early american culture. think about this: what are some rights in which you feel entitled to because...
TRANSCRIPT
Early American Culture
Think about this:What are some rights in which
you feel entitled to because you are American?
How do you think people in Britain's American colonies
saw themselves?
Land, Rights and Wealth
• Colony’s thriving---*England >5% owned land *New World land was
plentiful
• Political Rights- *White Male landowners *City dwellers-fee
• Social System- rank system
Colonial Social Ranks
High
*Large Landowners
*Church Officials
*Government Officials
*Wealthy Merchant
Upper Middle
*Small Farmers
*Trades people
Lower Middle
*Renters
*Unskilled Workers
Low
*Indentured Servants
*Slaves
Women/Young Children
• Farm wives-house chores• City women-business owners• Couldn’t vote, own land or hold office• Permission of the husband• Average family-5 to 8 children• 6yrs boys- ”breeched” work in the
fields• 11yrs boys- apprentices• 13-14yrs girls- learned specialized
skills
Schooling• School was valued• Children taught to
read and write• Bible/scripture
study• “Dame Schools”• Textbooks-religion• High literacy rates
– England 60%– New England 85%– Middle 65%– Southern 50%
Great Awakening
Religion declining• 1730-40-Religious
movement: “Great Awakening”
• Traveling ministers• Jonathan Edwards• George Whitefield• Results:
*Increased attendance in church*Helped new religions*Increase service* Ideas of equality “Sinners in the Hands of an
Angry God”-Jonathan Edwards
The Enlightenment• Reason and science
as the paths of knowledge.
• Europe: Natural laws• Benjamin Franklin• John Locke• Natural rights
*Life, liberty, and property*Creation of government*Right to change it
• Big influence on leaders
Questions:• How did land ownership affect a colonist’s
place in society?• What work did colonial women and young
children do?• What rights were denied women?• Why were most children taught to read?• What was the Great Awakening?• How did it change colonial culture?• How did the Enlightenment affect the colonies?• In what ways are they similar? And different?
