Chapter 4: American Life in the Seventeenth Century

1607-1692By Alyson Jones and Michelle Oh

The Unhealthy ChesapeakeLife in the American wilderness

was harsh and short for settlers. Malaria and typhoid cut off 10

years of life expectancy.Settlement populations only

grew through English emigrations. Single, young men; not many

families Weak family ties were

reflected through pregnancies among unmarried girls.

By the end of the 17th century, the white population began growing by birth. Virginia was the most

populous colony (59,000).

The Tobacco Economy Settlers often planted tobacco to sell

before they planted corn to eat. Cultivation of tobacco quickly exhausted

the soil → growers search even farther up river causing Indian attacks.

Enormous production depressed prices, and farmers started growing even more acres to bring to market.

Labor came from a surplus of displaced English workers and farmers (indentured servants) In exchange for several years of service,

they received “freedom dues”. Head-right System: Whoever paid for

the passage of a laborer received 50 acres of land. (Encouraged increase in labor) “White slaves” represented more than

75% of all European immigrants to Virginia and Maryland

Frustrated Freemen and Bacon’s RebellionNumbers of impoverished free

immigrants drifted about the Chesapeake region in the 17th century.

In 1676, Nathanial Bacon lead 1000 Virginian frontiersman, searching for arable land. They disliked Berkeley’s friendly Indian

policies. Bacon chased Berkeley from

Jamestown, torched the capital, and killed frontier Indians.

Ignited the resentment of landless former servants against gentry of the tidewater region.

Berkeley hanged more than 20 rebelsBacon’s Rebellion caused wealthy

planters to look towards another source for labor (Africa).

Colonial SlaveryBy 1670, slaves in Jamestown numbered

only about 2000 (7% of overall population in southern colonies) As wages rose in England, elite planters

were looking for other sources of labor.1698: Royal African Company lost its

monopoly on carrying slaves to the colonies. The supply of slaves rose steeply and

10,000 African slaves were pushed ashore.

Most slaves were captured and traded by African coastal tribes to European merchants. Middle Passage: Death rates ran at 20%

Early “slave codes” established a strong racist feeling; made blacks the property of their owners for life. Banned the teaching of reading or

writing to a slave

Africans in America In southern colonies, the climate was

hostile and labor was life-draining. Mostly male slaves worked on South

Carolina rice and indigo plantations. In Chesapeake, tobacco was less

physically demanding and plantations were closer to one another. By 1720, proportion of female slaves rose

and family life grew (natural reproduction pop. Increase).

A new African-American culture developed; a mixture of African and American speech, religion, and folkways. Ex: Gullah and development of jazz.

1712: The New York slave revolt → cost the lives of 9 whites and execution of 21 slaves.

1739: South Carolina slave revolt → 50 resentful slaves tried to march to Spanish Florida, but were stopped by the militia.

Southern SocietyAs slavery spread, social structure

widened in the South. At the top was a defined hierarchy

planter class who owned gangs of slaves and a vast domain of land.

Small farmers were the largest social group. They tilled modest plots and owned 1-2 slaves.

Even lower were the landless whites, mostly luckless former indentured servants.

Black slaves gradually increased the population of indentured servants.

Lawyers and financiers slowly emerged in to southern life.

Southern life revolved around the great plantations, distantly isolated from one another. Waterways provided principal

transportation

The New England Family●New England had:●-clean water●-cool temperatures → prevented spread of diseases - added 10 years to life●families were the center of life●Population grew from natural reproduction & early marriages-there were frequent childbirth death though●Children were expected to learn obedience●-received guidance from grandparents and parents●Family stability = low premarital pregnancy rates and in social structure of NE●Fragility of southern families advanced the economic security of southern women●-usually men died young → widows w/ children were allowed to remarried and gave rights to inherit husbands' estates-still could not vote● Popular attitude: women were morally weaker than men-rooted in biblical tale of Eve- but husband's power was not absolute●Midwifery = women monopoly●Laws in NE sought to defend the integrity of marriages

Life in New England Towns●Tightly knit society- small villages and farms●Surrounded by Indians, French, Dutch●United through Puritanism●-moral health in community●Towns were legally chartered & distribution of land were given by trusted town fathers (proprietors)●Proprietors moved to designated place w/ their families after receiving grant of land from colonial legislature – set up a town●-meetinghouses, place of worship, town hall and area for militia training●Each family received parcels of land●Towns w/ 50 or more families were required to provide education●Puritans established Harvard College●Congregational Church=Puritans form of democracy-town meetings●Regular meetings to elect officials/ appoint schoolmasters/ discuss reparation

Half-Way Covenant●Pressure of growing population → dispersed Puritans to farms outside of control of church●Jeremiad = new form of sermon- scolded parishioners for waning piety●Number of conversions were decreasing●(1662) Half-Way Covenant = modified agreement between church and its adherents to admit to baptism but not full communion●-weakened distinction between “elect” and others●Opened doors to everyone- converts or not●Women were majority in Puritan congregations

Salem Witch Trials●Salem, MA = group of young women were accused of being bewitched by older women → triggered “witch hunts”●(1692) 20 women were hanged to death●Common practice in England @ that time●Directed towards women with property●Grew from turmoil of war with Indians & unsettled social/religious conditions of MA●Most accused were women from Salem's economic elite class●Salem Witch Trials = widened social stratification of NE & religious traditionalists that Puritan heritage was taken by commercialism●Ended in 1863 when the governor was alarmed at accusations placed on his wife●Witch hunting scapegoated women

New England Way of Life●Geography = heavily glaciate rocky soil●-freezing winters & extremely hot summers●Connecticut = “Nutmeg state”●Exaggerated 3 stage of progress in NE = “to get on, to get honor, to get honest”●Less ethnically mixed, but had diverse fields in agriculture and industry●Influenced by Native Americans●-migrated for hunting and fishing seasonally●-beat trails through woods●-burned woodlands periodically●But condemned Indians for “wasting” land by under-utilizing it●Introduction of livestock → Europeans brought pigs, horses, sheep, cattle-had to continually clear land-sped erosion & flooding●Utilized natural harbors-cut down timber●Experts in shipbuilding and commerce-fishing industry boomed

The Early Settlers' Days and Ways●Majority of colonists were farmers●Women did domestic duties, husbands labored on fields, children helped while maintaining education●Land was relatively cheap●White migrants were not usually aristocratic or pathetically poor●-indentured servants were an exception●(1689-1691) Leisler's Rebellion = in NY, tension increased between landholders and merchants with increasing power●Tried to be more refined, but failed- popular idea was to look towards democracy