Chapter 5- Colonial Society on the Eve of Revolution
mid-1700s (roughly 40s-60s)
Americans enjoyed the highest standard of living of any previous people in world history
# of people in poverty very low compared to Europe
Growing number and plurality of colonial population
(by 1790- post revol.) Eng 49% African 19% Scot 7% Germ 7% Irish 3% Scots-Irish 5%
other Europeans 9%
13 colonies were not the ONLY ones (were about 32) just the ones that rebelled
Because they were the Atlantic Seaboard colonies—had developed a distinctive AMERICAN way of life
*very rapid popul. growth- doubled every 25 yrs
Socio-economic realities of colonial society
Lead occupation=farming (Ches-tobacco Middle-grain
NE- mixed)
land speculation became VERY profitable (this will later cause economic problems)
Commerce (trading goods & shipping)
Anyone willing to work hard could easily become well off/ poverty was frowned upon
Average person lived relatively comfortably compared to same in Europe
Class differences DID emerge—
small group of ‘aristocrats’= rich farmers, lawyers, govt officials, clergymen held most of the political power
south- hugely rich plantation owners (small %) had lots & lots of slaves
least fortunate—black slaves: no rts / no hope of future freedom
Broad overview of colonial economy
NOTE: map on page 91 (shows location of various eco. activities & crops -- DON'T memorize)
Farmingleading economic activity by far MD/VA= tobacco
Middle colonies = grain
NY (1759)- exporting 80,000 barrels of flour/year
Fishing- NE – esp whaling
Lumber- most important early manufacturing activity
Naval stores- tar/pitch resin turpentine & large logs (for masts)
Shipping- Triangular trade common—
NE-Africa= rum (trade for slaves)
Af-West Indies= trade slaves for molasses
Back to NE= sell molasses & buy rum(&start over)
also-
Amer to Eng -- raw materials: cotton, tobacco, lumber, indigo
Eng to Amer -- manufactured goods: **textiles, tools, weapons, furniture
Evolving American religion
2 “established”(tax supported) churches – Anglican & Congregational(Puritans)---mostly in NE
Church of England(Anglican) official in several colonies(esp. middle & south, not so much in NE)
Sermons became shorter, less frightening descriptions of hell-- less scorn of recreation
Growing worry that people aren’t DEVOUT enough
Large % of colonists didn’t worship at ANY church ----Relig. tolerance much better than in England
Led to Great. Awakening
Great Awakening: -A religious revival/evangelical movement in the 1730s to bring people back to the church
Edwards and Whitefield- best known Awakening preachers
1734- Jonathan Edwards began preaching—fiery, hell & brimstone sermons (much doom & damnation)
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
… pathway to Hell paved with the skulls of unbaptized children
1738-George Whitefield—even better than Edwards
These men brought many back to the church—
many imitators—
many new churches built- many new denominations formed
revived attendance
first religious experience shared by ALL Americans
Educational life
More important in NE—trained future clergymen
Many other areas...farm labor took up much time…
BUT were adequate primary/secondary schools in many areas (NOT in South)
Discipline was severe…lots of beatings
Religious reasons
Much emphasis on religion and classical languages (Latin & Greek)
In NE, at least, there was some regard for higher (college) education (Harvard- 1636)
***Benjamin Franklin help start the school that became the Univ. of Pennsylvania 1st non-sectarian church in America
NOTE chart on page 98- shows schools
(no church affiliation)
Colonial art/architecture/intellectual life as a byproduct of Europe
(combined with the first small steps towards indigenous American intellectual identity)
Peale (Charles Wilson Peale)–portraits= G. Wash T. Jeff
B. Franklin
West- (Benjamin West) portraits
Copley- (John Singleton Copley) portraits
John Trumbull- (Declaration of Independence)
Franklin1st American “renaissance man”
Poor Richards Almanac—sort of a common man’s philosophy
Inventor- bifocals
Wheatley- slave girl(Boston)- self educated poet—very influenced by Eng. Poet Alexander Pope
The colonial newspaper
Few libraries/ few had books—most relied on leaflets/pamphlets from hand cranked-presses
Writers often used pseudonyms
The Zenger case
John Peter Zenger—taken to court for writing about a corrupt NY Governor
Zenger argued that he had printed the TRUTH
Judge urged the jury to assume that the mere printing of the facts was a crime …
jury ignored the judge and acquitted him
**this was an argument for an early form of freedom of the press
Colonial politics
by 1775- 8 col. had royal governors
3 were under proprietors who chose the governors
(MD, Penn, Del)
Colonial assemblies (role/power)
most had 2 houses ---
2 -- RI & CT - elected their own govs.
upper - appointed by the king (or proprietor) or, rarely, elected
lower - elected by voters (property owning males)
this house voted in any necessary taxes ** the people were directly represented
became a basic concept in America --self-taxation with representation
***America was nowhere near a true democracy, but was much more democratic than England
Royal governors (relationships to assemblies)
often corrupt and/or incompetent appointed by king, but salaries were PAID by the assemblies -- gave them some leverage
too many problems-- cut off pay
Degree of democracy
very often there was a religion requirement to vote in addition to the property requirement
lots of non-voting ---the less educated (even if they owned property) would often defer to their "betters"
Fundamental orders of Connecticut
CT River colonies, very early on == met & established a democratic govt controlled by the “substantial citizens” (only ones who voted)