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American Colonial Population

American colonies developed slowly

250,000 people after 100 years

Population explosion in the mid-1700s2.25 million by 1765

Due to immigration and birthrates amongcolonists

60% English led to English being thedominant language, customs, law, andways of governing

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Other Ethnicities in America

Most came lookingfor economicopportunities

FarmlandBusiness

opportunities

While others were

looking for religioustoleration

Germans

French

Scots-Irish

Irish

Portuguese / Spanish Jews

Swedes

Finns

Swiss

Dutch Austrians

Italians

Africans

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0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

English

African

Scots-Irish

German

French

Dutch

Swedish

Other

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Empty Lands Create Opportunity

Empty lands were purchased by settlersProductive farmland that could turn a

profitRich and poor could come to America and

buy land (not based upon birthright orclass)Indentured servants came with the idea

that someday they would get land or

money to buy land and becomelandownersLandowners could vote and participate in

government

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Empty Land Creates Slavery

Easy to find land in America, but not soeasy to find laborers

Most indentured servants left tobecome landowners themselves

Landowners turned to Africa and theWest Indies for slave labor

Developed into a major industry among theplantation owners of the southern colonies

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Southern Ties to England

Southern colonies had the greatest ties toEnglandLived like the English

Traded with the English

Purchased English manufactured goods

Educated their children with English tutors

Rivers acted as trade routes to the interior ofthe SouthPlantations had their own docks on these rivers

Most southerners felt that they were Englishcountrymen who lived in America

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New England Merchants

New Englanders used the ocean to get theirproducts to other places

No major water inlets, but excellent deep harbors

Fishing industry developed due to little good soiland short growing seasons

Shipbuilding became a major industry

English authorities passed the Navigation Acts whichlimited the places New England fishermen/merchantscould sail

New England fishermen/merchants began tosmuggle their goods across the ocean to differentdestinations

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Development of Triangular TradeRoutes

Triangular Trade Routes

Rum from New England to Africa

Slaves from Africa to West Indies

Sugar from West Indies to New England

Middle Colonies had a good balancedeconomy (trade and farming)

Traded among the 13 colonies and the WestIndies

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New Ways in a New World-Family Life

FamilyLabor was in short supply, so

big families were necessary towork the farmsSmall community in which all

were dependent upon each other

for food, shelter, clothing,education, entertainment, etc.

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Family Life

ChildrenHigh mortality rate among the

childrenParents chose the livelihood of

their kids

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Family Life

WomenExpected to marry, have children,

and take care of the home

Some became shopkeepers,shoemakers, printers, blacksmiths,etc.Could not hold political office or vote

Had few legal rights

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Education

Well-educated compared to Europeans

Particularly in New England

Earliest forms of public education

Protestants taught their children toread and write (to understand the Bible)

Education was mainly for boys

Girls learned how to be homemakers andraise children

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Education

Outside New England

Church-sponsored schools

Private academies

Home taught (parents or tutors)Higher Education

Harvard was established by the Puritans in 1636 forthe advancement of learning

Yale, William and Mary, Princeton, University ofPennsylvania, Columbia, Brown, Rutgers, andDartmouth were established throughout the 1700sby particular church denominations

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Precedents Set in Freedom of Speech

First successful newspaper appeared in 1704

By 1754, three colonies still had nonewspaper

American journalists promoted freedom ofspeech Unheard of in Europe

John Peter Zenger was arrested and tried forlibel against the governor of New York Courts gave him the right to do so- important precedent for

the Bill of Rights (1791)