Colonial Society on

the Eve of Revolution

1700-1775

American Pageant Chapter 5

Conquest by the Cradle

―Lusty‖ population growth

1700

300,000 people total

20,000 of total--black

1775

2.5 million people total

500,000 of total—black

400,000 each of white immigrants & black slaves

The rest—natural fertility

Conquest by the Cradle

Political Consequences

Ratio of Americans to English increased from 1/20 to 1/3 from 1700 to 1775

By 1775:

Largest colonies:

VA, MA, PA, NC, MD

4 ―Cities‖

Philadelphia

New York

Boston

Charleston

A Mingling of the Races—by 1775

6% German (150,000)

Pennsylvania (1/3 of pop.)

Lutheran

Industry & prosperity

7% Scots-Irish (175,000)

Scottish Lowlanders moved unsuccessfully to Ireland

Pennsylvania (1000s came in early 1700s)

Frontier—squatters

Paxton Boys--1764

Led revolt against Quaker oligarchy’s lenient policy toward Indians

Regulator Movement—Rebellion in NC

A Mingling of the Races—by 1775

5% Other European groups

I.E. French, Swedes, Dutch, Welsh, Irish, Swiss, Jews, etc.

Felt little loyalty to English crown

20% African--largest in the South

South owned 90% of slaves

Most diverse in the world

New England—least diverse

Outside New England—1/2 of population were non-English

African American community“What then is an American,

this new man?” Michel-

Guillaume (Jean) de Crevecoeur

wrote about America’s diverse

population.

The Structure of Colonial Society

Compared to Europe

Equality—no titled nobility

By 1775—some social

stratification

Worries of

―Europeanization‖ of

America

Merchant ―princes‖ in N.E.

& middle colonies

Church seating by social

rank

10% of Boston held 2/3 of

wealth

The Structure of Colonial Society

Poverty—New England

War—created orphans &

widows

Public charity & Almshouses (Better than England--1/3 of pop. in squalor)

N.E.—Divided land= smaller

farms—younger sons &

daughters hired out as wage

laborers

Homeless

The Structure of Colonial Society

Poverty--South

Great planters—large # of

slaves

Widening gap

―Poor whites‖

Tennant farmers

A Tidewater Plantation

The Structure of Colonial Society

Poverty—Servants & Slaves

Swelling lower class:

Indentured Servants—volunteered & forced ―jayle birds‖

Slavery

Large population of slaves in South

Some legislatures (SC) tried to limit import

British authorities vetoed—wanted cheap labor, especially in West Indies

Clerics, Physicians, & Jurists

Ministry

most honored profession

By 1775—had less influence

Physicians

Poorly trained

Not well-respected

Epidemics

Small pox—inoculation 1721 (Cotton

Mather)

Diphtheria

Law Profession

―Noisy windbags‖, ―troublesome rogues‖,

―drunkards‖ and ―brothel keepers‖

Became more respected with time

Workaday America

Agriculture

90% of pop.

Chesapeake—Tobacco (added

wheat)

Middle colonies—‖Bread Basket‖

New England

Fishing (cod)

Commerce

Commerce & Land speculation=

Quick $

Workaday America

Triangular

Trade

Workaday America

Manufacturing

Limited

MA & RI—‖kill devil‖ rum

Beaver hats

Iron

Valley Forge in PA

Lumber—shipbuilding (1/3 of

British Merchant Marine)

Household manufacturing

Spinning

weaving

Making beaver hats

Workaday America

Naval Stores

Highly valued items—retain

mastery of the seas

Tar

Pitch

Rosin

Turpentine

Timber—some reserved for

masts, etc. Heavy fines for

cutting.

Workaday America

Trade Imbalance

Needed new foreign markets

Fast growing American pop. vs. slow growing

British pop.

Tobacco—British re-exporters

Molasses Act—1733

Pressure from British West Indies

Stop colonists trade with French West Indies

Americans needed cash from F.W.I. to buy

goods from the British

Colonists bribed & smuggled to get around act

Foreshadows future crisis

Horsepower & Sailpower

Roads

1700s roads connect larger

cities

Terrible conditions

Travel slow

Waterways

Rivers main transportation

Population grew on banks of

navigable rivers

Slow & undependable but

cheap & pleasant

Horsepower & Sailpower

Taverns

Gossip, information,

public opinion

―Cradles of democracy‖

Postal service

Mid-1700s

Slow, infrequent, no

secrecy

Dominant Denominations

By 1775--Two tax supported churches

Anglican (Church of England)

South colonies

Faith--less fierce & more worldly

College of William & Mary

More loyal to Crown

Congregational

New England

Preachers talked of revolution from pulpit (also Presbyterianism)

Religious toleration continues to develop

The Great Awakening

1700s—religiously less fervent

New liberal ideas

Arminians —individual free will not divine decree determines salvation

Great Awakening 1730s-1740s

Jonathan Edwards

Northampton, MA

―Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God‖

The Great Awakening

George Whitefield—new evangelical style of preaching

Drama

Human helplessness and divine omnipotence

Roaring revival meetings

Old lights (intellectual) vs. New Lights (emotive)

Other denominations, i.e. Presbyterians & Baptists increased in #

First spontaneous mass movement of American People

Schools & Colleges

England —only wealthy educated

New England More interested in Education—due to religion (i.e.

Bible reading)

Focused on boys—many educated in England

universities

Early on had many primary & secondary schools

South & Middle: some elementary; rich used

tutors

Religious & ―classical‖ education:

orthodoxy

University of Pennsylvania –Benjamin

Franklin—1st American college with no church control

Art, Literature, & Architecture

America still heavily influenced by Old World

Art:

John Trumball, Benjamin West, John Singleton

Copely—had to travel to England for training

Charles Wilson Peale—portraits (George

Washington)

Architecture: Old world style modified

Literature: Also old world style; exception

Phyllis Wheatley —slave girl & poet

Benjamin Franklin: Literature & science of

note

Poor Richards Almanac; electricity; bifocals

Art, Literature, & Architecture

Charles Wilson Peale’s

self portrait

Trumball’s ―Declaration of Independence‖

Red-bricked

Georgian

architecture

used at

Williamsburg,

VA

Colonial Press

Americans too poor to buy books but

some had private libraries

Pamphlets, leaflets, journals,

newspapers: very common

John Peter Zenger:

Newspaper printer; criticized NY royally-

appointed governor.

Defend by Alexander Hamilton in court

against charge of ―seditious libel;‖

Freedom of the press: ―It is the cause of

liberty!‖

Zenger found not guilty by jury: victory for

freedom of the press

Politics

Governments of colonies: variety (8 of 13 had royally

appointed governors)

Almost all had two-house legislatures

Upper house—appointed or elected

Lower house—popular vote (property)

Power of the Purse: Colonial assemblies would not pay

royally governors if they did not yield to their wishes

Cradle of self-government

Voting: still had religious or property requirements

Colonies: Not democratic yet—but ahead of Old World in

tolerance, education, economic opportunity, freedom of the press,

assembly and religion.