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and 5: American Life in the 17 th c EQ: How was life in the Southern Colonies similar to and different from the Northern
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Chapters 4 and 5:
American Life in the 17th c
EQ: How was life in the Southern Colonies similar to and different from the Northern Colonies?
Life in the Southern Colonies
The Atlantic Slave TradeThe Atlantic Slave Trade
Triangle Trade• New England ships brought Rum to Africa to trade for slaves
• New England ships brought slaves to Caribbean and sold for sugar– Were able to sell slaves for 500% profit in Americas– Influenced entire English economy
• New England ships brought sugar to New England to be made into rum
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3
Goods Traded with AfricaGoods Traded with Africa
The “Middle Passage”The “Middle Passage”
As the number of slaves increased, white colonists reacted to put down perceived racial threat.
Slavery transformed from economic to economic and racial institution.
Early 1600s differences between slave and servant were unclear.
By the mid-1680s, black slaves outnumbered white indentured servants.
Bacon’s Rebellion added to the desire for slaves in hopes they wouldn’t revolt
Colonial SlaveryColonial Slavery
Beginning in 1662 “Slave Codes” Made blacks [and their children]
property, or chattel for life of white masters.
In some colonies, it was a crime to teach a slave to read or write.
Conversion to Christianity did not qualify the slave for freedom.
Colonial SlaveryColonial Slavery
Slaves Fight Back
• NY Slave Revolt (1712) uprising 2 dozen slaves, results in death of 9 whites and execution of 21 blacks
• South Carolina Slave Revolt (Stono River 1739) roughly 50 slaves attempt to reach Spanish Florida, killing whites along the way, stopped by local militia
• Spanish gov’t had offered freedom and refuge to colonial slaves
Southern Society
• Social Classes– Great Planters: dominate politics such as
the House of Burgesses; at first hardworking and businesslike
– Small Yeoman Farmers: largest social group; might have a slave (1-2)
– Landless Whites: most former indentured servants
– Indentured Servants– Black Slaves
Way of Life
• Rural, few cities• professional class slow to emerge• waterways main transportation• family burial plots in South• Good soil, easy to grow crops• Education sparse, schools expensive;
wealthy tutors were used by planters–William and Mary College 1693
Patriarchal Society• Father ruled the house (though often
died early leaving the mother behind to tend to business along with eldest sons) – Widowarchy
• Military tradition – • Aligned themselves with English
gentry – thought themselves more English than American
Life in the Northern Colonies
Characteristics of New England Settlements
Characteristics of New England Settlements
Low mortality average life expectancy was 70 years of age.
Many extended families.
Average 6 children per family.
Average age at marriage: Women – 22 years old
Men – 27 years old.
Way of LifeWay of LifeAuthoritarian male father figures controlled each household.
Wife abusers would be punished
Most farmers
Family center of life; children learn obedience
Divorce and premarital pregnancy rare (abandonment and adultery)
Layout towns; over 50 families required Elem. Edu.
Harvard est. 1636
Church most important!!!!
Religion /Government in New England
• Congregational church -- democracy in church and government (majority rule)
• Town meetings – adult males voted / elected school masters, officials, and creating laws
• Jefferson quote “ greatest school of political liberty the world ever saw”
Religion in New England (continued)
• Jeremiad sermons – “hell fire and brimstone” – successful?? Why? Why not?
• Decline in conversions• Establishment of the HALF-WAY
COVENANT – basically partial membership in the Puritan Church non exclusivity
• Increases church membership – women included
The GREAT AWAKENING• Religion became less fervent during the 1700’s in the colonies• Churchgoers complain about the lack of excitement in the pulpit
(dead dogs)• Ministers worried about the “softness” of their parishioners /
Liberal ideas entered society / some people began to question the concept of “predestination” in New England
• ARMINIANISM – individual free will (ALL humans who believe) could accept God’s grace (radically different than the concept of the “ELECT” of Calvinism and Puritanism)
• THE GREAT AWAKENING started in Northampton, MA by JONATHAN EDWARDS -----– Declared good works a folly / salvation depended on dependence on God’s Grace– SERMON – “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” –
• GEORGE WHITEFIELD – message of human helplessness and divine power of God – GREAT SPEAKER
• Old Lights vs. New Lights
The Great Awakening• Effects of the Great Awakening –
– New Light schools – Princeton / Dartmouth / Brown / Rutgers – 1st spontaneous mass movement of American people– No sectional or denominational lines – United Americans under a common history and shared experiences
• EDUCATION
Culture in the Colonies• EDUCATION
– English idea – education for the few (Leaders, etc)– Puritan New England pushed education for all (Congregationalist Church) –name
given for the Puritan church– Flourished in New England –– In the South – wealthy families used tutors– Middle colonies – some adequate elementary schools -- both places had tax-
supported education– FOCUS was on – doctrine and dogma / NOT experiment and reason – (TODAY???)– Discipline was severe / switches / etc. – COLLEGE EDUCATION – used to prepare MALES for ministry– Wealthy Southerners sent their boys abroad for education (real) – “refined and
philosophical
Culture in the Colonies• Artists –
– John Trumbull - eventually traveled to London to pursue his interests– Charles Wilson Peale – known for portraits of Washington– Benjamin West – England to become successful (people could pay for sittings
there)– John Singleton Copley – Loyalist during the Revolutionary War
• Architecture – Imported from the Old World / Sweden / Georgian style /
• Literature – Phillis Wheatley – poet / former slave girl– Benjamin Franklin – POOR RICHARD’S ALMANACK, unique sayings that emphasized
virtues like thrift, industry, morality, and common sense– “Plow deep while sluggards sleep”, “Fish and visitors stink after 3 days”– His witty advice helped shape the American character
• Press – – John Peter Zenger – local newspaper printer in NY – charged with SEDITION
because his paper attacked the local royal governor – – Was declared not guilty – Landmark decision for FREEDOM of the PRESS in the Colonies and later the U.S.
Salem, Massachusetts1692
Why Salem Still Haunts Us
• Fascination with Witches
• A Stain on American History
• How Could an Entire Community Engage in Such Horrific Acts?
Witches and Europe
• Many people in early European society relied on the local wise people to give an explanation for good and bad fortune.
• It was believed that some people possessed special powers that could cause good or harm.
In Times of Hardship• In times of hardship, in tight knit communities, people began to look for
people to blame for their problems.
Hardships Blamed on Witches:
1. Failed crops2. The death of livestock3. People becoming ill4. Sudden accidental death
• People believed that witches had a secret pact with the devil. Most often the people accused of being witches were widows and single women.
Puritan Life
Society centered around the church. The younger generation did not share the same strict religious views.
Salem—the Village History
• 1630: John Winthrop is elected the first governor.
• 1641: English law makes witchcraft a capital crime.
• November, 1689: Samuel Parris is named the new minister of Salem, and Salem Village Church is formed.
Winter of 1692
• Several girls began to meet at Rev. Parris’ home to pass along the cold days of winter.
• The girls became entertained by the stories told by Tituba, a slave from Barbados.
• Soon after the girls began behaving in a strange manner.
Strange Behavior
• In January of 1692, a group of girls in Salem Village, MA began to exhibit strange behavior, such as blasphemous screaming, convulsive seizures, trance-like states and mysterious spells.
• Physicians concluded that only the influence of Satan could be responsible for the girls’ afflictions.
• Pressured to identify the source of their affliction, the girls named three women as witches: Tituba (the pastor’s Caribbean-Indian slave), Sarah Good & Sarah Osborne.
Causes for the Girls’ Actions
• Witchcraft• Jealousy• Repression• Hysteria• Guilt• Boredom
The Accused• Tituba is a foreigner, given to storytelling, confessed,
perhaps because of fear for her life and the enjoyment of being the center of attention.
• Sarah Good was homeless, a social misfit who would mumble incoherently when someone failed to be charitable, and the death of livestock was attributed to her curses.
• Sarah Osborne was an elderly woman who hadn’t been to church in year and may have been considered rather crotchety.
Preliminary Arrests• February 29, 1692: Arrest warrants are issued for Tituba,
Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne.
Map of Salem
Can any deductions be made from this map?
The Examination of a WitchT.H. Matteson 1853
Indictments: Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey
At the trial of Rebecca Nurse jury first acquits, then told to reconsider.
Characteristics of “Witch” Trials
1. Pressure of Social Forces2. Stigmatization of the Accused3. Climate of Fear4. Resemblance to a Fair Trial5. Non-falsifiable Evidence6. Non-Openness7. Use of Loaded Questions
Dorcas Good- a juvenile case
March 23, 1692: • Marshal Deputy Samuel Bradbrook arrests 4-
year-old Dorcas Good because of physical impairments.
• The arrest questioned the imprisonment of the mentally and physically disabled.
• Many of those accused of witchery awaited their fates inside small prison cells, approximately 6 by 4 feet.
The sentences are carried out.
• August 19: George Burroughs, John Proctor, John Willard, George Jacobs, and Martha Carrier are hanged. Elizabeth Proctor is spared because she is pregnant.
• September 9: Six more tried and sentenced to death, including Martha Corey.
Giles and Martha Corey• Giles Corey was a prosperous,
uneducated, eighty-year-old farmer and full member of the church. He and his wife Martha lived on a farm in the southwest corner of Salem village.
• In March of 1692, Martha Corey made the mistake of publicly questioning the sincerity of the accusations of the afflicted girls.
Giles Corey Refused to ConfessGiles Corey refused to give
testimony at the 1692 Witch Trials.
He would neither confess nor deny the charges brought upon him.
Giles Corey is Pressed
So, in order to obtain a statement, he was taken outside, a board placed across his body, and heavy stones piled on top. It is said that his only words before he was crushed to death were: "More weight!"
Hanging of George Burroughs – Minister – he owed money to members of congregation
Accused because he could lift a musket with only a finger in the barrel, George Burroughs recites Lord's Prayer perfectly at hanging – a feat thought to be impossible for witches
Cotton Mather
Mather, a minister of Boston's North Church, was a prolific publisher of pamphlets and a firm believer in witchcraft.
Results of the Hysteria140 people had been accused of practicing witchcraft in
Salem, including a 4 year old girl and a man in his 80s.
Twenty accused witches were executed, fifteen women and five men.
Nineteen were hung following conviction.
One was pressed to death for refusing to enter a plea.
At least 4 and as many as 13 prisoners may have died in jail.
Why the hysteria ended1. Doubts grow when respected citizens are convicted and
executed.
2. Accusations of witchcraft include the powerful and well-connected.
3. The educated elite of Boston pressure Gov. Phips to exclude spectral
Increase Mather points out the Devil could take the shape of an innocent person: "It were better that 10 suspected witches should escape than one innocent person should be condemned."
Salem Witch Trials Memorial
Salem Witch Museum
• In Salem, Massachusetts, the witch-on-a-broomstick image is everywhere—it even appears on the badges of the town's police officers.
• Indeed, this site of colonial-era witch hysteria is a modern-day magnet for all things Halloween, all year long.
• Psychics and tarot card readers flock to the town, and there are numerous ghost tours and haunted houses.
Witch Trial Jeopardy
• http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/scopesjeopardy%5B1%5D.htm
Choose One Option
1.Flee Salem2.Accuse someone else.3.Quick! Get pregnant!4.Confess, even though you are
innocent.5.Plead innocent and stand for trial.6.Refuse to stand trial and face the
consequences.
What would you do?
Flee Salem
• Good idea, if you can swing it. Several accused witches did escape from jail and survive the 1692 hysteria. They included Philip and Mary English, John Alden, Hezekiah Usher, and Mrs. Nathaniel Cary. However, all these accused persons had either money or influence that made their escape possible. You don't have either. Try your next option.
Accuse Someone Else• The theory here is that if you're afflicted by witchcraft, you
can't be a witch yourself. This theory even convinced some daughters to testify against their own mothers. It's not a bad idea (if you have no conscience), but--sorry--it's too late now. You should have thought of this idea a few days ago. Now, your accusation will look like an obvious attempt to distract attention from your own guilt. The accusation of witchcraft has been made against you and you're still going to have to deal with it. Pick another option.
Quick Get Pregnant• This isn't as silly an idea as it sounds. Pregnant women, even
if convicted of witchcraft, would not be executed so long as they remained pregnant. The theory is that even if you deserve death, the baby inside you does not--so the officials will put off your execution. This was called "reprieve for the belly."
• Of course, you still might be executed eventually, but the hope is that the hysteria won't last another nine months.
• One slight problem, however. Who will you find in jail to impregnate you? Sorry, this option is not available: Try another!
Confess Even Though Your Are Innocent.
• This route, pioneered by accused witches Tituba and Deliverance Hobbs, turned out to be a life saver. Confessing witches weren't executed. Instead, they were kept apart from other prisoners, to be called upon in trials when their testimony might be helpful to the prosecution. The Puritans believed that once a person made a full confession, his or her fate should be left in God's hands, not man's. Fifty-five persons in the Salem area confessed to witchcraft in 1692, adding substantial credibility to the initial charges of witchcraft made by the afflicted girls.
• Do you really want to admit to being a witch? Is this something you want on your resume? If not, try another option..
Plead Innocent and Stand Trial• This is the approach that led to nineteen innocent persons being carted
off to Gallows Hill during the summer of 1692. If you plead innocent, you'll have to face trial without a lawyer and without the ability to call witnesses on your own behalf, answer unanswerable questions ("If you're not a witch, how do explain the fact that these afflicted girls fall into fits the minute you enter the room?")--all before a court that unanimously believes in witchcraft and believes that you're guilty. (Even in the one case that the jury came back with an acquittal, the trial of Rebecca Nurse, the court sent the jury back to reconsider the verdict. The second time around, the jury found Nurse guilty.) You'll face spectral evidence--and how do you propose to convince the court that your apparition was not doing all this work on the part of the Devil? Just exactly what was your apparition doing on the night of April 23 anyway?
• This approach looks hopeless. You better try another option.
Refuse to Stand Trial• Octogenarian Giles Corey gave this option a try. Knowing
the fate that awaited him if he stood for trial, Giles refused to answer the ritual question, "Will you be tried by your God and your country (that is, a jury)?" The penalty for refusing to answer was peine forte et dure, an especially unpleasant way of going that involves piling heavy stones on your body until you either agree to stand trial or are crushed to death.
• I don't think you want to go through with this. Better try another option.
