COLONIAL SOCIETY

ON THE EVE OF REVOLUTION

MINGLING OF RACES

• 1775

• 2.5 MILLION PEOPLE

• ½ AFRICAN AMERICAN

• DOUBLING NUMBERS EVERY 25 YRS.

• ENGLISH ADVANTAGE = 3 TO 1

• SHIFT IN BALANCE OF POWER

• MOST POPULOUS COLONIES

• VIRGINIA, MASS, PENN, N.C., MARYLAND

• 4 BIG CITIES

• PHILADELPHIA, N.Y., BOSTON, CHARLESTON

CONT.• GERMANS

• 6%

• 150,000 BY 1775

• PENNSYLVANIA

• PROTESTANT SECT / LUTHERAN

• PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH

• 1/3 OF COLONY

• NO DEEP LOYALTY TO CROWN

CONT.

• SCOTS-IRISH

• 7 %

• 175,000 BY 1775

• NOT PROSPEROUS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

• FIGHTING WITH IRISH CATHOLICS

• PENNSYLVANIA

• LAND TAKEN – PUSHED TO FRONTIER

• FIRST SETTLER OF THE WEST

• SQUATTERS

• RICKETY SETTLEMENTS

• FLOORLESS, FLIMSY LOG CABINS

• EXHAUSTED SOIL = MOVED ON

• PUGNACIOUS, LAWLESS, INDIVIDUALISTIC

• WHISKY

CONT.

• AFRICAN AMERICANS

• LARGEST, SINGLE, NON-ENGLISH GROUP

• 20% BY 1775

• CONCENTRATED IN SOUTH

• 90% OF THE SLAVES

CONT.• NEW ENGLAND COLONIES

• PURITANS

• LEAST ETHNIC DIVERSITY

• MIDDLE COLONIES

• VARIETY OF PEOPLES

• WHITE IMMIGRANTS

• 1775

• ½ POPULATION NON ENGLISH

• “STRANGE MIXTURE OF BLOOD”

SOCIETY STRUCTURE

• EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

• SMALL FARMERS

• MODEST HOLDINGS

• CITIES

• SKILLED ARTISANS / SHOPKEEPERS / TRADES PEOPLE

• SOCIAL LADDER = OPEN

• PAUPERS AND CONVICTS

• “JAYLE BIRDS”

JOBS

• CHRISTIAN MINISTRY = HONORED PROFESSION

• PHYSICIANS

• POORLY TRAINED

• BLEEDING

• EPIDEMICS

• INOCULATION = 1721

• LAWYERS

• NOISY WINDBAGS

TRADE

• AGRICULTURE = LEADING INDUSTRY

• 90%

• STAPLE CROPS

• WHEAT

• CHESAPEAKE

• N.Y. = 1759

• 80,000 BARRELS OF FLOUR

• FISHING

• NEW ENGLAND

• WHALING

• LUMBER

• SHIPBUILDING

• MOST IMPORTANT MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY

• MASTS = KING

TRIANGULAR TRADE ROUTE

HORSEPOWER / SAILPOWER• ROADS WERE HORRIBLE

• DEATH SENTENCE

• USED RIVERS AND WATERWAYS

• TAVERNS

• SAM ADAMS

• INTERCOLONIAL POSTAL SYSTEM

DENOMINATIONS• CHURCH OF ENGLAND

• ANGLICANS

• GEORGIA, N.C, S.C, VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, AND PART OF N.Y.

• COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY 1693 = TRAIN CLERICS

• CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

• GROWN OUT OF PURITAN CHURCH

• ALL NEW ENGLAND COLONIES

• EXCEPT R.I.

• ROMAN CATHOLICS = DISCRIMINATED AGAINST

• TOLERANCE??

GREAT AWAKENING

• 1730’S – 1740’S

• RELIGIOUS REVIVAL

• “DEAD DOGS”

• ARMINIANISM

• INDIVIDUAL FREE WILL DETERMINED PERSON’S ETERNAL FATE

• JONATHAN EDWARDS

• SALVATION THROUGH GOOD WORKS = FOLLY

• GEORGE WHITEFIELD

• NEW STYLE OF PREACHING = GREAT ORATOR

SCHOOLS

• BIBLE READING

• MAKE GOOD CHRISTIANS RATHER THAN GOOD CITIZENS

• EDUCATION = BOYS

• CAMBRIDGE = NEW ENGLAND

• PURITANISM

• PREPARING FOR MINISTRY

• WEALTHY FAMILIES = TUTORS

• DISCIPLINE SEVERE

• “BIRCHED”

POLITICS

• 1775

• 8 COLONIES

• ROYAL GOVERNORS

• MARYLAND, PENN, AND DELAWARE

• PROPRIETORS

• CONN, R.I.

• SELF-GOVERNING

• 2 HOUSE LEGISLATIVE BODY

• UPPER HOUSE = CROWN

• LOWER HOUSE = ELECTED BY PEOPLE

CONT.

• USED SNEAKY WAYS TO CONTROL AUTHORITIES

• SOUTH

• COUNTY GOVERNMENT

• NEW ENGLAND

• TOWN MEETINGS

• MIDDLE

• MODIFICATION OF THE TWO

• COLONIES NOT TRUE DEMOCRACY

• FAR MORE DEMOCRATIC THAN ENGLAND

CULTURE• ENTHRALLED TO EUROPEANS TASTE

• POOR RICHARD’S ALMANACK

• “HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY”

• “PENNY SAVED IS A PENNY EARNED”

• SCIENCE

• BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

• PRINTING PRESS = ZENGER TRIAL

• PAMPHLETS

• NEWS PAPERS

• FEW LIBRARIES

FOLKWAYS

• ATE BETTER = MEAT

• CHURCHES NOT HEATED

• INEFFICIENT FIREPLACES

• NO RUNNING WATER

• PLEASURE COMBINED WITH WORK

• BARN RAISINGS

• STAGE PLAYS

• LOTTERIES

• NORTH = WINTER SPORTS

• SOUTH = CARD PLAYING, HORSE RACING ETC.

• THANKSGIVING

• CHRISTMAS