Life in the Colonies
TCI chapter 4
Rights of Colonists
 Colonists in America saw themselves as English
citizens. They expected the same rights that citizens enjoyed
in England. The most important of these was the right to
have a voice in their government.
 A key victory in this struggle came in 1215, when King John
agreed to sign Magna Carta, or “Great Charter.” This
agreement established the idea that the power of the
monarch, or ruler, was limited.
 The next major victory was the founding of Parliament in
1265 (lawmaking body).
English Bill of Rights
In 1689, Parliament offered the
crown to Prince William of Orange
and his wife, Mary. In exchange, they
had to agree to an act, or law, known
as the English Bill of Rights.
 power to make laws and impose
taxes belonged to the people’s
elected representatives in
Parliament and to no one else
 guarantees such rights as trial by
jury, petitioning the king, and
choosing representatives to create
taxes.
And that for redress of all grievances,
and for the amending, strengthening,
and preserving of the laws, Parliaments
ought to be held frequently.
That the pretended power of dispensing
[doing away] with laws, or the execution
of laws, by regal authority, without
consent of Parliament, is illegal.
That election of members of Parliament
ought to be free.
That the freedom of speech, and debates
or proceedings in Parliament, ought not
to be impeached, or questioned in any
court or place out of Parliament.
—Excerpts from the English Bill of
Rights, 1689
Crime & Punishment
 Each colonial assembly passed its own laws defining
crimes and punishments.
 theft, forgery, and highway robbery carried harsh
punishments in every colony
 might be jailed, whipped, or branded with hot irons
 Lesser crimes, such as drunkenness and breaking the Sabbath
(working or traveling on Sunday),
 fines, short jail terms, or public humiliation
 No group had firmer ideas about right and wrong
than New England’s Puritans.
Religion
 Religion was an important part of colonial life.
 Puritans = extremely strict; up to 5 hours a day, attendance
mandatory
 Beginning in the 1730s, a religious movement known as
the Great Awakening swept through the colonies. This
movement was spurred by a feeling that people had lost their
religious faith.
 To revive people’s religious spirit, preachers traveled from town to
town holding outdoor “revival” meetings.
 The Great Awakening had a powerful effect on the colonies. It
helped spread the idea that all people are equal in the eyes of
God (if, and only if, they are a. people and b. believers of the
faith).
Great Awakening
And before ye sermon was done there was a great moaning
and crying out throughout the whole house . . .“What shall
I do to be saved?”. . .The cries were piercing and amazing
so that the minister was obliged to desist . . . and after that
we descended from the pulpit and discoursed with the
people . . .
We sang an hymn and prayed and dismissed the assembly.
—Excerpt from the diary of Reverend Stephen
Williams,
1841
Education
Education
 Except in New England, most children in the colonies received
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little formal education. Neither the Middle nor the
Southern Colonies had public schools.
New England - towns required to provide public schools. The
Puritans’ support for education was inspired by their religious
faith (literacy = high due to Bible teachings).
Middle Colonies - religious differences among Quakers,
Catholics, Jews, Baptists, and other religious groups slowed the
growth of public education.
Southern Colonies - most families were spread out along
rivers. A few neighbors might get together to hire a teacher or
tutor for their children.
Most colonists believed that boys needed more
education than girls.
Life for African Americans
 Slavery in the colonies began in Virginia, with tobacco planters.
 Southern Colonies = expanded rapidly (plantations).
 Slave trade
 slave ships filled with cloth, guns, and rum sailed from the colonies to
the coast of West Africa
 goods were traded for Africans
 ships returned to the Americas carrying their human cargo
 For the Africans packed onto slave ships, the ocean crossing—
known as the Middle Passage—was a nightmare.
 Slaves masters in America demanded slaves work absurdly hard in
brutal conditions
 Unlike other colonists, slaves had little hope of making a better
life.
Life on a farm
 The colonists developed an economy based on farming,
commerce (buying and selling goods), and
handcrafts.
 Nine out of ten people lived on small family farms.
 Most farm families raised or made nearly everything they
needed.
 Chores include cutting wood, feeding animals, clearing land,
tending crops, building fences, making furniture and tools,
gathering eggs, spinning thread, weaving cloth, sewing
clothes, making candles and soap, cooking, cleaning, and
caring for babies.
Life in Cities
 In 1750, one colonist out of 20 lived in a city.
 The heart of the city was the waterfront.
 The nearby streets were lined with shops.
 Cities were noisy, smelly places.
 City homes were close together on winding streets.
 With torches and candles lighting homes, fire was a
constant danger (remember that) for later.