Life in Colonial America

Why was New England more stable than the Chesapeake Region?

• NE colonists tended to arrive in family units, large families• Chesapeake colonists were young single males who arrived as

indentured servants• Chesapeake Region had a much higher death rate among colonists (

diseases- malaria, dysentery)• NE less disease and cleaner water• The ratio of males to females in Chesapeake was much more

imbalanced, than NE making it difficult to find a wife and start a family

• Population increased faster in NE allowing for the development of stable communities

• Life span in NE about 70years, Chesapeake about 50years

New England Economy

• Harsh climate and rocky soil made farming difficult

• Short fast rivers and good harbors• Believed in owning and improving land• Land usually given to congregations and towns

subdivided among family• Turned to shipbuilding, commerce, whaling

and fishing to make a living

Middle Colonies Economy

• Known as the “breadbasket” of the colonies• Climate and soil produced a grain surplus• Large slower rivers allowed for fur trade and

transportation• Major cities Philadelphia and New York City• Merchants and artisans flourished

Southern Economy

• Based on cash crops- tobacco, rice and cotton• Based on plantation system- wealthy landowners

used slaves to harvest cash crops• Wealthy landowners controlled economy and

politics• Small farmers- owned a 1 or 2 slaves, struggled to

make living• Landless whites- worked as laborers for low wages• African slaves about 40% of population

John Peter Zenger

• was jailed in NY 1735 because he criticized royal governor in his newspaper

• Charged with seditious libel• His defense he printed the

truth• Was acquitted• Basis for freedom of press

Education

• New England– First public school

system in the Americas– Based in religion– Literacy very important– Hornbook– New England Primer– Massachusetts law

required towns of over 50 families to provide elementary school

The New England Primer

The New England Primer

Education: Middle and Southern Colonies

• Middle Colonies– Generally private and religiously based

• Southern Colonies– Private tutors– Broad education• Classics (Latin and Greek) and maybe French• History, Philosophy, and perhaps Science• Music

Education

Name Denomination Colony

Founded

Harvard Puritan-Congregational

MA 1636

William and Mary Anglican VA 1696Yale Puritan-

CongregationalCT 1701

College of New Jersey (Princeton)

Presbyterian NJ 1746

King’s College (Columbia) Anglican NY 1754University of Pennsylvania Non-sectarian PA 1740/4

9Rhode Island College (Brown)

Baptist RI 1764

Queen’s College (Rutgers) Dutch Reformed NJ 1766Dartmouth Puritan-

CongregationalNH 1769

Colleges

New colleges founded after the Great

Awakening.

Phillis Wheatley

- Slave girl who was taught to read and write- 1st important African American writer- Proof that blacks were not intellectually inferior

Benjamin Franklin

- Seen as the symbolic American and as personification of the Enlightenment- Self educated- was a painter, scientist, inventor, statesmen and writer- Invented lightning rod, bifocal glasses highly efficient stove- Wrote Poor Richard’s Almanack

1) writings of many thinkers of the day 2) emphasized thrift, industry morality and common sense

3) only the bible read more

THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND THE GREAT AWAKENING

• 1700s: An intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment began in Europe and a religious movement known as the Great Awakening started in the Colonies

• The Enlightenment emphasized reason, science, and observation and led to the discovery of natural laws

• Copernicus, Galileo, Franklin and Newton were key figures

The Great Awakening was a spiritual renewal that swept the American Colonies 1st mass social movement in American

HistoryMain issues- religious style, personal faith,

church practice and public decorumDeepest effect on young people

Movement stressed the importance of the individual

Reasons it arouse1) movement toward secularism- certain

practices should exist separate from religion2) influential preachers

3) colonial instability, looking to god for help4) dissatisfied with traditional Puritan

church services

Jonathan Edwards

• Jonathan Edwards was a Puritan priest was credited with starting Great Awakening

• Fire & Brimstone style of worship; large, emotionally charged crowds

• Rejection of salvation by works, affirmed need for complete dependence on grace of god

• (sinners in the hands of an Angry God)

The Great Awakening

• Orator George Whitefield followed, touring colonies, led revivals, countless conversions, inspired imitators

• Most influential figure of the movement

• Founded the Methodist Church in Georgia and SC

George Whitefield

Old Lights vs. New Lights

• Old Lights- God existed and created the world - denied God communicated with man in any

form - got to have if good, skeptical of

emotionalism- New Lights- heaven by salvation by grace

through Jesus Christ - challenged traditional authority - divided congregations - used emotion to inspire followers

Results of Great Awakening

• Split denominations thus increasing religious competition in American

• Brought religion to many who had lost touch with it

• Undermined older clergy• Encouraged new wave of missionary work among

slaves and Indians• Founding of New Light Colleges- Dartmouth,

Brown, Rutgers, Princeton