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Colonial Society

Colonial Society. American Life in the 17 th Century. New England Society. New England Society. Education & Literacy Towns with more than 50 households were required to appoint teachers Harvard College was founded in 1636 to train ministers

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Colonial Society

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  1. Colonial Society American Life in the 17th Century

  2. New England Society

  3. New England Society Education & Literacy • Towns with more than 50 households were required to appoint teachers • Harvard College was founded in 1636 to train ministers • About 90% of adult white men & 40% of adult white women could sign their names • No more than 50% in other colonies • In England, only about 33% could read & write

  4. New England Society Community Life • Centered around the Meeting House • Homes were close to one another • Led to a high population density in town center • Created an atmosphere of “watchfulness” • Supported the overall goal of a “city upon a hill” without dissent • Easy to help one another & work together

  5. New England Society

  6. New England Society Family Life • Family Organization • Father - Head of the family • Mother - Manage the household • Children - Provide a labor force • Stability • 80% of children reach adulthood • Life expectancy - Men: 65

  7. New England Society Punishments • Convicted criminals were exposed to public ridicule • Meant to serve as a warning to others

  8. The Great Awakening • Early 1700s – church membership & attendance began to decline • 1730s-40s – religious fervor spread across the colonies with large revivals meeting under tents on the outskirts of town • Led by “New Light” ministers who emphasized an emotional & personal connection to God

  9. The Great Awakening Jonathan Edwards • Encouraged parishioners to absolve their sins & pay penance by praying for salvation • “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

  10. The Great Awakening George Whitefield • Proclaimed that ordinary people could understand the Gospel without the leadership of the church • Called for public admissions of sins & followers being “saved” in front of the congregation

  11. The Great Awakening Legacy • Promoted the growth of New Light institutions such as Princeton, Dartmouth, & Rutgers • Led to new divisions within the Protestant faith & a greater diversity of religion in the colonies • Shaped church life & worship in America • Encouraged egalitarian democracy

  12. Chesapeake Society Chesapeake Society

  13. Chesapeake Society • Tobacco cultivation dominated the region • Large profits could be made, but prices fluctuated • Indentured servants & slaves were common on the plantations

  14. Chesapeake Society Community Life • Centered around large plantation homes • Homes were spread out & situated along the banks of rivers or streams • Led to a low population density – about 6 people per sq. mile

  15. Chesapeake Society

  16. Chesapeake Society Family Life • Chaotic • 50% of children reach adulthood • Life expectancy - Men: 48 • Complex households

  17. Chesapeake Society Headright System • Virginia Company awarded 50 acres to anyone who paid a servant’s travel costs • Between 1630-1700 – 110,000 migrated from England to the Chesapeake Bay • Up to 90% were indentured servants • About 40% died within 6 years

  18. Bacon’s Rebellion Background • Tension developed between large landowners & former indentured servants • Growing gap between the rich & poor • The price of tobacco plummeted • Conflict with Native Americans

  19. Bacon’s Rebellion Conflict with Native Americans • Settlers (often former servants) encroached on land reserved for Native Americans • Indians retaliated • Virginia’s governor proposed a series of forts along the western frontier • Settlers took matters into their own hands • Led by Nathaniel Bacon

  20. Bacon’s Rebellion Key Events • Wanted to exterminate Native Americans along Virginia’s western frontier • Clashed with Governor Berkley & his supporters • Issued the Declaration of the People of Virginia • Burned Jamestown to the ground • Bacon died suddenly of dysentery • Ended the rebellion

  21. Bacon’s Rebellion Aftermath • Shocked many of the elites of the region • Contributing factor in the shift from indentured servants to slave labor

  22. Slavery in the Chesapeake • 1619 – First documented slaves arrived in Jamestown • 1660 – Fewer than 1000 slaves in the region • 1700 – At least 20,000 slaves in the region • (22% of the population)

  23. Slavery outside the Chesapeake • By the early 1700s, slave labor was used extensively in South Carolina • Slavery existed in all of England’s North American colonies • Slaves made up 20% of New York City’s population in the mid-1700s

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