Colonial America

Colonialism -> Mercantilism -> dominant in Europe -> 16th-18th Century -> idea was to promote governmental regulations and accumulate resources to build a nations power at the expense of rival nations. Characteristics: high tariffs, limiting imports (via tariffs) and maximizing

exports, monopolizing markets, limiting wages, building of overseas colonies, extraction of resources, limiting colonial trade with other countries.

First two and half centuries rural society 90% lived in countryside Included a number of bustling seaport cities Boston (north) to

Charleston (south) day laborers and craftsmen. Northern Colonies more urban - industries diversified - small

industries besides farming included things such as fur trading, blacksmithing, shipbuilding, and the manufacture of products such as rum, molasses and textiles from raw materials from the Southern United States

Middle Colonies frontier region for many years but developed into agriculture wheat and grain crops. Also became center for slave trade.

Southern Colonies agriculture food and cash crops (tobacco, rice, cotton)

People self-employed independent farmers, artisans or host of urban retail trades and professions.

As the colonies and industries grew the demand for labor increased. Despite the demand, there was a scarcity in the labor market.

It became difficult to keep wage earners on the job constantly moving on to frontier communities where pay was higher or else they were taking up land and becoming independent farmers.

17th Century -18th century three types of labor began to form Indentured

Slave

Free

Indentured

Initially slavery was not the dominants system of labor for the colonies. It was indentured Servitude.

Essentially a loan with labor as security.

50-66% of white immigrants came to the colonies under these contracts.

Three sources of indentured servitude:

Men, women and children whose articles of servitude were signed before leaving the Old World.

The redeptioners so called free-willers- who agreed to reimburse their passage money by selling their labor after coming to the colonies.

Convicts criminals convicted of capital crime in England could be transported in lieu of a death sentence.

Characteristics Contract lasted 2-7 years. Children who were indentured were expected to serve until they

turned 21. Some workers were convicts or vagabonds sentenced to service for

up to 14 years by the English courts.

Conditions Masters were expected to feed, clothe and house servants. The reality, however, could be quite different.

Indentured servants were treated the same as slave labor. Female servants were the victims of sexual exploitation. 2 out of 5 of indentured servants died before completing their term. Living and working conditions were horrible, and servants who tried to

escape could have their term of service extended.

Once servants completed his contract, s/he was freed they were

given land, tools, seed, and animals. However, they did not receive voting rights. Some became farmers or artisans, other became discontented rural class of poor whites or became casual labor in port cities.

Characteristics Contract lasted 2-7 years. Children who were indentured were expected to serve until they

turned 21. Some workers were convicts or vagabonds sentenced to service for

up to 14 years by the English courts.

Conditions Masters were expected to feed, clothe and house servants. The reality, however, could be quite different.

Indentured servants were treated the same as slave labor. Female servants were the victims of sexual exploitation. 2 out of 5 of indentured servants died before completing their term. Living and working conditions were horrible, and servants who tried to

escape could have their term of service extended.

Once servants completed his contract, s/he was freed they were

given land, tools, seed, and animals. However, they did not receive voting rights. Some became farmers or artisans, other became discontented rural class of poor whites or became casual labor in port cities.

Slavery Slavery was introduced by the Spanish into the West Indies after

Columbus came to the Americas - relied heavily on the use of Native Americans for slave labor. Native Americans were highly likely to catch European diseases. Familiarity with terrain allowed them to escape easier. Political allies could form resistance to enslavement.

Spanish and Portuguese expanded African slavery into Central and

South American after enslaved Indians began dying off. 1619 The first recorded introduction of African slaves into the

colonies was in the settlement of Jamestown (20 slaves were purchased)

New England merchants gained access to slave trade in the early 1700s via the triangle trade. 1. Rum was brought to Africa, exchanged for slaves 2. Ships crossed the Middle Passage, slave trades in the West Indies. 3. Sugar brought to New England. Slave brought to work on

Plantations, mines, etc.

Since the economies of New England and the Middle Colonies were based on small farms, slavery was far less important.

Given that the slave population was smaller in the North than the south, laws were less harsh than in the South.

Although slaves did represent a sizable percentage of urban laborers, particularly in New York and Philadelphia.

Chesapeake Bay colonies (Maryland, Virginia) large tobacco plantations; center of the domestic slave trade. Carolinas and Georgia large rice and cotton plantations.

Slave population and percentage of total population, in the thirteen colonies, 1770

By 1800 10 to 15 million blacks had been transported as slaves to the Americas.

It is estimated that Africa lost 50 million humans at the hands of slave traders and plantation owners of modern Western Europe and Americas.

Slave Revolts Slaves resorted to revolts in the 13 colonies and later in the southern U.S. 250 insurrections have been documented; between 1780 and 1864. 91 African-Americans were convicted of insurrection in Virginia alone. First revolt in what became the United States took place in 1526 at a Spanish

settlement near the mouth of the Pee Dee River in South Carolina.

Slave Revolts would lead plantation owners to develop a series of slave laws/codes which restricted the movement of the slaves. Slaves were not taught to read or write Restricted to the plantation Slaves could not congregate after dark Slaves could not possess any type of firearm A larger slave population than white in some states Slave owners wanted to keep their slaves ignorant of the outside world because

learning about life beyond the plantation could lead to more slave revolts and wanting to escape

By 1800 10 to 15 million blacks had been transported as slaves to the Americas.

It is estimated that Africa lost 50 million humans at the hands of slave traders and plantation owners of modern Western Europe and Americas.

Slave Revolts Slaves resorted to revolts in the 13 colonies and later in the southern U.S. 250 insurrections have been documented; between 1780 and 1864. 91 African-Americans were convicted of insurrection in Virginia alone. First revolt in what became the United States took place in 1526 at a Spanish

settlement near the mouth of the Pee Dee River in South Carolina.

Slave Revolts would lead plantation owners to develop a series of slave laws/codes which restricted the movement of the slaves. Slaves were not taught to read or write Restricted to the plantation Slaves could not congregate after dark Slaves could not possess any type of firearm A larger slave population than white in some states Slave owners wanted to keep their slaves ignorant of the outside world because

learning about life beyond the plantation could lead to more slave revolts and wanting to escape

Free Labor

Made up of immigrant artisans and mechanics who were able to pay their own passage to the new world or of bound servants who have served their time as indentured servitude.

Free labor carpenters, masons, shipwrights, sail-makers, tanners, weaver, shoemakers, tailors, smiths, coopers (barrel makers), glazers (glass makers) and printers.

Skilled crafts first applied their craft independently but as centers of populations grew, master workmen set up small retail shops and employed journeymen and apprentices who worked for wages.

Close to the 18th century journeymen began to form local trade societies early formations of the first unions.

Labor/Class Laws

Because of high demand for labor wages were high, Tudor Industrial Code were brought over from England. Behind these codes was the idea low wages ensured continued productivity and decreased the likelihood of immoral conduct.

Principles of code included: Compulsory labor for all able-bodied persons;

To protect the workingmen and to check unemployment, it restrained wrongful dismissal of employees.

It provided for the fixing of maximum wages by justice of the peace according to the plenty or scarcity of the times

It declared illegal any combination of workmen to secure higher wages (i.e., unions)

It provided that no workman was to depart before the end of his agrees term, and then he was required to produce letters testimonial to show that he was free to hire himself out.

To assure an adequate supply of skilled workmen and good quality in the manufactured product it set a term of apprenticeship of seven years; 18th century amendments to the code further attempted to maintain the skilled labor supply by restricting the emigration of artisans.

Every American colonies made some attempts to apply the principles of the Tudor Industrial Code.

All colonies adopted the principle of compulsory labor. (early laws punished idleness by whipping or fees)

1630 General Court of Massachusetts wage ceiling of two shillings a day for carpenters, joiners, bricklayers, sawyers, thatchers and other artisans; eighteen pence for all day laborers. Also created a provisions that all workmen shall worke the whole day, alloweing convenient tyme for food and rest. (sic).

1647 Rhode Island Labor Code Any artificer or laborer who agreed to finish any specific task should not part from the same. Until it is finished. Penalty was payment of five pounds

1661 Maryland law declared that all servants hired for wages were liable to be taken up as runaways if found ten miles away from home without permission from their master and provided a penalty of ten days service for every day of absence.

Laws also defined a workday as ten hours a day.

Morality Laws

The court further declared that anyone who gave wine or strong liquor to any workingman, except in the case of emergency, would be fined twenty shillings for each offense.

Sumptuary Laws - Banned people of lower class form dressing in garbs of gentlemen

1634 - General Court of Massachusetts banned the poor from wearing clothing that would dishonor God and was altogether unsuitable to their poverty

wearing gold or silver laces or buttons

Woolen or silk or linen with any lace on it

points at their knees new fashions from the old world

Wear great boots

Women silk or tiffany scarfs

Law became was no longer enforced by the 18th Century

Workers, Politics and Revolution Workers lacked basic political rights right to vote was restricted to

property owners The protest over the lack of basic rights combined with the

opposition of English-rule led many workers to sympathetic towards the independence cause.

Small tradesmen, artisans and mechanics played an important role in promoting the revolutionary cause and were more radical in their demands and support of colonial liberties than merchants who were usually more willing to compromise. The Popular Party in Boston (led by Sam Adams) was largely made up of

warfinger (wharf operators), shipwrights, bricklayers, weavers and tanners who were equally opposed to rule by the British or colonial aristocrats.

The Sons of Liberty (Tea Party - 1773) and later the local Committees of Correspondence (secret colonial government) often found its most radical elements recruited from workers employed at the docks and shipyards.

Boston Massacre grew directly out of a dispute between rope workers and British soldiers. Crispus Attucks Runaway slave and ship worker first killed in the American Revolution.

After the Revolution New government reflected more of the conservative rather than

radical views espoused by the workers. Whittled away the democratic gains made during the struggle for

independence Emphasized property interests rather than individual liberty However with lure of foreign commerce, many were blinded by the

potential of new work and employment James Madison often spoke about his concerns regarding the leveling

spirit and was concerned about the need to protect from coalition of the oppressed.

Thomas Jefferson didnt believe that artisans, mechanics and workers without property could ever develop republican virtues that were essential to a free society. He was also opposed to the development of manufactures in the US because he was concerned about the influence of urban workers.

The mobs of great cities add just so much to the support of pure government as so sores do to the strength of the human body

- Thomas Jefferson