colonial society 1660-1750

7/29/2019 Colonial Society 1660-1750

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Colonial Society

Comes of Age


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Events in England The monarchy loses power to Puritan

Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s

1660, Charles II restored to the throne,rewards supporters with colonies

Restoration Colonies

Carolina, New York, The Jerseys,Pennsylvania


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The CarolinasSouth Carolina

1670English colonists/planters fromBarbados found Charleston

Economyhunting, food for West Indies By 1750, rice plantations use African slaves

North Carolina

Farmers from Virginia & New England formself-sufficient tobacco farms

Few harbors, poor transportation=smaller farms

Less reliant on slavery


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New York Charles wants to organize territory between New

England & Chesapeake

1664 he grants his brother, the Duke of York &

commander of the navy the land Duke of York (future King James II) treats Dutch

settlers well, grants them religious freedom

Imposes taxes without an assembly, Enlgish fromPuritan New England protest

Governor of New York given power to form an

assembly


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The Jerseys James (Duke of York) decides that New York is

too big to administer

1664, two proprietors given land from Hudson

River to Delaware Bay One settles East Jersey, the other West Jersey

Property constantly changed hands, inaccurate

records lead to confusion 1702they are consolidated into New Jersey


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Pennsylvania William Penns family owed a large debt from the

British Crown. Given a land grant in 1681. BecomesPennsylvania (Penns woods)

Becomes a haven for Quakers, who do not believe in

any religious authority and are persecuted inEngland

Penn governs in the colony, unusual for a proprietor

Advertised in Europe, promising land & freedoms The Holy ExperimentFrame of Government

(guaranteed elected assembly), Charter of Liberties(freedom of worship, open immigration), fair

treatment of Native Americans


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Delaware & GeorgiaAfter the Restoration colonies came

Delaware

Lower 3 counties of Pennsylvania granted own assemblyby Penn in 1702

Separate colony with same governor until Revolution

Georgia: the last colony (1732)

A buffer for S.C. plantations from Spanish Florida

Second-chance for debtors from Britain

James Oglethorpegovernor, wants strict regulations,including no drinking, or slavery

Colony doesnt develop, taken over by crown in 1752

Adopts plantation system, still poorest colony at time ofRevolution


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The Colonies, c.1750


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Mercantilism Colonies exist to benefit the parent country

through raw materials, markets

Acts of Trade and Navigation (1650-1673)

Trade only on English or colonial ships

All goods must first travel to English ports

Specified goods from colonies could only be

exported to England (eventually includes most

goods)


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Effects of MercantilismPOSITIVES N.E. shipbuilding

prospers

Tobacco monopoly inEngland

Protection of British

military forces

NEGATIVES Manufacturinglimited

Chesapeake farmers

get low prices forcrops

High prices on

manufactured goodsfrom England

British government often lax in enforcement,

corruption was rampant.


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The Institution of Slavery Increased demand for slaves

1. Less migration from Englandwages increasing there

2. Dependable work forcelarge landowners disturbed

by political demands of small farmers & indentured

servants. Wanted CONTROL over their workers

3. Cheap labortobacco prices fall, need large numbers

of unskilled workers for rice & indigo

Effect on population:

By 1750: 50% of Virginia, 66% of South Carolina

populations are slaves


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The Institution of Slavery Slave Laws permanently institutionalize slavery in

American Society

1641, MassachusettsRecognizes the slavery oflawful captives

1661, VirginiaChildren automatically inherittheir mothers slave status for life

1664, MarylandBaptism does not affect slave

status & white women cannot marry black men The overall affectblacks become social

inferiors, racism & slavery become an integral partof colonial society


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The Triangular Trade New England merchants gain access to slave

trade in the early 1700s

1. Rum brought to Africa, exchanges for slaves

2. Ships cross the Middle Passage, slaves trades inthe West Indies.

Disease, torture, malnourishment, death for slaves

3. Sugar brought to New England Other items trades across the Atlantic, with

substantial profits from slavery making

merchants rich


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Triangular Trade Routes


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. . .back in jolly olde England James II angers English with Catholic

leanings, and colonists with increased

royal control over the colonies

The Glorious Revolution ousts James II

as king, replaced with William and Mary

creation of a limited monarchy William and Mary dismantle the

Dominion of New England, but kept

Massachusetts a royal colony


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Population Growth

0500,000

1,000,0001,500,000

2,000,0002,500,000

1701 1775

Total Pop

Scotch-Irish

French, Dutch,SwedesAfrican-AmericansAfrican-Americans in theSouth


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Characteristics of Colonial Society Dominance of English culture

Self-government

All had legislatures, only CT, RI had elected governors

Religious toleration

MA least open; RI, PA most accepting No hereditary aristocracy

classes based on economic status

Social mobility

only African-Americans couldnt work their way up

Family at center of life

mostly traditional roles, some protections for women

over 90% of colonists live on farms


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Colonial EconomiesFarming Industry

NNeeww

EEnnggllaanndd

Rocky soil, long

winter: Family

subsistence

Logging,

shipbuilding,

fishing, trading,

rum-distilling

MMiiddddllee

Rich soil: Farms up to

200 acres, wheat, corn,

exported

Small

manufacturing,

iron-making.

Trading: Phila., NY

SSoouutthh

Varied agriculture:subsistence farms &

2,000 acre plantations

tobacco, rice, indigo,

slavery

Carolinas exportedtimber, naval

stores. Goods direct

from plantations to

Europe


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Colonial Economies English restricted the use of money in order tocontrol the colonial economy

Colonies growing fast, but can only use limitedsupplies of hard currency

Gold and Silver

Colonies imports exceeded exports, tried toprint paper money

Led to inflation Parliament vetoed colonial laws that might hurt

English merchants


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Colonial Transportation Water transportation easier than using the narrow

roads and trails

Major cities develop near good ports

Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Charleston

Despite conditions, overland travel became morecommon into 1700s

Taverns become social centers for news and politicaldiscussions

Postal service in & between colonies operating by1750

Overland routes and small ships used


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Colonial Religion Dominance of Protestant Religions

Some established religions

supported by taxes

EVERYONE pays, regardless of faith

policies change by time of Revolution Anglican church--Virginia

Congregational Church-Mass., Conn.

Other religions: Jewish: Boston, New York

Presbyterians: New England

Dutch Reformed: New York

Luterans, Mennonites, Quakers: Pennsylvania


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The Great Awakening Movement of fervent

expressions of religiousfeeling among masses of

people

Strongest in the 1730s and

1740s

Initiated by Jonathan

Edwards of Northampton,

MA

God is angry with human

sinfulness, express

penitence or eternal

damnation

Expanded by George

Whitefield

all over colonies in barns,

tents, fields

audiences up to 10,000

God is all-powerful,

save only those who

openly state belief in

Jesus, send everyoneelse to hell

Ordinary people with

sincere faith didnt need

ministers


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Effects of the Great AwakeningRELIGION

Emotionalism common in

services

Ministers lose authority

among people who nowstudy bible at home

New Lights (supporters):

Baptists, Methodists

Old Lights

traditionalists

Causes diversity &

competition

POLITICS Affects all classes and

sections

Experience shared by all

American colonists,

regardless of origin

Changes how people

view authorityin general


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Colonial Culture Culture mostly flourished among the rich southern

planters and northern merchants

ArchitectureGeorgian style; brick or stucco,

symmetry, center halls with fireplaces

Public buildings, churches on seaboard; one-room log cabinson frontier

Paintingportraits of families

Literaturemostly religious (Cotton Mather, J.

Edwards); political essays (J. Adams, Otis, Dickenson,

Paine, Jefferson)

Most successful: Ben Franklin, Poor Richards Almanac

ScienceFranklin, electricity; John Bartram, botany


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Colonial EducationNew England First tax-supported schools

Required primary school for boys,

college prep in large towns

Middle Church-sponsored or private

Teachers often lived with students

families

Southern Parents gave educationTutors on large plantations


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Higher Education Harvard, 1636First colonial college; trained

candidates for ministry

College of William and Mary, 1694 (Anglican)

Yale, 1701 (Congregational)

Great Awakening influences creation of 5 newcolleges in mid-1700s

College of New Jersey (Princeton), 1746 (Presbyterian)

Kings College (Columbia), 1754 (Anglican)Rhode Island College (Brown), 1764 (Baptist)

Queens College (Rutgers), 1766 (Dutch Reformed)

Dartmouth College, 1769, (Congregational)


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The Colonial Press Primary means of communication in the colonies,

along with postal service

17255 newspapers

177640 newspapers

Typically included

European news (1 month late)

Ads for goods, services, return of runaway slaves

Essays giving advice for better living Few illustrations

First cartoon in Philadelphia Gazette by editor BenFranklin


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The Zenger Case John Peter Zenger, a New York publisher

charged with libel against the colonialgovernor

Zengers lawyer argues that what he wrote

was true, so it cant be libel English law says it doesnt matter if its true

or not

Jury acquits Zenger anyway Not total freedom of the press, butnewspapers now took greater risks incriticism of political figures.


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Political Backdrop of Revolution All colonies had bicameral legislatures

Lower House Elected

Voted on taxation (with representationget it?)

Governors/Upper Houses chosen differently

8 colonies (NH, MA, NY, NJ, VA, NC, SC) chosen by thecrown

3 (MD, PA, DE) appointed by proprietors

2 (CT, RI) had elected governors

Local Government most important to people

New England: Town meetings

South: Sheriff/county administrators

colonial society 1660-1750

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