life in provincial america
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Life in provincial America. Life in the colonies was not easy for anyone, but as the settlements became more permanent and prosperous the situation improved for both men and women. Women - began to marry later and live longer - had between 5-10 children (high infant - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
LIFE IN PROVINCIAL
AMERICALife in the colonies was not easy for anyone, but as the
settlements became more permanent and prosperous
the situation improved for both men and women.
Women
- began to marry later and live longer
- had between 5-10 children (high infant
mortality rate, needed workers)
- had no real rights in society (more
rights if unmarried or widowed)
Men
- average life expectancy was around 65
- seen as head of household, held voting
rights, served as elders in the church
- Law of Coverture said that male head of
household had jurisdiction over any
female family members (could verbally
or physically punish for wrongdoing)
- abuse was common, divorce was difficult to obta
obtain but certainly not all relationships were
abusive or unhappy
In general, with the success of the colonies colonists were:
- living longer
- better nourished
- had a healthier environment
Eventually every colony overcame the limited supplies,
difficulty of defense and losses due to illness and demoralization
during the “starving times”.
Education
Education in the colonies was affected by the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment.
- formal education widened gap between rich and poor
- poor and middle class didn’t take more challenging
courses (geometry, cartography, anatomy)
- popularized ideas about the duty of rulers to conform to
public will, rather than the public conforming to the will
of the ruler
- promoted the belief that individuals could overcome
difficulties of social class through hard work (Ben
Franklin)
- promoted a greater degree of social equality (among
white men)