Society and Culture in Provincial America

1. Society and Culture in Provincial America Chapter 3

2. The Colonial Population • Early Population • Not aristocratic in the beginning • Indentured servants= ¾ of immigrants to Chesapeake in the 17th century • Other Groups: • Prisoners • Vagrants • Headright system

3. Chesapeake 1 in 4 children died Half die before age 20 1/3 of all marriages + 10 years Bad water Malaria 40 years for men < 40 for women New England Same Disease free “cleaner” water Pop. quadrupled from 1650- 1700 71 for men 70 for women Birth and Death VS.

4. Chesapeake Women • 17th Century • High female mortality rate • Women who lived through child birth averaged 8 children apiece (3 live) • # of women low= more latitude for women in choosing husbands • 18th Century • Life expectancy increases – “seasoning” • Indentured servitude on decline • Sex ratio more equal • Patriarchal

5. New England • Lower death rates= stronger family structure • More parental control for longer • Puritan ideals valued women as wife and mother • But reinforced male superiority

6. Slavery’s Beginning • Portuguese-Dutch-English • Responsible for the forced immigration of as many as 11 million Africans • 95% of Africans first spent time in the West Indies • 1700-1760 the number of Africans in colonies increased x10 • By 18th century, rigid distinction between black and white • White servants freed, black servants not • $ incentive to keep slaves and sell children • Idea of subordinating a race, not uncommon to English: Irish and Natives

7. Changing Population • By Late 17th century • Non-native population outnumbered native population • English immigration declined, but others started coming…

8. Colonial Economics

9. South Chesapeake Tobacco Overproduction lowered cost By 1700 plantations with 12+ slaves were common SC + Georgia Rice Mud/swamps/heat/insects Africans better laborers than whites Stronger, less likely sick, handle heat SC Indigo Overall: Dependence on cash crops = limited urban centers North N. England Diverse agriculture = commercial sector Small scale/just for family NY/Penn/Conn German immigrants Improved farming Women worked with men Everyone had a craft Candles, carpentry, weaving, soap A good to trade and sell…this developed into tradesmen and urban centers Natural resources: lumbering, mining, and fishing 1764 Hasenclever Iron Factory in NJ VS

10. Rise in Colonial Commerce • Amazing that colonies survived • lack of currency • harsh laws from Parliament • Trans-Atlantic trade • N. American products • W. Indies products • African products • From trade an elite merchant class emerged

11. Patterns of Society • The Plantation (South) • Most were relatively small estates • Far from cities or towns • Plantation Slavery • Smaller farms less social separation • By mid 18th century over ¾ slaves on plantations of at least ten slaves • Almost half of all slaves lived in communities of 50 slaves or more • Stono Rebellion 1739

12. Patterns of Society Cont’d • The Puritan Community (North) • Town structure as opposed to farm/plantation • All new colonies had a “covenant”- religious tie • Tightly knit communities • The Witchcraft Phenomenon • Events • 1680s-1690s Salem, MA (most famous, but not only one) • Why? • Women with power, land accused • Others in low social position • Most were middle aged and widowed with few or no children • Puritan society had little tolerance to “independent” and “deviant” women

13. Patterns of Society Cont’d • Cities • 1770s two largest ports • New York 25,000 • Philadelphia 28,000 • Boston 16,000 • visible difference between rich and poor

14. The Colonial Mind • Pattern of Religions • Anglicanism, all supporters to be taxed to support the church • Puritans saw Catholics as “agents of the Devil” • The Decline of Piety • Denominationalism: with so many diverse sects, which one is right? • Puritan attendance was actually very high

15. The Colonial Mind Cont’d • The Great Awakening • Began in 1730s reached climax in 1740s • Target: women and third of fourth generation sons • not change/rebellion but rather salvation • John and Charles Wesley • George Whitfield • Jonathan Edwards

16. The Colonial Mind Cont’d • The Enlightenment • Reason, logic, and science as divine • need not turn to God for guidance, rather human moral sense • Locke, Spinoza, Descartes, Voltaire  Jefferson, Franklin, Madison • Education • 1647 law required every town in Mass. to support a public school • Indians and Blacks remained largely outside of the system • Harvard, William and Mary, Yale and Princeton

17. The Colonial Mind Cont’d • Science • Law and Politics • 1734 Peter Zenger wrote criticism of government