■ Essential Question: –In what ways were the “Southern”

and “Northern” British colonies different from each other?

■ Warm-Up Question: –How were the British Colonies

influenced by the Trans-Atlantic trade?

Regional Differences Among the

British Colonies

The Economies of the Colonies■ The British colonies produced a

variety of profitable materials & were populated by a variety of diverse peoples

■ By the 1700s, the differences among the “Southern” & “Northern” colonies led to long-term differences among these societies

“Southern” Colonies

“Northern” Colonies

Life in the “Southern” Colonies■ The Southern economies were

dominated by cash-crop agriculture–Tobacco in VA, MD, & NC–Rice & indigo in SC & GA

■ As a result, Southern society centered on:–Plantations rather than cities–Gaps between the rich & poor–Forced labor (slaves & servants)

Life in the “Southern” Colonies

Life in the “Southern” Colonies■ By the 1700s, the Southern

colonies became more diverse:–English colonists typically made

up the plantation owners in the nutrient-rich lands in the east

–Former indentured servants, German, Scots-Irish immigrants moved to the “backcountry” with poor soil, near Indians, & lived on the brink of poverty

Distribution of EuropeanEuropean

& African African ImmigrantsImmigrants in British

North America by 1770

The North American “Backcountry”

Women in the “Southern” Colonies■ Women in Southern society found

their lives dominated by men:–Women were not eligible to vote,

divorce, own or sell property–“Common” women were

responsible for assisting in the field in addition to cleaning, cooking, & childrearing chores

–Upper-class women had slaves or servants, but had few rights

Women in “Southern” Colonies

Slavery in the “Southern” Colonies■ Slavery in the Southern colonies

was far more common than in the Northern colonies:

–Cash-crop agriculture, like tobacco & rice, required workers

–By 1660, fewer indentured servants were coming to America

–80-90% of Southern slaves were field workers, most on plantations

Slavery in the “Southern” Colonies■ Slave culture in the South:

–Slaves came from a variety of places in West Africa & had a variety of languages & cultures

–Music & dance were used to maintain their African culture

–Families were common, but marriage was not recognized

–Slave religion often blended African rituals with Christianity

Slave LifeSlave Spiritual Ex of Gullah Language

Poem “Just Waitin’ ”

The Slave Population■ Slavery led to resistance:

–Runaway slaves were common

–Sabotaging of field tools & intentionally slowing down the work were common techniques of slave resistance

–In 1739, in South Carolina 150 slaves led the Stono RebellionStono Rebellion against white plantation owners

“Northern” Colonies

Life in the “Northern” Colonies■ Northern economies were much

more diverse than in the South:

–Were restricted to much smaller farms that grew multiple crops

–Included wheat, corn, livestock, lumber, shipbuilding, fishing, iron

–Boston, Philadelphia, New York were important port cities that allowed for international trade

Life in the “Northern” Colonies

Life in the “Northern” Colonies■ Like the Southern colonies,

English, Germans, & Scots-Irish were the major immigrant groups & most moved to the backcountry as small-scale farmers

■ Slaves worked on small-scale farms or as domestic servants

■ Northern women could not vote or own property & were to serve & obey their husbands

Distribution of EuropeanEuropean

& African African ImmigrantsImmigrants in British

North America by 1770

Social Mobility■ Northern colonies offered greater

social mobility than the South:–Social status was less dependent

upon ownership of land–Numerous professional & trade

professions in cities –Benjamin Franklin represented

opportunities in colonial society; He used scientific innovation & political writing to gain world fame

The Great Awakening

Decline in Religious Devotion ■ By the 1700s, American colonists

saw a decline in religious devotion:

–Church sermons were seen by many as “cold” & impersonal

■ In the 1730s & 1740s, the Great Awakening was a series of revivals in which people experienced religious conversion in response to gifted preaching

The Great Awakening■ Preachers like Jonathan Edwards

& George Whitefield were the most popular evangelists:–Used “fire & passion” to

encourage people to examine their eternal destiny (“New Light”)

–Preached sermons to 1,000s in large “camp revivals”

–Encouraged questioning of established churches

The Great Awakening■ The Great Awakening impacted

all the colonists & led to:–New universities were formed to

educate “New Light” preachers–Contact among scattered

colonists in different regions (1st “national” American event)

–Decline in Puritan & Anglican faiths & rise of Methodists, Baptists, & other denominations

Brown, Rutgers, & Princeton

Creative Writing Assignment■ Create an illustrated journal from

the perspective of someone from the colonial-era:–Students will be assigned a role–Create a journal entry written to a

loved one who lives far away–Letters must have at least total

5 facts (gov’t, social, economic)–Letters must have 1 picture–Letters make 1 comparison to a

person of a different role

■ Owner of a Virginia tobacco plantation■ Virginia indentured servant■ The wife of a Virginia tobacco plantation owner■ Slave on a Virginia tobacco plantation■ Merchant from Philadelphia ■ A Native American living on the border of Georgia and

Spanish Florida■ A fisherman living in Massachusetts■ A Puritan minister living in Salem, MA■ A “dissenter” living in Rhode Island ■ The wife of a Puritan minister in New England■ A “house slave” in Pennsylvania ■ A member of King Philip’s Wampanoag tribe living on

the edge of New England settlements