Chapter 5

COLONIAL SOCIETY ON THE EVE OF REVOLUTION

The Peale Family, by Charles Willson Peale, ca. 1770-73

Conquest by the Cradle

Populations were growing dramatically

In 1775, the most populous colonies were Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Maryland.

Between 1700 and 1775 colonies doubled their population every 25 years. Reasons: Change in the ratio of blacks to

white 90% of population lived in

rural areas.

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Population Location

Most of population cooped up between Atlantic and Appalachian,

Vanguard of settlers across mountains and as far as Tenn. and Kentucky.

Va., Mass., Pa, NC and Maryland were the biggest colonies, in that order.

Philly the biggest city with 34,000.

A Mingling of the Races Colonial America was

a melting pot by 1775. Germans (6%)

(150,000) Scots-Irish (7%) Other Europeans (5%) Africans (20%)

Year - 1790 p86

Scots-Irish

From Scotland to N Ireland Impoverished, not well educated Resistant to authority Anti-English dominant culture of the Appalachians

Clerics, Physicians, and Jurists

Most honored of the professions was the Christian ministry.

Most physicians were poorly trained and not highly esteemed.  The first medical school came in 1765.

Epidemics were a constant nightmare.  A crude form of inoculation was introduced in 1721.  Powdered dried toad was a favorite prescription for smallpox.  Diphtheria was also a killer, especially of young people. 

Structure Of Colonial Society By the mid 1700s, the richest 10% of

Bostonians and Philadelphians owned 2/3 of the taxable wealth in their cities.

By 1750, Boston contained a large number of homeless poor, who were compelled to wear a large red “P” on their clothing.

In all the colonies the ranks of the lower classes were further swelled by the continuing stream of indentured servants.

Compared to Europe, America was a land of equality and opportunity — except for slavery.

Most remarkable feature was the ease with which could go from rags to riches on the social scale.

Structure Of Colonial Society

By 1776 social stratification beginning to set in.

Raised some barriers to upward mobility and fears that America becoming Europeanized.

Reasons?

The Jethro Coffin House, in Nantucket, Massachusetts, was built in the 1680s and is a good example of colonial New England architecture. Because glass was quite expensive in colonial America, houses of this period almost all had very small windows.

Workaday America

Agriculture was the leading industry — 90% of the people Tobacco the Staple

crop in Maryland and Virginia

Grain the primary crop in the Middle colonies.

Workaday America

Colonist standard of living compared to rest of world.

Major Industry in New England? Fishing/whaling Trade Quintessential Yankee Trader

Nature of Trade

What was being traded to Europe?

From Europe? What is the Triangular

Trade?

Map 5.3: Colonial Trade Patterns, c. 1770

Colonial Manufacturing

Manufacturing was limited and only of secondary importance.

Reasons: 1)partly due to lack of money

to invest 2) partly due to lack of

laborers and 3) partly due to mercantilism.

Lumbering

Lumbering was the most important manufacturing activity.

Why were British so hungry for American timber? British Navy and merchant

marines needed wood 1/3 of British merchant marine

(Ships) was American-built. Rosin, pitch, tar and turpentine

were also highly valued by shippers

Economic Problem in the 1730s

What economic problems faced US in 1730s? England saturated with American products. Americans need cash and the only way to get

cash is through sale of American goods. Thus, Americans want to tap other markets to

sell their goods. Are shipping a lot of timber and food to the

French West Indies, which is providing cash for Americans to buy from England.

But………

Molasses Act of 1733

What did it say? What was the intent of

the act? How do Colonists react?

Dominant Denominations

Two established (tax supported) churches were dominant in the colonies— Anglican (Church of

England) Congregational

(Puritan) Many colonists did

not attend church.

Anglican Church

Official church in Ga., North and South Carolina, Va. and Maryland.

Strongest in the south Why did Britain want to increase its power? Not very fervent. Clergy was poorly trained. Anglicans lacked a bishop in

America, thus all ministers had to train in England.

Colonists resisted idea of an American Bishop. Why?

Congregational Church

Congregational church formally established in all NE colonies except RI.

Was a hotbed for rebellion, and as rebellion neared ministers often preached sedition from the pulpit.

The Great Awakening

Causes: People less fervent. Puritan churches

struggling. Why? “Dead dog”

ministers. Ministers worried that

the people had grown soft.

Liberal ideas began to challenge old time religion.

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The Great Awakening

A religious revival in 1730-40’s

Spread like wildfire. Was a reaction against the

rationalism and enlightenment of the period that put reason above God.

Reaction against complacency of religion.

First North American Mass Movement

Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards Started Great Awakening. Deep thinker; burned with

righteousness Views on Salvation. Famous sermon: Sinners in the

Hands of an Angry God.

George Whitefield

George Whitefield More eloquent. Tried to lead people back to God

through the passion of his rhetoric. Revival meeting. His message.

Results of the Great Awakening

People split off to new churches Undermined older clergy New denominations Increased missionary work Founding of new colleges Broke down sectional boundaries and contributed

to sense of Americans as one people.

Schools and Colleges

English view of education. New England schools Middle Colonies South-Field System Universities in America

Harvard

Pioneer Presses Most people could not buy

books. Only a few libraries

based. Colonial newspapers. Newspapers typically

contained dull essays and commentaries.

Zenger Case

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The Great Game of Politics

Originally: 8 were royal colonies. 3 were proprietorships

( Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware)

2 had self-governing charters (Connecticut and Rhode Island.)

By time of Revolution, most were royal.

The Old State House, Boston s oldest public building, was �built in 1713 as the seat of British colonial government. Here the Royal Governor and the Massachusetts Assembly debated the Stamp Acts and the Writs of Assistance. The Declaration of Independence was first read to Bostonians from the east balcony on July 18, 1776.

Common Features in Governments

Almost all the colonies used a two-house legislature.

Powers of Legislatures Ability to Control the

Governors Religious and/or property-

owning requirements for vote existed in all colonies.

Town meetings