American Life in the 17th Century: 1607-1692

AP US

Unit 2 Chapter 4

September 20, 2010

Points to Consider

• What was 17th century life like in the Chesapeake?

• What was 17th century life like in New England?

• What problems occurred for the colonists during the 17th century? Why?

• What were the similarities and differences between the Northern and Southern colonies in the 1600’s?

I. Life in the Chesapeake

• Short life expectancy

• Mostly men

• High death rate

• No extended family

Ib. Tobacco and its Effects

• Drop in prices from large supply caused farmers to buy more land to sell more…

• Indentured Servants– Freedom Dues– Headright System– Life of an indentured servant

1c. Problems in the Chesapeake

• Poor single men• On the frontier - issues with

the Native Americans• Bacon’s Rebellion

– Frontiersmen vs. “haughty” landowners

– Former servants vs. those with land and money

– Made landowners concerned about indentured servants = slavery

Indentured Servitude Certificate

II. Colonial Slavery

• Most slaves arrived in North America after 1700

• Changes led to increase in slavery– Bacon’s Rebellion– Rising wages in England stemmed the flow

of potential servants– Loss of royal monopoly for slave transport

decreased prices slightly

IIc. Slaves in Colonial America• West Coast of Africa• Middle Passage• Originally mostly men

– Property– Separated from any family– Regional differences - worse

in the Deep South– Developed their own culture

• Some revolts still– 1712 - NYC– 1739 - Stono River SC

III. Southern Society and Life

• Rich planters vs. Poor Whites– Small farmers were the largest social

group - precarious existence

• Urban vs. Rural– Few cities– Life centered around the plantation– Poor roads = river transportation– Less culture and education than New

England

IV. New England Society and Life

• Greater life span

• Families moved to NE instead of individuals

• Early marriage and longer life expectancy = larger birthrate

• Family environment

• Women had less rights because of longer life expectancy for the men

• Small towns were the main focus

IVd.Religious Changes• Still problems - wealthy, town running elite

vs. poorer farmers on the border

• Religious zeal on the decline

• Jeremiads scolded their parishioners

• Created the Half-Way Covenant to alllow those who had not been converted into the church

• Women became a larger part of the church

Salem Witch Trials• Read The Crucible• 1692 - 20 people put

to death on accusations of witchcraft by adolescent girls in Salem, MA

• Stopped in 1693 when the governor’s wife was accused

• Poor (accusers) vs. Wealthy (accused)

IVe. Farming Issues

• Rocks– They suck– They show up every winter– They’re everywhere– They keep coming back – How do you get rid of them without a front-

end loader???

Farming Issues cont.• Less cultural diversity

• Less agricultural diversity

• Small farms

• Pigs hurt the environment

• Most people lived in the harbor towns (rocks scared them away from working in agriculture)

• Champions of Manifest Destiny (get away from the rocks)

IVf. New England’s Effect on America

• Yankee Ingenuity

• Simple town design

• Democracy

• Puritan Ethic - religion as the center of society

• Hardwork

V. Early Settlers in General

• Were farmers• Women did the housework, men farmed• Children helped and were rarely

educated• Land was cheap (except in South)• Middle class people• Basic equality in middle and NE

colonies

Vg. Issues for the Early Settlers

• Leisler’s Rebellion: 1689-1691– Landholders vs. Merchants in NYC

• Rich tried to keep the poor in their place– Didn’t really work because no one cared

while trying to build a new country– What would this mean for America?