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Colonial Society on the Eve of Revolution: Population, Structure, and Economy

This chapter explores common features of colonial society, including population growth, colonial locations, social structure, economy, trade patterns, manufacturing, and the role of religion.

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Colonial Society on the Eve of Revolution: Population, Structure, and Economy

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  1. Chapter 5 COLONIAL SOCIETY ON THE EVE OF REVOLUTION

  2. Common Features Of Colonies • Populations were growing dramatically • Between 1700 -1775 colonies doubled their population every 25 years. • Reasons for population growth. • Change in the ratio of blacks to white • 90% of population lived in rural areas.

  3. Population Location • Most of population cooped up between Atlantic and Appalachian, • Vanguard of settlers across mountains and as far as Tenn. and Kentucky. • Va., Mass., Pa, NC and Maryland were the biggest colonies, in that order. • Philly the biggest city with 34,000.

  4. Colonial America was a melting pot by 1775. • Germans (6%) (150,000) • Scots-Irish (7%) • Other Europeans (5%) • Africans (20%)

  5. Structure Of Colonial Society • Compared to Europe, America was a land of equality and opportunity — except for slavery. • Most remarkable feature was the ease with which could go from rags to riches on the social scale.

  6. Structure Of Colonial Society • By 1776 social stratification beginning to set in. • Raised some barriers to upward mobility and fears that America becoming Europeanized. • Reasons?

  7. Workaday America • Agriculture was the leading industry — 90% of the people • Tobacco the Staple crop in Maryland and Virginia • Grain the primarycrop in the Middle colonies.

  8. Workaday America • Colonist standard of living compared to rest of world. • Major Industry in New England? • Fishing/whaling • Trade • Quintessential Yankee Trader

  9. Nature of Trade • What was being traded to Europe? • From Europe? • What is the Triangular Trade?

  10. Map 5.3: Colonial Trade Patterns, c. 1770

  11. Colonial Manufacturing • Manufacturing was limited and only of secondary importance. • Reasons: • 1)partly due to lack of money to invest • 2) partly due to lack of laborers and • 3) partly due to mercantilism.

  12. Lumbering • Lumbering was the most important manufacturing activity. • Why were British so hungry for American timber? • British Navy and merchant marines needed wood • 1/3 of British merchant marine (Ships) was American-built. • Rosin, pitch, tar and turpentine were also highly valued by shippers

  13. Economic Problem in the 1730s • What economic problems faced US in 1730s? • England saturated with American products. • Americans need cash and the only way to get cash is through sale of American goods. • Thus, Americans want to tap other markets to sell their goods. • Are shipping a lot of timber and food to the French West Indies, which is providing cash for Americans to buy from England. • But………

  14. Molasses Act of 1733 • What did it say? • What was the intent of the act? • How do Colonists react?

  15. Dominant Denominations • Two established (tax supported) churches were dominant in the colonies— • Anglican (Church of England) • Congregational (Puritan) • Many colonists did not attend church.

  16. Anglican Church • Official church in Ga., North and South Carolina, Va. and Maryland. • Strongest in the south • Why did Britain want to increase its power? • Not very fervent. • Clergy was poorly trained. • Anglicans lacked a bishop in America, thus all ministers had to train in England. • Colonists resisted idea of an American Bishop. • Why?

  17. Congregational Church • Congregational church formally established in all NE colonies except RI. • Was a hotbed for rebellion, and as rebellion neared ministers often preached sedition from the pulpit.

  18. The Great Awakening • Causes: • People less fervent. • Puritan churches struggling. Why? • “Dead dog” ministers. • Ministers worried that the people had grown soft. • Liberal ideas began to challenge old time religion.

  19. The Great Awakening • A religious revival in 1730-40’s • Spread like wildfire. • Was a reaction against the rationalism and enlightenment of the period that put reason above God. • Reaction against complacency of religion. • First North American Mass Movement

  20. Jonathan Edwards • Jonathan Edwards • Started Great Awakening. • Deep thinker; burned with righteousness • Views on Salvation. • Famous sermon: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. • George Whitefield • More eloquent. • Tried to lead people back to God through the passion of his rhetoric. • Revival meeting. • His message.

  21. Results of the Great Awakening • People split off to new churches • Undermined older clergy • New denominations • Increased missionary work • Founding of new colleges • Broke down sectional boundaries and contributed to sense of Americans as one people.

  22. Schools and Colleges • English view of education. • New England schools • Middle Colonies • South-Field System • Universities in America

  23. Pioneer Presses • Most people could not buy books. • Only a few libraries based. • Colonial newspapers. • Newspapers typically contained dull essays and commentaries. • Zenger Case

  24. Government In The Colonies • Originally: • 8 were royal colonies. • 3 were proprietorships ( Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) • 2 had self-governing charters (Connecticut and Rhode Island.) • By time of Revolution, most were royal.

  25. Common Features in Governments • Almost all the colonies used a two-house legislature. • Powers of Legislatures • Ability to Control the Governors • Religious and/or property-owning requirements for vote existed in all colonies.

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