People of the Colonies

1. People of the Colonies By: Quinn, Will, Jacob, Ryan

2. Colonial Social Classes • Each of the 13 colonies had an upper class • The upper class was made up of merchants, ship-owners, and the clergy • In the south, land owners imitated the English upper class • Early laws allowed only upper class men and women to wear silver buttons and silk Upper class American merchant

3. The Bottom of the Colonial Social Classes • Indentured servants and slaves were at the bottom of the social class • Indentured servants came to the colonies on contract • Slaves were first brought over in 1619 by the Dutch • Once the contract expired, it was possible for indentured servants to move up in society • Slaves were meant to work for life and therefore could not move up in society Indentured Contract

4. The Role and Social Class of Women • Woman were expected to be married early and birth multiple children • Due to their social position, Women were denied higher education • It was also socially acceptable to for women to work on farms making cloth, candles, soap and other items • When their husbands went overseas, women would act as merchants and storekeepers on their behalf • In the south, women helped to direct the workforce 18th century woman

5. Introduction to Slaves • Slaves were considered the lowest class of all the people in the colonies • There were two main types of servants/slaves : indentured servants and enslaved African Americans • Main differences between these two were that indentured servants had some protection by the law and enslaved African Americans did not • Slave labour was mostly adopted for plantation work in the south • This way the work could be easily overseen • Profits gained by slavery made it necessary for prosperity

6. Slavery in the South • Slavery was a very common thing in the south because of the abundance of plantations • In the south, it was illegal for enslaved people to become married • If they had children, they could be sold away from their mothers • They were not able to own property of any kind • It was also illegal for enslaved Africans to be taught how to read for fear that it may spoil their physical labour abilities • Most southern colonies made laws that declared that Africans shall be enslaved for life • This made it nearly impossible for slaves to become free

7. Slavery in the North • In the north slavery was less profitable therefore making it less common • Some colonies not only allowed but required slaves to marry • They were allowed to own property and testify in court • Slaves in the north were allowed to be punished but if they were killed, their owner could be charged with murder • A lot of people in the north agreed that slavery was morally wrong therefore making the number of free African Americans much higher • Although a lot were free, they still did not have equality and could not vote or hold office

8. Video on Slavery • http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?SearchText=colonial&lid=10942380&pageAll=4&ID=139101

9. English colonists and Native Americans • The first meeting between the English settlers and Native Americans gave little evidence of the overall destruction of the Native Americans’ ways of life • The two cultures were so different, each others language, customs and lifestyles were so different that neither knew what to expect of the other • The meetings between them were sometimes hostile

10. Who Owns the Land? • The expansion of colonial farms became the cause of numerous conflicts along with the misunderstanding each culture had of the other’s value • Colonists justified wars in numerous ways: Some puritan ministers claimed the Native Americans were children of the devil, so they could be killed in good conscience

11. Weapons of Conquest • Individually, a colonist may not have been a math for a Native American, but because of sheer numbers and weapons the colonists were destined to win • The colonists also had allies who carried diseases such as smallpox which the Europeans obtained • The European diseases sometimes wiped out whole Native American communities • An estimated 120,000 Native Americans who had lived in the area, only 20,000 survived • The Iroquois Confederacy was the only group of Native Americans that had the ability to protect its members from destruction

12. Religious views in North America • Many people came to America to worship freely, however, many never got the privilege. • Many of the churches were Roman Catholic or English • The great awakening in the 1740s caused an abundance of new churches, creating more tolerance for different religions

13. Education • The highest standard for education was held by New England • Schools only had a few books, and ran classes 2-3 months a year • Most girls received little education • Some of the earliest universities were Harvard, William and Mary, and Yale

14. Influence of Enlightenment • By 1700, schools began teaching science as well as religion and language • These trends started in England and was brought over to America • These studies taught the settlers that humans should have certain natural rights.

15. The Press • Newspapers were the primary way of getting information from person to person • Prints were on tough rag paper, and passed around from person to person • The Zinger case in the press was an important turning point in free press

16. Economy and Independence • Most trade ships left ports from New England • Common economic activity included slave trading and whale hunting • Manufactured goods came from Britain • To pay for goods, the colonies traded gold and silver, or any other commodities Europeans needed • Many of the colonies had their own government, which had elected their own legislatere. Most were white males • The British had no control over these governments