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Chapter 5

Chapter 5. Colonial Society on the Eve of Revolution. Conquest by the Cradle. Why did the 13 original colonies rebel?. Britain ruled 32 colonies in Americas Canada, Caribbean, Florida’s, and Jamaica Colonies create distinctive social, economic and political structures

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Chapter 5

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  1. Chapter 5 Colonial Society on the Eve of Revolution

  2. Conquest by the Cradle

  3. Why did the 13 original colonies rebel? • Britain ruled 32 colonies in Americas • Canada, Caribbean, Florida’s, and Jamaica • Colonies create distinctive social, economic and political structures • creation of an American way of life

  4. HUGE Population Growth • By 1700, about 300,000 people (20,000 black) • By 1750, about 2.5 million (500,000 black)

  5. Immigrants counted about 400,000 of population • black forced migration • colonists were doubling population every 25 years • youthful people (avg about 16)

  6. Political consequences of population growth • Population went from 20:1 English to American to 3:1 • creates shift in balance of power

  7. Most east of Appalachian Mountains • Some went to Tennessee and Kentucky • Most populous colonies: • Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Maryland • Most populous cities: • Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Charleston

  8. A Mingling of the Races

  9. America a melting pot • Many foreigners in America

  10. Germans-6% or 150,000 by 1775

  11. Not Irish but Scot Lowlanders Had been moved to Ireland and resented by Catholics hard to make living in Ireland Came to Pennsylvania in 1700s Pushed into frontier squatted on land quarreled with Indians and whites moved southward into Maryland and Virginia Excellent frontiersmen maybe a little too violent towards Indians settlements hugged Appalachians Scot Irish- 7% or 175,000 in 1775

  12. Grabbed everything they could get hands on brought whiskey making to back country did not like British Paxton Boys March on Penn Protest Quaker lenient policy towards Indians Spearhead the Regulators movement of Scot Irish decent protesting eastern monopoly on power Andrew Jackson and other presidents of Scot Irish decent

  13. Other European groups • 5% mixed • many felt little loyalty to British crown • Africans were largest non-English group- 20% • mostly in south

  14. Most mixed population in the world • South had most blacks • New England least diverse • Middle colonies receive most immigrants • outside of New England about 1/2 population of non-English

  15. Mingled and intermarried • Laid foundation for multicultural America • Michel-Guillaume de Crevecoeur view • What is an American? • Africans mixed also from Caribbean and African and come to America • Indians in other areas as well

  16. The Structure of Colonial Society

  17. Land of equality and opportunity (except slavery) • Most Americans small farmers • modest holdings • many rags to riches stories • could not do this in England

  18. Signs of stratification and barriers to mobility or Europeanization of America • Wars laid foundation for many to get rich supplying arms • made huge fortunes • began to live like rich in England • War creates class of widows and orphans • poor houses in cities • number small compared to Europe

  19. New England land holdings divided among heirs • Average size of farms shrank • Forced to hire out as wage earners or seek land west • “P” on clothing for poor in Boston Southern planters gaining more wealth because of slavery Widening gap between rich and poor who became tenant farmers

  20. Indentured servants less well off than other whites • Became paupers and convicts shipped off to America • Jayle birds dumped on American soil • some undesirable and others victims of unfair English penal system • some became respectable citizens • did not love Britain either

  21. Black slaves least fortunate • No hope of freedom • Whites feared rebellion • South Carolina could not stop importation because of fear of rebellion • English government wants to keep profitable slave trade alive

  22. Clerics, Physicians, and Jurists

  23. Clergy most well respected • Less influential than before Physicians poorly trained and not well respected • No schools • served as apprentices • bleeding favorite remedy

  24. Epidemics the nightmare in the colonies • Small pox dreaded 1 in 5 • Washington had it several times • crude inoculations in 1721 • Diphtheria also deadly • swept through the colonies in 1730s • prepared colonists for Great Awakening

  25. Law not well respected at first • People defended themselves • regarded as noisy windbags • Adams a lawyer

  26. Workaday America

  27. Agriculture leading profession • Tobacco still leading crop in Maryland and Virginia • Wheat grown on depleted land • Americans growing huge amounts of crops with little or no experience • best standard of living in world

  28. Fishing and whaling rewarding • All colonies • major industry in New England • Also stimulates shipbuilding • export to Catholic Europe • experience for future navy men

  29. Commerce growing • Coastal and overseas • Yankees good traders

  30. Triangular Trade • Provide food to Caribbean sugar islands • Hauled Spanish and Portuguese gold, wine, oranges to London • Exchange for industrial goods to America • Very profitable • leave New England for Africa with rum for slaves • West Indies with slaves for molasses • New England with molasses for making rum

  31. Manufacturing in colonies small but few good ones • Farming too easy to make a living than risk manufacturing venture • rum from Rhode Island and Massachusetts • Beaver • smoking iron forges in Pennsylvania • Household manufacturing of spinning and weaving • skilled craftsmen highly prized • lumbering the most important manufacturing venture • Used in New England and elsewhere for shipbuilding • more and more ships being built by Americans

  32. Colonial naval stores-tar, pitch, rosin, and turpentine were highly valued • Britain wanting to preserve its naval dominance • Britain offered bounties to produce these items • Fines for chopping trees that could be used as main masts

  33. Americans an important business partner with England in 1700s • Strains in relations • Growing population demands more British products • Britain could not take more American products • Imbalance of trade • Americans seek non British goods

  34. Eve of Revolution: America using other markets • Tobacco going to France • Heavy trade with French West Indies • provided cash for American to buy British goods • British pass Molasses Act to stop American trade with the enemy • Americans begin smuggling and bribing officials • Horsepower and Sailpower

  35. Transportation a problem in sprawling America

  36. 1700s finally saw roads connect the major cities • Travel still slow • Roads poorly made • stagecoach travel unpredictable • travel also dangerous

  37. Relied on waterways for best travel • Settlements along water • slow but cheap and pleasant

  38. Taverns • Grew up along roads and rivers • Many attractions • social classes mingled here • cradle of democracy • Clearinghouse of information • successful politicians gained following • Helped crystallize public opinion • Hotbeds of agitation

  39. Postal system between colonies established by mid-1700s • Service slow • infrequent • unsafe

  40. Dominant Denominations

  41. Two established state churches in colonies in 1775 • Anglican from Church of England • Congregationalists in New England • Many did not belong to these two • Most did not belong to any church

  42. Anglican Church • Georgia, North and South Carolina official church • Helped promote King’s authority in America • only worked on members

  43. Anglican church began to hurt-fall short of its promises • Self satisfied became less fierce and more worldly • gained a poor reputation • William and Mary University formed to train better clerics

  44. Congregational church formally established in all New England areas except Rhode Island • Taxes not paid by those of major religions • Presbyterian associated with Congregationalists but not official

  45. Ministers turned to political issues • Revolution gained strong support in Congregational and Presbyterian churches • Anglican churches supported Great Britain

  46. Anglicans handicapped by not having resident bishop • Would have helped create Anglican clergy • Giving America a bishop opposed by non Anglican groups Religious toleration made tremendous strides in America • Catholics discriminated against but there were too few • People could worship or not worship as they please

  47. The Great Awakening

  48. Religion less important than in 1600s • Puritans suffered because • a. elaborate theological doctrines • b. efforts to liberalize membership requirements • Complained of “dead dogs” who disliked boring orthodox sermons • Liberal ideas emerge • Good works could save the non elite • Arminians threaten predestination also • Free will determined salvation • Churches allowed membership without conversion • Lay liberalism and clerical intellectualism sapping vitality from many denominations

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