american life in the 17 th century. education & literacy o towns with more than 50 households...
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Colonial SocietyAmerican Life in the 17th Century
New England Society
Education & Literacyo Towns with more than 50 households were
required to appoint teacherso Harvard College was founded in 1636 to
train ministerso About 90% of adult white men & 40% of
adult white women could sign their names• No more than 50% in other colonies• In England, only about 33% could read & write
New England Society
Community Lifeo Centered around the Meeting House
o Homes were close to one another• Led to a high population density in town
center• Created an atmosphere of “watchfulness” • Supported the overall goal of a “city upon
a hill” without dissent• Easy to help one another & work together
New England Society
New England Society
Family Lifeo Family Organization
• Father - Head of the family• Mother - Manage the household• Children - Provide a labor force
o Stability• 80% of children reach adulthood• Life expectancy - Men: 65
New England Society
Punishmentso Convicted criminals
were exposed to public ridicule
o Meant to serve as a warning to others
New England Society
o Early 1700s – church membership & attendance began to decline
o 1730s-40s – religious fervor spread across the colonies with large revivals meeting under tents on the outskirts of town
o Led by “New Light” ministers who emphasized an emotional & personal connection to God
The Great Awakening
Jonathan Edwards Encouraged
parishioners to absolve their sins & pay penance by praying for salvation
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
The Great Awakening
George Whitefieldo Proclaimed that
ordinary people could understand the Gospel without the leadership of the church
o Called for public admissions of sins & followers being “saved” in front of the congregation
The Great Awakening
Legacyo Promoted the growth of New Light
institutions such as Princeton, Dartmouth, & Rutgers
o Led to new divisions within the Protestant faith & a greater diversity of religion in the colonies
o Shaped church life & worship in America
o Encouraged egalitarian democracy
The Great Awakening
Chesapeake SocietyChesapeake Society
o Tobacco cultivation dominated the region
o Large profits could be made, but prices fluctuated
o Indentured servants & slaves were common on the plantations
Chesapeake Society
Community Lifeo Centered around large plantation homes
o Homes were spread out & situated along the banks of rivers or streams• Led to a low population density – about 6
people per sq. mile
Chesapeake Society
Chesapeake Society
Family Lifeo Chaotic
• 50% of children reach adulthood• Life expectancy - Men: 48 • Complex households
Chesapeake Society
Headright Systemo Virginia Company awarded 50 acres to
anyone who paid a servant’s travel costs• Between 1630-1700 – 110,000 migrated
from England to the Chesapeake Bay
• Up to 90% were indentured servants About 40% died within 6 years
Chesapeake Society
Backgroundo Tension developed between large
landowners & former indentured servants• Growing gap between the rich & poor• The price of tobacco plummeted • Conflict with Native Americans
Bacon’s Rebellion
Conflict with Native Americanso Settlers (often former servants) encroached
on land reserved for Native Americans• Indians retaliated
o Virginia’s governor proposed a series of forts along the western frontier• Settlers took matters into their own hands• Led by Nathaniel Bacon
Bacon’s Rebellion
Key Eventso Wanted to exterminate Native Americans
along Virginia’s western frontier
o Clashed with Governor Berkley & his supporters• Issued the Declaration of the People of
Virginia
o Burned Jamestown to the ground
o Bacon died suddenly of dysentery • Ended the rebellion
Bacon’s Rebellion
Aftermatho Shocked many of the
elites of the region
o Contributing factor in the shift from indentured servants to slave labor
Bacon’s Rebellion
o 1619 – First documented slaves arrived in Jamestown
o 1660 – Fewer than 1000 slaves in the region
o 1700 – At least 20,000 slaves in the region• (22% of the population)
Slavery in the Chesapeake
o By the early 1700s, slave labor was used extensively in South Carolina
o Slavery existed in all of England’s North American colonies
• Slaves made up 20% of New York City’s population in the mid-1700s
Slavery outside the Chesapeake