Colonial Society

America Blends Germans, Scots- Irish, British and

French came together to create America

This brings up debates between Catholics and Protestants, etc.

Jean de Crevecouer in Letters of an American Farmer- What is an American?

Lack of aristocracy allows for all to do well

Jean de CrevecouerWhat then is the American, this new man? He

is either an European, or the descendant of an European, hence that strange misture of

blood, which you will find in no other country. I could point out to you a family whose grandfather was an englishman,

whose wife was Dutch, whose son married a french woman, and whose present four

sons have now four wives of different nations. He is an American

Social Classes Most well to do

were ministers and tradesman

Lawyers and doctors were not well respected

American is an agrarian society

Triangular trade

Britain believed in mercantilism

Passed the Molasses Act and Navigation Acts to keep colonists from trading with Dutch- doesn’t work

Many Americans (John Hancock, William Cooke) turned to smuggling to make their fortunes.

Anglican and Congregational Churches are tax supported in the North while the Anglican Church remained in the South

Introduction of Enlightenment ideas causes some to fall away from churches

First Great Awakening in 1730s and 1740s

Jonathan Edward and George Whitfield and jeremiads

Sinners In The Hands of an Angry God- Jonathan Edwards

The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, orsome loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked:

his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing

else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to haveyou in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes,

thanthe most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended him

infinitelymore than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; and yet it is nothing but his

hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment. It is to beascribed to nothing else, that you did not go to hell the last night; that you

was suffered to awake again in this world, after you closed your eyes to sleep.

And there is no other reason to be given, why you have not dropped into hellsince you arose in the morning, but that God's hand has held you up. There

isno other reason to be given why you have not gone to hell, since you have

sathere in the house of God, provoking his pure eyes by your sinful wicked

mannerof attending his solemn worship. Yea, there is nothing else that is to be

givenas a reason why you do not this very moment drop down into hell.

Effects of Great Awakening New Colleges

(Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth)

New Lights vs Old Lights

New Denominations Focus on

emotionalism First large scale,

unifying event in colonies

Creation of “half way covenant”

Miscellaneous John Peter Zenger

Trial- ideas of first amendment

Ben Franklin writes Poor Richard’s Almanac

Cotton Mather, a famous minister, practice inoculation against small pox

Governments Each colony used a bicameral

legislative branch Upper house was appointed by Crown,

lower house voted by colonists