was popular in houses, churches & public buildings. On the frontier, the one room log cabin was most common. • Painting: mostly portraits for wealthy families • Literature: mostly religion & politics. Cotton Mather & Jonathan Edwards.As the revolution approached, political essays became more popular; John Adams, James Otis, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson and poetry of Phyllis Wheatley. Who was the most successful writer of the 18th century? Benjamin Franklin – Poor Richards Almanac. Revised annually from 1732-1757. • Science: most were self taught – botanist John Bartram. Benjamin Franklin – electricity, bifocal glasses & Franklin stove.

7. Education • Very limited in colonies. Higher education was focused on men since women were domestics. • Elementary – New England: Puritans emphasis on learning bible lead to tax supported schools. 1647 Massachusetts law required towns of more than 50 families to establish schools for boys. Middle colonies: schools were either church sponsored or private. Teachers usually lived with families of students. Southern colonies: tutors provided instruction for owners children. • Higher Education – first colleges were sectarian. What does sectarian mean? • Puritans - Harvard Cambridge, Mass 1636: candidates for ministry a theological & scholarly education • Anglicans - William and Mary in Virginia 1694 • Congregationalists – Yale in Connecticut 1701 • Great Awakening colleges 1746-1769: College of New Jersey (Princeton), 1746, Presbyterian; King’s College (Columbia), 1754, Anglican; Rhode Island College (Brown), 1764, Baptist; Queens College (Rutgers), 1766, Reformed; Dartmouth College, 1769, Congregationalist

8. Education • Ministers – usually only well educated person in small communities. Widely respected among common people • Physicians – gained knowledge through experience. Most “cures” only made people worse. Ex – bleeding the sick. First medical college in colonies opened in 1765 as part of College Philadelphia created by who? Ben Franklin • Lawyers – talkative troublemakers. In 1600’s people argued their own cases in court. By 1700’s needed experts as law became more complex as trade expanded. Gained more respect in 1760’s & 1770’s as they argued for colonial rights. Ex – John Adams, Patrick Henry.

9. Colonial Life • Newspapers – In 1725 only 5 newspapers existed in the colonies. By 1776, there were 40. Issued weekly, one sheet folded to make 4 pages. Contained news from a month ago from Europe, ads for goods & services and for the return of runaway indentured servants and slaves & advise for better living. No illustrations until the first in the Philadelphia Gazette by …. Benjamin Franklin • Zenger Case – newspaper printers could be jailed if articles offended the political authorities. In 1735, John Peter Zenger was put on trial on a charge of label against New York’s royal governor. Zenger’s lawyer, Andrew Hamilton, argued Zenger had printed the truth. According to English law, Zenger should have been found guilty but the jury ignored the law and found him not guilty. Early example of freedom of the press.

10. Colonial Life • The Enlightenment – most influential in the colonies was John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government which while the state government was supreme it is bound to follow “natural laws” based on the rights that humans have. He argued that sovereignty rests with the people rather than the state. Locke wrote that citizens had a right and an obligation to revolt against whatever government failed to protect their rights.

11. Politics • Structure of Government – • 8 royal colonies with governors appointed by King: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia • 3 proprietary colonies with governors appointed by proprietor: Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware • Connecticut & Rhode Island elected governors by popular votes Every colony had a bicameral legislature. Colonists were use to only paying taxes if their chosen representatives approved. Local Government – New England – towns & villages. Small houses surrounded an open space called a green. Town meeting was most common to vote on public issues Southern Colonies - few towns, plantations were far apart. Law enforcement was carried on by a sheriff who served a county. Colonial democracy was limited and partial at best. By 18th century, religious restrictions on voting were removed in Massachusetts but property requirements remained. Politics was restricted to participation by white males only but compared to other parts of the world, the colonies democracy and self – government made them unusual for the time.