New England:
>Political*People weren't as crazy about politics as in the 18th century as opposed to the 17th century
* Politics were relatively calm except for New York
*In New York people were more rebellious because of Leisler's Rebellion
*This rebellion was caused by governor of NY Leisler who's regime accidentally split up NY by ethnicity
and economic lines
*1634 a group of deputies elected by freemen was added to form a single ruling body, that was the
General Court
>Economic*People were drawn to the New World by promises of lands of plenty
* New World wasn't going to be based off of gold, it would be based on trade
*Lived a merchant lifestyle
*Dependent a lot on trading & exports (timber fishing small farm products)
* If they could not afford to travel to the New World they could come as indentured servants and would
have no freedom for a certain amount of time (4-7 years)
* Per capita wealth lagged, but wealth was distributed more evenly
* The half way covenant made ancestry more important than church membership
*Triangular trade
*middle passage
>Religious*PURITAN!!!!!!!!!!
*Men were dominant at home, but males and females were considered equal in the church
*Puritans liked individual judgment (they insisted on reading the bible)
*Men were dominant at home, but males and females were considered equal in the church
*Puritans liked individual judgment (they insisted on reading the bible)
* However individualism privacy and personal freedom
*They did not want to convert Indians, just destroy them
>Social*New World would be a place where England's surplus could take refuge
*Settlers viewed land as a big part of their definition of freedom
*They would get the Natives to sign treaties handing over land after military defeat
*At first natives & settlers got along because they wanted European goods, but then the colonists
became more concerned with European business
*Began peaceful with natives, then they did not get along
*Puritans were bad with social differences
*Women's main priorities were wives & mothers
>Intellectual*Roger Williams believed in the separation of church & state
*Williams was subsequently kicked out of MA
*He established Rhode Island
*Thomas Hooker established Hartford
* Anne Hutchinson believed people could not earn salvation through good works & said that all
preachers were false in their teachings because they did not believe this view
>Artistic-
Middle Colonies( NY, NJ, PA):
>Political *up until mid 1670's NY and other northern colonies governed in any way the colonists could be
persuaded to accept
*while NY, CT, Plymouth, MA, NH, and RI combined to become the Dominion of New England(1686-88),
Sir Edmund Andros ruled. He did not have to answer to an elected assembly, he appointed local officials
in place of elected ones, and he imposed taxes without the approval of elected representatives.
*PA had the most powerful assembly
*W.Penn hoped PA could be governed according to Quaker principles, with equality to all regardless of
race or gender
* Jews were barred from office
*Penn's Frame of Government prohibited drunkenness, swearing, adultery and the era's popular
entertainments.
>Economic*PA, " best poor mans country"
*expansion of trade and rise in port cities in Philadelphia
*tenants and wage laborers were becoming a larger presence
*developed non-plantation slavery along with New England
*England used the prevailing theory of mercantilism on the eastern classy of North America to seize
control of Atlantic trade
>Religious *William Penn envisioned PA to be free of religious persecution
*Quakers were big in PA
*Penn considered his colony a "holy experiment"
*Quakers had a stricken code of morality
Social*early 18th century flood of Scotch-Irish and German settlers into PA backcountry upset the mostly
peaceful relationship between whites and Indians created by William Penn
*the first slave uprising was in NY in 1712
>Intellectual* the first library was in Philadelphia in 1727 by Ben Franklin.
>Artistic*some forms of popular entertainment of the era were revels, bull-baiting, and cock-fighting
Chesapeake :
>Political The Chesapeake adapted a government similar to the kingdoms in England called a propriety colony, a
grant of land and government authority to a single individual (Maryland). This king figure was Cecilius
Calvert. They believed the citizens should not have many rights. Also they adapted to the first
government system, the house of burgesses. It was barely a government, only land owners could vote
and the governor could nullify any measure made.
>Economic After realizing they could not survive on gold, they adapted to making money off crops and farming.
Their major export was tobacco as people all over the world wanted it. The headlight system was also
adapted so that people could get some land depending on the amount of people that came over. The
Chesapeake also started to bring over the first 20 slaves and indentured servitude was very popular
there. Eventually they would be dominated by slaveholding planters. Indentured servants had a better
time in life in this region. Freedom dues were much better here but they eventually diminished. > >
>Religionreligion wise, the Chesapeake was a very multi-cultural place. Since Calvert was a catholic, he envisioned
Maryland to be a refuge from the bad treatment to Catholics in Europe. He wanted there to be
harmony.
>Social The Chesapeake settlers tried to keep good connections with the Indians around them as they felt they
needed them but that did not last long. There was a very small female to male ratio, almost 1:5. The
women were not treated as generously as the Spanish women were but in some cases they did get to
assume roles like plantation owners and would receive dower rights, rights to 1/3 of their husbands
property if they die.
>Intellectual >Artistic-
South:
Political*Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina- established society with a hereditary nobility, serfs,and slaves
in the Carolinas. Resembled the societies of England at the time.
*Southern states were allowed to govern themselves thanks to the British policy of salutary neglect.
*Carolina gave slave-owners absolute power and authority over human property.
*In the rice plantations of south Carolina and Georgia, they focused mainly in native Indians and blacks
as a source of labor
*Led to a large influx of slaves to the area
*South Carolina was the first colony with a black majority
*Florida was acquired by Britain through a trade after the French and Indian War which gave Spain the
Philippines and Cuba
*South Carolina had land qualifications for voting and a 500 acre, ten slave/ £1000 property
requirement to run for office
Economic*Carolina promised 150 acres of land to each family, and 100 acres of land to freed male slaves
The richest main land colonists were south Carolina planters.
*Georgia, established in 1733 by James Oglethorpe, was a place where the "worthy poor" could have
economic opportunities.
Religious*Carolina promised religious freedom to families who settled there
*The great awakening influenced many black men to take up preaching
Social*Stono rebellion, 1739- a group of south Carolinian slaves seized a weapons store and marched
southward toward, Florida killing whites they encountered and chanting, "liberty"
*South Carolina tightened the slave code and imposed a prohibitive tax on imported slaves.
*Slaves often fled to Florida, the Chesapeake, or middle colonies.
*Slaves on rice plantations were able to form there own culture, with homes, distinct names, houses,
and there own language, Gullah.
*South Carolina had the wealthiest colonists. Owned half of the wealth of the colony
*Many of the wealthy wanted to model themselves after the British and were proud of their mother
country
*Many of the landed gentry supported republicanism, which was a government without a king and
celebrated active participation in public life by economically independent citizens as the essence of
liberty
*Consisted mainly of farm families raising grain and livestock, and slaveowning planters seeing fertile
soil for tobacco farming.
Intellectual *South Carolina had one if the most powerful and legislatively independent governments
Artistic*Some cartoons depicted slaves on plantations. One portrays slaves at a wedding on a south carolinan
plantation, using a mixture of things associated with black and white cultures.
Similarities between the South, Chesapeake, New England, and the Middle Colonies:
Political*Wealthiest people held office
Economic *America was very dependent on England
*Fur trade with Native Americans
* economic growth contributed to high birth rate and longer life expectancy, and growing demand for
goods
* In 18 th century 50-80% of white men in America owned property compared to less than 5% in
England.
Religion*Protestantism grew and the Catholic influence diminished.
*Great Awakening period( during the 1720-30's)
*Revivals had changed religious configuration and the boundaries of liberty.
* many new sects of Christianity were being created
Social*as political, economic, and religious tensions grew battles with Indians were breaking out
*most newcomers were single men who had nothing to lose
*Americans and new immigrants associated land with freedom
* widows and single women took advantage of their legal status to be able to make contracts and
conduct business.
* 18th century emigration to America from England went down but other country emigration went up
*many cities did not want to deal with poor, and some communities barred them from the community.
* Free women expected to devote lives to being good wives and mothers. Society became more
structured and opportunities for women receded. In the 17 th century the population
was lower so there were more jobs for women, but in the 18 th century the population increased and
the jobs could be done by men.
* Wealthy Americans modeled their lives around the wealthy English not wanting to be identified as
American.
* an increasing amount of slave rebellions popping up
*few Indians chose to live among white people, but many were accustomed toEuropean products, and
were some what dependent on them. The introduction of alcohol to the native population created social
chaos in many of their communities.
Intellectual*the spread of literacy led to the rapid expansion of press
*Enlightenment thinking swept through colonies
Artistic*19th century slaves were identified as African-Americans, they had their own culture, language, music,
folklore, and religion comprised of African traditions, European elements, and new conditions in
America.