COLONIAL SOCIETY:COLONIAL SOCIETY:Family, Social Order, and Family, Social Order, and

ReligionReligion

Sources of Stability: Sources of Stability: New England Colonies of New England Colonies of the Seventeenth Centurythe Seventeenth Century

• New Englanders replicated New Englanders replicated traditional English social order traditional English social order

• Contrasted with experience in other Contrasted with experience in other English coloniesEnglish colonies

• Explanation lies in development of Explanation lies in development of Puritan familiesPuritan families

Immigrant Families Immigrant Families and New Social Orderand New Social Order

• Puritans believed God ordained the Puritans believed God ordained the family to prevent temptation outside family to prevent temptation outside the familythe family

• Reproduce patriarchal English family Reproduce patriarchal English family structure in New Englandstructure in New England

• Greater longevity in New England Greater longevity in New England results in “invention” of grandparentsresults in “invention” of grandparents

• Multigenerational families strengthen Multigenerational families strengthen social stabilitysocial stability

Commonwealth of FamiliesCommonwealth of Families

• Most New Englanders married Most New Englanders married neighbors of whom parents neighbors of whom parents approved; chose “godly” partnersapproved; chose “godly” partners

• Education provided by the familyEducation provided by the family

• Towns of families, not of individualsTowns of families, not of individuals

• New England families did not need New England families did not need indentured servantsindentured servants

Women’s Lives Women’s Lives in Puritan New Englandin Puritan New England

• Women not Women not legallylegally equal with men equal with men• Marriages based on mutual loveMarriages based on mutual love• Most Women contributed to society asMost Women contributed to society as

– wives and motherswives and mothers– church memberschurch members– small-scale farmerssmall-scale farmers

• Women accommodated themselves to Women accommodated themselves to roles they believed God ordainedroles they believed God ordained

Women’s RolesWomen’s Roles

• Women cooked, Women cooked, washed, made washed, made clothes, milked the clothes, milked the cows, and gardened cows, and gardened day in and day outday in and day out

• ““deputy husbands” deputy husbands” – there was both – there was both dependency and dependency and independenceindependence

Social Hierarchy in New Social Hierarchy in New EnglandEngland

• Absence of very rich necessitates Absence of very rich necessitates creation of new social order (neither creation of new social order (neither rich nor poor)rich nor poor)

• New England social order becomesNew England social order becomes

-leader not based on wealth but other -leader not based on wealth but other criteriacriteria

- much greater social mobility than in - much greater social mobility than in EnglandEngland

The Challenge of the The Challenge of the Chesapeake EnvironmentChesapeake Environment

• Imbalanced sex ratio among Imbalanced sex ratio among immigrantsimmigrants

• High death rateHigh death rate

• Scattered populationScattered population

Family Life at RiskFamily Life at Risk

• Normal family life impossible in VirginiaNormal family life impossible in Virginia– mostly young male indentured servants mostly young male indentured servants – most immigrants soon died most immigrants soon died – in marriages, one spouse often died within in marriages, one spouse often died within

a decadea decade

• Serial marriages, extended families Serial marriages, extended families commoncommon

• Orphaned children raised by strangersOrphaned children raised by strangers

Women in Chesapeake Women in Chesapeake SocietySociety

• Scarcity gives some women Scarcity gives some women bargaining power in marriage marketbargaining power in marriage market

• Women without family protection Women without family protection vulnerable to sexual exploitationvulnerable to sexual exploitation

• Childbearing extremely dangerousChildbearing extremely dangerous

• Chesapeake women died 20 years Chesapeake women died 20 years earlier than women in New Englandearlier than women in New England

The Structure of Planter The Structure of Planter Society: The GentrySociety: The Gentry

• Tobacco the basis of Chesapeake Tobacco the basis of Chesapeake wealthwealth

• Early gentry become stable ruling Early gentry become stable ruling elite by 1700elite by 1700

The Structure of Planter The Structure of Planter Society: The FreemenSociety: The Freemen

• The largest class in Chesapeake The largest class in Chesapeake societysociety

• Most freed at the end of indentureMost freed at the end of indenture

• Live on the edge of povertyLive on the edge of poverty

The Structure of Planter The Structure of Planter Society: Indentured Society: Indentured

ServantsServants• Servitude a temporary statusServitude a temporary status

• Conditions harshConditions harsh

• Servants regard their bondage as Servants regard their bondage as slaveryslavery

The Structure of Planter The Structure of Planter Society: Post-1680s StabilitySociety: Post-1680s Stability

• Gentry ranks open to people with capital Gentry ranks open to people with capital before 1680, no matter reputation or before 1680, no matter reputation or social standingsocial standing

• Demographic shift (life expectancy Demographic shift (life expectancy increased)after 1680 creates creole(born increased)after 1680 creates creole(born in America) elitein America) elite

• Shift adds stability/legitimacy to colonyShift adds stability/legitimacy to colony• Ownership of slaves consolidates planter Ownership of slaves consolidates planter

wealth and positionwealth and position• Freemen find advancement more difficultFreemen find advancement more difficult

The Structure of Planter The Structure of Planter Society: A Dispersed Society: A Dispersed

PopulationPopulation• Large-scale tobacco cultivation Large-scale tobacco cultivation

requiresrequires– great landholdingsgreat landholdings– ready access to water-borne commerceready access to water-borne commerce

• Result: population dispersed along Result: population dispersed along great tidal riversgreat tidal rivers

• Virginia a rural society devoid of townsVirginia a rural society devoid of towns• Dispersion results in lack of Dispersion results in lack of

institutions, like schoolsinstitutions, like schools

Rise of a Commercial Rise of a Commercial EmpireEmpire

• English leaders ignore colonies until English leaders ignore colonies until 1650s1650s

(Salutary Neglect)(Salutary Neglect)

• Navigation Acts passed to regulate, Navigation Acts passed to regulate, protect, glean revenue from protect, glean revenue from commercecommerce

Regulating Colonial Trade: Regulating Colonial Trade: The Navigation Act of 1660The Navigation Act of 1660

• Most important law passed by the Crown Most important law passed by the Crown prior to the American Revolutionprior to the American Revolution

• Ships engage in English colonial tradeShips engage in English colonial trade– must be made in England (or America)must be made in England (or America)– must carry a crew at least 75% Englishmust carry a crew at least 75% English

• Enumerated goods Enumerated goods onlyonly to English ports to English ports– 1660 list included tobacco, sugar, cotton, 1660 list included tobacco, sugar, cotton,

indigo, dyes, gingerindigo, dyes, ginger– Pay tariff at port, England makes money, Pay tariff at port, England makes money,

colonists lose money (initially)colonists lose money (initially)

Regulating Colonial Trade: Regulating Colonial Trade: The Navigation Act of 1663The Navigation Act of 1663

• Goods shipped to English colonies Goods shipped to English colonies must pass through Englandmust pass through England

• Increased price paid by colonial Increased price paid by colonial consumers because colonists had to consumers because colonists had to pay the duties added on in the pay the duties added on in the English port.English port.

Results of 1663 ActResults of 1663 Act

1.1. Encouraged Encouraged domestic domestic shipbuildingshipbuilding

2.2. Prohibited Prohibited European rivals European rivals from getting these from getting these enumerated enumerated goods anywhere goods anywhere else but Englandelse but England

Regulating Colonial Regulating Colonial Trade:Trade:

Implementing the ActsImplementing the Acts • New England merchants skirt laws New England merchants skirt laws • English revisions tighten loopholes – English revisions tighten loopholes –

governors now responsible to keep other governors now responsible to keep other countries out of portscountries out of ports

• 1696--Board of Trade created(to enforce)1696--Board of Trade created(to enforce)• Navigation Acts eventually benefit Navigation Acts eventually benefit

colonial merchants because 25% of all colonial merchants because 25% of all England’s needs come from American England’s needs come from American Colonies.Colonies.

Civil War in Virginia: Civil War in Virginia: Bacon's RebellionBacon's Rebellion

• Nathaniel Bacon leads rebellion, 1676Nathaniel Bacon leads rebellion, 1676

• Rebellion allows small farmers, blacks Rebellion allows small farmers, blacks and women to join, demand reformsand women to join, demand reforms

• Governor William Berkeley regains Governor William Berkeley regains controlcontrol

• Rebellion collapses after Bacon’s deathRebellion collapses after Bacon’s death

• Gentry recovers positions, unite over Gentry recovers positions, unite over next decades to oppose royal governorsnext decades to oppose royal governors

COMMON EXPERIENCES, COMMON EXPERIENCES, SEPARATE CULTURESSEPARATE CULTURES

Purpose Families Ethnicity Economy

New England

Religious Nuclear families

Mostly English

Family farms

Middle Colonies

Mixed Nuclear families

Mixed European

Family farms

Chesapeake Gain wealth

Extended families

English (majority)& African

Market plantations (tobacco)

Lower South Gain wealth

Extended families

English & African (majority)

Market plantations (rice, indigo)

Growth and DiversityGrowth and Diversity

• 1700-1750 – colonial population rises 1700-1750 – colonial population rises from 250,000 to over two millionfrom 250,000 to over two million

• Much growth through natural Much growth through natural increaseincrease

• Large influx of non-English Large influx of non-English Europeans, especially African, Europeans, especially African, Scotch-Irish, and GermansScotch-Irish, and Germans