Ch. 5 – Colonial Society on Eve of Revolution

Conquest by the Cradle all of the rebellious colonies have one outstanding feature in common: their population

were growing by leaps and bounds 1775:2.5 million people inhabited the 13 colonies. Half 1 million were black the colonists were doubling numbers every 25 years, the average age is 16 1775: the English advantage in numbers have fallen to 3 to 1 – setting the stage for

momentous shift and balance of power between the colonies and England

A Mingling of Races colonial America was a melting pot, the population however is still English by majority fleeing religious prosecution, economic oppression, and the ravages of war, Germans

constitute about 6% of the total population early in a 1700s tens of thousands of Scott Irish families abandon Ireland and came to

America, they pushed out to the frontiers these immigrant groups mingle intermarried, they laid the foundations for a new

multicultural American national identity unlike anything known in Europe

The Structure of Colonial Society in contrast with contemporary Europe, 18 century America was a shining land of

equality and opportunity America has a very flexible social ladder, something not seen in England colonial society on the eve of revolution was beginning to show signs of stratification

barriers to mobility a raise worries about the Europeanication of America the arm complex in 1690 and early 1700s as a rich a number of merchant princes in new

England and the middle colonies: the war led to a great deal of class separation between the elite and a working

in new England countryside to descendants of the original settlers faced more limited prospects then had their pioneer forebears with the continuous subdividing of the land each person’s share grew smaller and smaller

in the south the power of the great planters continued to be bolstered by the disproportionate ownership of slaves, wealth was concentrated in the hands of the largest slave owners widening the gap

lease portion of all were the black slaves. They enjoy no equality with the whites and they are not to even dream of ascending the ladder of opportunity

1760: South Carolina sense the dangers present in heavy concentration of resentful slaves and attempted to restrict/halt their importation; however, the British authorities, seeking to preserve the supply of cheap labor, repeatedly be told all efforts to stem the transatlantic traffic in slaves

many North American colonials condemn these beetles as morality callous, but the new Englander’s benefit of from this policy as they made a big profit

Clerics, Physicians, and Jurists the most honor of professions was the Christian ministry most positions, and the other hand, were poorly trained, and not highly esteemed place work off the nightmare, especially the dreaded smallpox 1721: a crude form of inoculation was introduced, powder dried toads was used as a

prescription for smallpox Lawyers are often commonly regarded as noisy windbags were troublemaking 1750: Seaboard society has passed the pioneering stage, and trained attorneys were

generally considered as useful. Able to defend colonial rights against the crown on legal grounds

Workday America agriculture was the leading industry, involving about 90% of the people tobacco continue to be the staple crop in the Maryland and Virginia grain was a crop grown in the middle colonies fishing was a way of comrades in the new England colonies. The shipping industry also

sprouted the shipbuilding industry Triangular Trade: leave new England port with a cargo of ROM and sales at the Gold

Coast of Africa bartered with African chief for captured African slaves continue to the West Indies and exchange the survivors for molasses carry the molasses back to new England where will be distilled into rum = profit

manufacturing in the colony was a secondary importance although there was a surprising variety of small enterprises.

Workers can get ahead faster in the soil rich America by tilling the land lumbering was perhaps the most important single manufacturing activity 1770: 400 vessels of assorted sizes of lives were splashing down the ways to Britain the fast breeding Americans demanded more and more English products – yet the slow-

growing English population clearly reached a saturation point for absorbing imports from America

the trade imbalance can only be solved by seeking foreign markets 1733: points to pressure from the influential British West Indian planters, Parliament

passed the Molasses Act, Inc. this quench both American trade with the French West Indies. This will be a blow to the America’s international trade and to the colonists standard of living

Americans responded to the act by bribing as smuggling their way around the block

Horsepower and Sailpower the populated pioneer communities are curse of the passive problems of transportation:

there is a serious lack of roads, and the quality of existing roads is so bad that makes travel on them pretty much impossible

in the days of 1720, or journey from Boston to Philadelphia will be fastest by boat since man-made rules were so wretched having reliance on were placed on the

waterways, this letter population clustering along the banks of navigable rivers

taverns brought up along the main routes of travel, taverns also serve as clearinghouses of information gossips and rumors

mid-1700s: enter colonial postal system was established but secrecy was a problem

Dominant Denominations the two established or tax supported churches work the cusp wishes Anglican and the

Congregational a considerable segment of the population did not worship in any churches the church of England became the official faith in Georgia as followers are called

Anglicans

The Great Awakening the Puritan churches sag under the weight of two burdens: the elaborate theological

doctrines and the compromising efforts to liberalize membership requirements liberal ideas beget the Challenger old-time religion some worshipers now proclaim that human beings were not necessarily predestined to

damnation and my saved themselves by good works Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminians preached that individual for you will, not divine

decree, determine a person’s eternal fate pressure by the Pharisees, a few churches grudgingly conceded that spiritual conversion

was not necessary for church membership together these changing religious beliefs made up the great awakening the awakening was first ignited in Northampton, Massachusetts by a tall delicate and

intellectual pastor named Jonathan Edwards Edwards proclaim with burning righteousness the folly of believe in salvation through

good works and affirm the need for complete dependence on God’s grace George Whitefield preached his message of human hopelessness and divine

omnipotence during the revival meetings, countless sinners profess conversion, and hundreds street

or road in the snow from the religious excitement the preaching style became dominantly emotional appeal Orthodox clergyman known as the old lights, were deeply skeptical of the emotionalism

and the theatrical antics of the revivalists the great awakening left the many lasting effects emphasize and direct them mode of spirituality seriously undermine the older clergy,

whose authority derived from the education and urination greatly increase the number is a competent business of American churches it encouraged a fresh wave of missionary work among the Indians even among black

slaves sparked the first spontaneous mass movement of American people, it broke down

sectional boundaries as well as denomination lines and contributed to the growing sense that Americans had of themselves as single people, united by common history and shared experiences

School and Colleges before education was regarded as a blessing reserved for the aristocratic few, education

should be for leaders not citizenship, and primarily for males Puritan new England, largely for religious reasons, was highly interested in education.

The stress the need for Bible reading and their primary goal was to make good Christians rather than good citizens

fairly adequate primary and secondary schools also started in the middle colonies in the South, wealthy families depend heavily on private tutors the general atmosphere in colonial schools and colleges continue to be grim and

gloomy, most of the emphasis was placed on religion and on classical languages the focus was not on experiment and reason, but on doctrine and dogma orthodoxy was encouraging independence of thinking was discouraged but the purpose of convenience and economy, nine local colleges were established

during the colonial era instruction was poor by present-day standards in the curriculum was still heavily loaded

with theology and the dead languages

Culture in the Backwoods there was little incentive in the artistic effort as most Americans were too busy chopping

down trees to say around and paint. Furthermore many of the clergy regarded are as invention of the devil

many who wish to become painters have to go back to England to find subjects for their portraits and people to pay money for the portraits

architecture was largely imported from the old world and modified to meet the particular climate and religious condition of the New World

versatile Benjamin Franklin, often called the first civil as American, also shown as a literary light

science rising above the shackles of superstition was also making some progress, though like me behind the old world.

A few botanists, mathematicians, and astronomers had won some repute, the Benjamin Franklin was perhaps the only first ring scientists produce an American colonies

Pioneer Presses 1744: asked South Carolina merchants advertise the arrival of a shipment of printed

books, pictures maps and pickles back in the time Americans were generally too poor to buy quantities of books or too

busy to read them Benjamin Franklin established in Philadelphia at the first privately supported a

circulating library in America John Peter Zenger was involved in a highly celebrated legal case in 1734 Zenger’s newspaper has assailed the corrupt royal government and was charged with

seditious libel Judge: the mere fact of printing irrespective of the truth was enough to convict

regardless of true or false

Alexander Hamilton argued for the liberty of exposing and opposing arbitrary powers In the end, Zenger was acquitted sparked the freedom of press

The Great Game of Politics although American colonies may be back in natural or physical science, they were

making noteworthy contributions to political science the 13 colonial governments took a variety of forms. Eight of the colonies had royal governors, who were appointed by the King. Three – Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware – under proprietors two – Connecticut and Rhode Island – elected their own governors under self-

governing charters practically every colony utilized a two house legislative body. The upper house or the

council, was normally appointed by the crown and the Royal colonies and by the proprietors in the proprietary colonies. It was chosen by the voters in self-governing colonies

the lower house, is a popular branch, was elected by the people self taxation through representation was a precious privilege that Americans had come

to cherish above most others the colonial assemblies found various ways to assert your authority and independence.

Some of them employ the trigger with holding the governor salary unless he yielded to their wishes

administration at the local level also varied. Not everyone in America has a right to vote. Religious of property qualifications for

voting with stiffer qualifications for holding office existed in all colonies the right to vote was not beyond the reach of most industrious and enterprising

colonials 1775: America was not yet a true democracy. But it was far more democratic the

England and the European continent.

Colonial Folkways for most people, the labor was heavy and constant food was plentiful, though diet could be course MR Tony us. Americans probably aid

more bountifully especially of meat, than any people in the old world basic offers now taken for granted were lacking. For example churches were not heeded

at all. There is no running water in the houses, no plumbing, and probably not a single bathtub in all colonial America.

Candle and whale oil lamps provide a faint and flickering illumination. Winter sports were, in the north where as in the South playing cards, horseracing, and

foxhunting with the favorite pastimes lotteries were universally approved, even by the clergy, and were used to raise money

for churches and colleges stage play however was forbidden in many colonies persons several North American colonies, despite their differences, reveal some striking

similarities

all were basically English language and customs, and Protestant in a religion, and all have religious tolerance

all colonies offered individuals unusual opportunities for social mobility they all possess some degree of self-government, though by no means a complete

democracy the simple facts of shared history, culture, geography sets stage for colonies struggle to

unite as independent people