Chapter 3Colonial Society in the

Eighteenth Century

Population Growth

• High Birth Rates, Abundance of Fertile Land, and immigration amounted for the vast increase in the population.

• Vast amounts of European immigrants came to the colonies. People came to escape religious persecution, wars, or to seek economic opportunity. Most immigrants settled in the Middle colonies such as Pennsylvania and New York

• Germans- Came to the rich farmlands of Pennsylvania and kept their customs and traditions.

• Scotish-Irish- Came to the western parts of Penn., Virginia, Carolinas, and Georgia.

• Africans- Came through as slaves who worked the fields, as farmland grew.

The Structure of Colonial Society

• England• English Culture• Monarchy• Uniform religion• Primogeniture• No social mobility

• English Colonies• English Culture• Autocracy• Religion Toleration• No hereditary

aristocracy• Social Mobility

Family

• Men• Men were dominant• Men owned the land• Domination over

politics• Total control over

wife

• Women• Mothers place was

to be second class citizen

• Household chores• Allowed divorce

• Limited legal and political rights

The Economy

• New England-• Rocky soil and long winters made farming

impossible.• Industry such as logging, shipbuilding, fishing,

trading, and rum-distilling were main profit sources.

• Middle Colonies-• Rich soil allowed for farming (spurred on slavery).• Iron production.

• Southern Colonies-• Cash Crops• Tobacco, indigo, rice, timber main sources of revnue.

• Monetary System• To place the

mercantilist’s policies in place England gave the colonists gold and silver to use as currency.

• Transportation• Water was the best

way to travel.• Roads were terrible.

Religion

• Congregationalists• Found in New England• An evolved sect of the

Puritan religion

• New York and Boston attracted Jews• Presbyterians migrated to New England• Majority were three groups:

Anglicans:Mainly composed of Farmers and plantation

owners.No Bishop since the head of

the Church was the king.

Protestants:• Dominant religion in

the Colonies.• Certain colonial governments levied

taxes for the support of the

Church• Two main churches:

• Ch. Of England in Virginia

• Congregational Church in M. Bay

The Great Awakening

• Causes:• 1730s-1740s• A movement which

was to express strong religious sentiment.

• To emphasize the after life and the power of God.

• Effects• People were “saved”

and they started to read the bible.

• Religious factions/diversity

• Authority and self-determination changed perspectives.

The Great Awakening

• Jonathan Edwards• Initiated the Great

Awakening• Congregationalist

reverend• People should

repent their evil ways to grow closer to God.

• George Whitefield• Great Orator• Brought the word of

God to everyone regardless of social class.

• One could be closer to God without any church assistance.

Arts and Sciences• Architecture: The common building followed

the Georgian precepts of architecture.• Painting: Americans were educated in the G.

Britain, and came here to depict rural life. • Literature: Mostly political literature and

some common knowledge books like the Poor Richard’s Almanack.

• Science: Scientists were self educated. Franklin and his inventions (electricity and bio-focals)

Cultural Life

Education

Education was limited and varied amongst the colonies. It was ONLY for men.

• New England: Colonial Gov. established schools via tax revenue. Puritan ideas were stressed at school.

• Middle Colonies: Private or public Education.• Southern Colonies: Rich Parents=education• High Education: Institutions like Harvard and

Columbia were established to place religion and science together for the aristocracy.

Professions

• During the 18th century many new professions began to gain respect.• Physicians were supposed to heal their

patients. However many physicians used primitive forms of medicine and did more harm.

• Lawyers were seen as talkative troublemakers. However in the 1700s they became people who fought for an individuals rights.

Press

• Newspapers were a way of communication. It contained ads for businesses, awards for the return of runaway slaves and political essays.

• Since the 1st amendment did not come until the 1770s, freedom of speech was censored.

• Zenger case- John Peter Zenger wrote about the injustices of a New York Governor Andrew Hamilton. This was a direct violation of English rule and he was brought to trial (latter acquitted by a liberal jury).

Politics• Structure of Government

• 8 royal colonies (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia) with governor appointed by King.

• 3 proprietary colonies (Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) governors appointed by the proprietor.

• Each colony had two houses (for a Legislature). Lower House= decided taxes and had reps. elected by voting eligibility. Upper House= appointed by King/proprietor.

• Every colony had a local government to discuss issues that affected them.

Emergence of National Character

Voting

Voters• Male Only

Voting Prerequisites• Own a small amount

of land.• Certain colonies

required voters to be of a certain religious sect.

Non-Voters• Free Blacks, white

women, poor white men, and slaves.