Colonial Society18th Century

APUSH 2017

British Colonial America

● Population growth○ 2.5 million by 1775 (20% black)

● Ratio of English to American born drops● Largest colonies:

○ VA, Mass., PA, NC, MD

● Major cities:○ Philadelphia○ NY○ Boston○ Charleston

● 90% were rural

Melting Pot

● Mixing of ethnicities○ South→ 90% of slaves○ New England not ethnically mixed→ mostly Puritan○ Middle colonies very mixed

Melting Pot

● Population breakdown 1790○ English and Welsh 66% → English language, English courts○ Scots Irish 5.6%

■ Mainly poor farmers■ Middle colonies, back country■ Armed marches against wealthy East coasters

● Carolina Regulator 1739● Paxton Boys 1764

○ German 4.5%■ No loyalty to British crown■ Lutheran■ Retained German culture

● Population Breakdown Continued○ Dutch 2%

■ NY and NJ○ Irish 1.6%○ French 0.4%○ Other Whites .03%

■ Swedes, Jews, Swiss○ African 20%

Structure of Colonial Society

● Stratification○ Small upper class

■ Aristocratic plantation owners in South■ Merchants, lawyers, officials, Clergymen in North

○ Yeoman farmers■ Owned majority of land

○ Lesser tradesmen■ Manual workers, hired hands■ Did not own land

○ Indentured Servants, criminals■ Little influence

○ Slaves■ No rights

Reasons Behind Stratification

The Rich

● Merchants benefit from economic system and become influential

● High standard of living● Plantation owners become more

successful b/c of slaves

The Poor

● Later generations struggled○ Unclaimed land dwindles○ Size of farms shrink○ Inheritances shrink, sons become wage

laborers● White farmers in South struggle, often

become tenant farmers● Indentured servitude grows lower class● Paupers and convicts come by force

(50,000)● Slaves denied rights, no chance to move

up

Professionals (A different class)

● Clerics○ Christian ministry is honored

● Physicians○ Poorly trained, not well respected

● Lawyers○ Viewed positively○ Protected colonists rights○ Help create constitutions

Commerce and Trade

● Triangular Trade→ illegal trade designed to get around Navigation Laws○ NE→ timber, fish, cotton goods, light manufacturing-->French Caribbean○ NE← molasses, makes it into rum→ shipped to West Indes → the West Africa○ Slaves taken from Africa→ New World

Commerce and Trade

● Manufacturing○ Small industry

■ Tailoring, shoemaking,baking, iron owrking, rope making, coppering, furniture○ Lumbering most important→ ship building○ Woman spinners and weavers at home ○ Small business: naval stores, beaver hats, rum, carpentry

Commerce and Trade

● Increased Trade○ Increased demand for British goods○ British demand for American goods○ Molasses Act 1733: British try to stop colonists from trading rum/molasses with French

West Indies■ Colonists mostly ignored it

● Transportation○ Terrible roads○ Waterways important

■ Most cities by rivers○ Taverns as gathering places○ Postal system by mid 1700s

Religion

● State of religion○ 1 in 7 church members○ Toleration○ Major issues:

■ Dissention in churches■ Religious style during Great Awakening

○ Eventually, will lead to separation of church and state

Religion→ Anglican

● “Church of England”● Tax supported in VA, MD, NC, SC, GA and part of NY● Weakened by lack of bishops● College of William and Mary in VA to train ministers

Religion→ Congregational Church

● Grew from Puritan churches● NE● Initially tax supported● Emphasized Church of Christ’s existence in each individual congregation

Religion→ Presbyterian Church

● Close to congregationalists● Calvinist principles● Emphasized all Presb. Churches as a unified body, no individualism● Not official church in any colonies

Religion→ Quakers and Jews

● Quakers○ PA, RI, NJ, DE○ Protest NE slave trade

● Jews○ Middle colonies○ Only 1500 in colonies in 1750s

The First Great Awakening 1730s-1740s

● First mass social movement in American history○ Middle and southern colonies

● Main issue: personal faith, church practice, public decorum● Reaction against doctrine, ritual, and emotional stagnation in church

Arminianism:

● Man is not helpless in achieving regeneration; his will can be an effective force in being saved

● Direct, personal inspiration from God

1st GA Boys

● Jonathan Edwards○ Credited with starting it all○ Salvation through faith and God’s grace, not good works○ Preached on eternal damnation○ More intellectual than emotional

● George Whitefield○ Most influential preacher in 1st GA○ Bible preacher with emotion

1st GA Ideas

● Old Lights○ Orthodox○ Skeptical of emotionalism○ Skeptical of theatrics and revivalists○ Believe emotions threatened their spiritual

authority as preachers

● New Lights○ Supported 1st GA○ Believed in revitalizing○ Emotion in religion○ Conversion experience○ (think Baptists)

1st GA Results

● Schisms in denominations● Brought religion to many who previously did not attend church● Undermined clergy’s authority● Encouraged missionary work among slaves and Natives● New Light colleges→ Dartmouth, Brown, rutgers, Princeton● Anti-intellectualism

Education

● New England leader of Education○ Bible reading○ Primary and secondary schools○ Higher literacy rates

● Middle colonies○ Some primary and secondary schools

■ Tax supported and privately owned○ More spread out population made school going difficult

● South○ Limited opportunity, except for privileged whites○ Wealthy hired tutors for children

Higher Education

● Clergy training, not academics○ Emphasis on religion and Latin and Greek

● University of Pennsylvania○ Ben Franklin helped established it○ First college free of religious control○ Modern curriculum→ languages, reason, experimentation

● Colonial colleges○ Harvard, William & Mary, Yale, Princeton, Pennsylvania, Columbia, Brown, Rutgers,

Dartmouth

Literature and Culture

● Phillis Wheatley○ Slave taught by her masters to read and write○ First African American writer in known US History○ Abolitionists would later reference her

● Ben Franklin○ Wirting about American character○ Poor Richard’s Almanack

■ Emphasized thrift, morality, common sense○ Franklin’s Autobiography○ Scientific experiements

■ Electricity (think kite and key)■ Bifocal spectacles■ Started first privately supported library in America

The Colonial Press

● Hand operated printing press○ Pamphlets, leaflets, journals more than books

● John Peter Zenger Case○ Zenger's newspaper criticized governor○ Charged and brought to trial○ Jury ruled in favor of Zenger○ Significance? Freedom of speech

Colonial Politics-->Types of Colonies

● Royal Colonies○ 8 colonies, governor appointed by Crown

● Proprietary Colonies○ 3 colonies, proprietors (important man) who chose governors themselves

● Charter Colonies○ 2 colonies, elected governors under self-governing charter

Colonial Politics

● Bicameral Legislatures○ Upper House→ Council

■ Appointed by Governor or Crown○ Lower House→ Assembly

■ Elected by property owners (citizens)■ Voted for taxes

Nature of American Politics

● Not as powerful as Parliament● Reformed, more progressive than English local governments● Administration at local level● Voting Restrictions● Governors

○ Legal power: veto, dissolve assembly, judiciary○ Weak: under Crown, outnumbered by assembly

Seeds of Democracy

● Tolerance● Education● Freedom of Speech and Press● Assembly● Representative government

Enlightenment

● Ideas of Liberalism○ Individual human rights○ Freedom of religion, speech, press○ Equal treatment in the law○ Equality of opportunity○ Human dignity and happiness○ Science, progress, rationality○ Representative government

Enlightenment Thinkers

● John Locke○ Governments to protect people○ Natural rights: life, liberty, property○ Right to rebellion

● Montesquieu○ Checks and balances○ Separation of Powers

● Adam Smith○ Wealth of Nations○ Capitalism, modern economic system

Enlightenment vs. Religion

● Deism○ God created the universe and then stepped back○ World runs like a clock

● Reject traditional Christianity● Influenced Jefferson, Washington, Franklin● Popular with intellectuals