The 18 th Century Colonies

1. The 18th Century Colonies Topography Economy Society Climate Northern • New England • Middle Southern • Chesapeake • Southern

2. Topography • Appalachian Mts • “Piedmont” • Chesapeake Bay • Outer Banks • Sea Islands • Hudson River • Cape Cod

3. ColonialRegions New EnglandConn, Mass, RI, NH MiddleDel, Pa, NY, NJ ChesapeakeVa, Md Mason-Dixon Line divides N & S SouthernGa, SC, NC

4. Typical Plantations Mount Vernon, Virginia

5. e Map of Westover Plantation, Virginia (18th c.)

6. e Map of Shirley Plantation, Virginia (18th c.)

7. Plan of the slaveship Brookes

8. e English Tobacco Label (18th c.)

10. New England Towns

11. New England Towns • Towns were the basis of society & community • The “common” • Meeting House • Schools • 1647 – “Old Deluder Law” • 1636 – Harvard College • Encourages roads, taverns (at crossroads), small industries, etc.

12. Deerfield, Massachusetts – 1671 plot map

14. Deerfield, Massachusetts – 1728 drawing

15. Deerfield Meeting House – 1729 drawing

16. Typical interior of a meeting house.

17. e A typical New England “Salt Box” house

18. Colonial Cities • Commercial centers • Philadelphia, PA • 34,000 • 2nd largest port in Empire • Most modern city in the colonies. • New York, NY • Boston, MA • Charles Town, S.C. • Only major port in south • Challenges: • Fire, disease, waste disposal, poverty

19. e Philadelphia, 1750s

20. Philadelphia Row Houses

21. Boston - 1800

22. e Fire fighting in New York (1762)

23. Intellectual / Cultural Developments • Enlightenment • 18th century intellectual movement • Challenges traditional beliefs / superstitions • Emphasizes learning, discovery • Benjamin Franklin • Starts as an apprentice printer, becomes one the most famous Americans in the colonies. • Inventor, scientist, writer, politician • Inventions: lightning rod, Franklin stove, bifocals, odometer • Pennsylvania Gazette – purchased in 1730…free speech • Poor Richard’s Alamanack (1732-58) – weather predictions, information, wit and wisdom.\ • Autobiography

24. Intellectual / Cultural Developments • Great Awakening • Religious Revival • Response to growing wealth & population…colonies getting away from their religious origins. • Emphasizes a personal, emotional response to religion • “Camp meetings” – fiery sermons, emotional displays of faith • Circuit riders – preachers travel from town to town… • Leaders: • George Whitefield • Jonathon Edwards: “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” • Splits churches between the “Old Lights” and “New Lights” • New churches form: Baptist, Methodist • New schools to educate ministers: Brown, Princeton, Rutgers, Dartmouth