Chapter 3: Society and Culture in Provincial America Introduction Africans and European dominated the colony population Not many aristocrats in colony Many came for religious problems Some came as indentured servantsI. The Colonial PopulationA. Indentured Servitude1. Received food and shelter for servitude2. Many servant were women in Chesapeake3. Origina) 1617, dumped convicts for servitude and some for battles4. It provided a means of coping severe shortage of labor5. Many traveled place to place and provided population growth till 16706. People found the system less attractiveB. Birth and Death1. Started bad, but when conditions got better grew a lot2. Immigration was one factor but reproduction also helpeda) Average men lived to 71 but decreased the next gen3. Southern condition improved slowera) One in four children died in infancyb) Also high death rate in adultc) Population increased by immigration4. Men used dominate but became more balanced by 17thC. Medicine in the Colonies1. Knowledge disease was a factor in death rate2. Midwives became populara) Felt like family]b) Rivaled male doctorsc) But majority didn't have access to them3. Had no knowledge of MedicineD. Women and Families in the Chesapeake1. Male Dominance was Harda) High morality rates 2. Sexual Behavior was more flexiblea) Marry age was lower and average wife became pregnant every two years(1) Only few children survivedb) Mostly in the South and caused greater independence3. Widows had children to oversee plantationa) Ones with no kids married 4. Ratio became more equal and reproduction was the primary source of reproduction5. Later in 18th male dominance (patriarchal) took overE. Women and Families in New England1. New England widows decreaseda) Woman no longer independentb) Child bearing took over women lives because of longer life spans2. Parents in New Englanda) Sons usually depended on fathers landb) Daughter needed dowries from parentsc) Fewer pregnant than South3. Puritan wives were assumed weak and modestF. The Beginnings of Slavery in British America1. Increase in demanda) Forced immigration of as many as 11 million Africansb) They were capture enemy tribesmen and packed into ships(1) Ships were in bad conditionc) Slaves were auctionedd) In 1670 s colonist imported blacks directly to North Americae) The flow was low because the Royal African Company of England kept prices high and supplies low2. Growth of Slavesa) When the company was broke, increased the number in mid 1690sb) More slaves were being born than imported in Chesapeake by 1700sc) 1700-1760, # was increased quarter million(1) Low in north, high in south3. African Statusa) Not sure if different from white indentured servantsb) For a time they worked but later the whites were freed4. Beginnings of Slave Codea) Spanish America, where people mixed race had different status than pure Africans, English didn'tG. Changing Sources of European Immigration1. English Immigrants declineda) Other Europeans still increasedb) Many French immigrated because of religious prosecution and problems in France (economy)c) Germans were also in a similar situation(1) Quakers gave them a warm welcomed) Scottish had the most newcomers(1) English gov restricted them in gov and trade(2) Claimed own land and took native lande) Scottish/Ireland(1) Became significant influence in NJ and Pen.2. In 1700, population totaled 250,000, by 1750 2 millionII. The Colonial EconomiesA. Introduction1. English colonies was used for commercial use2. Made trade with Natives3. Some Farmers attempted to grow crops for exportB. The Southern Economy1. Tobacco was big in Southa) Production exceeded demandb) After 1700, tobacco plantation employed several dozen slaves 2. Staple economy in South Carolina and Georgia was ricea) Created rice paddies by building dams(1) Hard task so passed to African slaves because better3. Another product was Indigoa) Only grow on high ground of South Carolinab) Important import to EnglandC. Northern Economic and Technological Life1. Diverse Economy in Northa) Hard for commercial farming in North, better for South of New Englandb) Middle colonies provided wheat for New Englandc) Many different craftsmen(1) Cobbler, blacksmith, rifle makers, cabinetmakers, silversmiths, and printersd) Also large shipbuilding2. Iron technologya) Found in Saugus, Mass.b) Began service 1646, closed 1668c) Great part of economy but England limited3. Natural resources a) Lumber, mines, and fishes exported to EnglandD. The Extent and Limits of Technology1. Half of farmers were primitively equipped and population did not own many household items2. Few colonists were self-sufficient in 16th and 17th a) Many bought their needs from othersE. The Rise of Colonial Commerce1. Shortage of Currencya) Hard to rely on barter system or crude money substitutesb) Engaged in a chaotic commerce, companies competing makes the system unstable]c) Triangular Trade(1) The North Americans with England(2) England to west of Africa (3) Traded rum, slaves, sugar, and molasses.(4) Not really a triangle2. A Merchant class was emerging and developed marketsF. The Rise of Consumerism1. Social class was showed by the ability to purchasea) Ads increased 2. Buying things became a important role in America3. Visible in public placesIII. Patterns of SocietyA. Introduction1. Land was abundant in America2. Aristocracy became dependent on substantial workforce B. The Plantation1. Had many profit but brutal labor2. Had ups and downs in economy so everyone at risk3. They were self-contained communities a) Had a house, barns and a cabin for slaves4. Had slaves do houseworkC. Plantation Slavery1. Africans placed special kinship networksa) Had own language (1) Gullah- hybrid of English and African tonguesb) Religion was different(1) Mix of Christianity and African folklore2. Received brutally/rape from master3. There was resistance such as Stono Rebelliona) Killed whites, attempted to escape to Florida, whites crushed themb) Large plantation had self-sufficiency and learned skills to make profitD. Puritan Community1. Settlement Patternsa) Town structures divided in commons and fields2. Democracya) Only adult males and residents who could give evidence of graceb) Father divided land to all sons3. Population made it hard for Puritan Communitiesa) Farmers moved farther from Puritan center(1) Often proposed new church but bitter topicb) Also moved because father to son farms needed more spacec) Husbands and fathers are limited by economic necessity E. The Witchcraft Phenomenon1. Magical women accusations spread 2. Non married woman were commonly accused3. Was common feature of Puritan religious convictionF. Cities1. Colonial cities grewa) NY had 28K and Philly had 25Kb) Served as trading centers for the farmers of their region c) Cities were also centers of ironworks and distilleries for rumd) Cities were vulnerable to fluctuation of tradee) Printers provided knowledge/news G. Inequality1. Rich were the largest group until 18tha) Partly because wealthy people move to cities and participate in commerceIV. Awakenings and EnlightenmentsA. Introduction1. Importance in science and reasoning2. Could be explained scientificallyB. The Pattern of Religions1. Toleration in statesa) Protestants extended toleration (1) Feared/hated the popeb) Caused Anti-Catholicism(1) Viewed Catholic neighbors as rivals(a) Very dangerous2. Decline in piety in Americaa) Community lost touch with original religionb) Doubt traditional beliefsC. The Great Awakening 1. Belief of new lifea) Potential for everyone to break away constraint, start new with god(1) Popular in women and sons with uncertain futures2. Two new groupsa) Old Light(1) Traditionalist who still stick with old religionb) New Light(1) People who believe the new stuff(2) Encouraged educationD. The Enlightment1. Don't turn to god for guidance but yourselfa) Encouraged the use of scienceb) Logic backs up everythingE. Education1. High Literacy Ratea) Schools were mandatory in every village(1) Not every village had schoolsb) Small number of students go edc) African slaves rarely go ed2. Religion influenced Educationa) Harvard founded because of training priest(1) Still had different studies like logic and geometryb) Many other schools were founded(1) Princeton, Yale, William & MaryF. Spread of Science1. Smallpox Inoculationa) Thought as a sin from godb) Cotton Mather experiments and creates an inoculationG. Concepts of Law and Politics1. Colonial Gov.a) More use of trained lawyersb) Created institutions and appointed provisional governors(1) Lacked control and not sure if office2. Provisional Governmenta) Acted more or less independently (1) Most members were English bornH. Conclusion1. Settlements grew to big colonies2. North and South had different economiesa) Slave system was used in the South3. Racial inequality in colonies 4. White colonists believed in law and politics