Colonial Society on the Eve of Revolution

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Colonial Society on the Eve of Revolution

• 1700-1775

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Fact

• Britain ruled 32 colonies in North America (1775)
  not 13!!
• Why did only 13 rebel??
• Part of the Answer- the distinctive Social,
  Political, Economic systems that developed OVER
  TIME in the 13 colonies.

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Demographics

• Exploding population (1700 300,000 1775 2.5
  million people)-natural increase
• Youth- avg. age 16 yrs. Old
• Confined- most (95) settled east of the
  Alleghenies
• 90 farmers in rural areas

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What then is the American, this new man? de
Crevecoeur

• Colonial America mostly English
• Germans
• 1775- 6 of population (150,000)
• Mostly Protestant (Lutheran)
• Misnamed Pennsylvania Dutch
• Scots-Irish
• 1775- 7 of Population (with Scots Highlanders
  12)
• Became squatters- trickled down to Maryland,
  Carolinas, Georgia
• 12 future presidents Scots-Irish
• The Paxton Boys (1764), Leislers, Bacons all
  backcountry farmers rebellions.
• Multicultural population (other Europeans)
• 5 of population (Jews, Irish, Swedes etc.
• African- 20 of the population (largest
  non-white population)
• Most diverse population (multicultural
  tradition)- hard to classify!!

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Colonial Structure

• American dream- anyone who worked hard could
  advance
• Class distinctions Emerge
• small group of aristocrats (clergy, rich farmers,
  merchants, officials) had much power
• Land became more scarce
• More Poverty (widows orphans homeless) alms
  houses built.

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The South

• Planters
• Yeoman farmers
• Landless whites
• Indentured Servants criminals
• Black slaves
• 1760s Some southern colonial legislatures tried
  to halt importation of new slaves- British
  authorities vetoed
• 1800s many nations outlawed importation of new
  slaves.

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Professionals

• Clergy
• most honored professions
• Physicians
• not well trained or highly esteemed
• bleeding
• Plagues were prevalent (1721- crude inoculation
  was introduced)- criticized by clergy
• Barbers- filled in for doctors
• Lawyers
• Commonly disliked
• 1750- seen as more useful
• Great at public speaking

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Colonial Trade Work

• Trade
• Agriculture- leading industry
• Middle Colonies- Bread Colonies
• South- staple (cash) crops tobacco, rice
• Fishing- NE
• Manufacturing- Lumber- used by England for ships
  1/3 of English fleet. (tension with colonists)
• Trading- common industry
• Triangular Trade- trade between Europe, the
  colonies, Africa, and West Indies
• tar, pitch, rosin, turpentine
• lumber

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MERCANTILE THEORY
Mercantilism is an economic policyWealth is
power, key to wealth is export more than
import European countries competed for world
power and needed colonies to provide necessary
raw materials. Colonies role provide raw
materials (so mother country does not have to
import from other nations) and markets for
exports Favorable balance of trade for England
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MERCANTILE THEORY

• European nations relied on strong central
  governments to enforce mercantile doctrines
• Americans helped British maintain naval supremacy
  by providing ships, ships stores, sailors, trade
  (enumerated commodities)
• Americans provide profitable market for English
  manufactured goods
• Americans discouraged from buying these goods
  from other countries

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MERCANTILE THEORY

• Most famous of laws to enforce mercantilism were
  the Navigation Laws (1650)
• Restricted trade to English vessels (no Dutch)
• Additional laws Goods bound for colonies had to
  go to England first for duties
• Colonists also not allowed to manufacture certain
  products to not compete with British

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MERCANTILE THEORY

• Advantages of mercantilism
• VA/MD tobacco farmers guaranteed monopoly on
  English market.
• Rights of Englishmen, but some self-government,
  no taxes to support army/navy to protect them
• Until 1763, Navigation Laws were not a burden
  because laxly enforced (salutary neglect)
• Merchants disregarded or evaded restrictions,
  some got rich by smuggling (e.g. John Hancock)
• Average American better off economically than
  average English

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The Molasses Act (1733)

• Mercantilism
• Parliament attempted to hinder colonial trade
  with French West Indies other countries.
• Why?
• American colonists smuggled bribed to avoid the
  law

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Transportation in the Colonies

• Roads
• Dirt roads, dusty in summer-muddy in winter
  spring
• Dangerous- wills prayers were common before
  trips
• Towns sprang up around rivers or oceans
• Taverns
• cradle of democracy
• Place for gossip, news, politics
• All social classes mixed here
• Postal System
• Set up mid 1700s
• Not private, not consistent early on

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Dominant Denominations

• By 1775, two tax supported (ESTABLISHED)
  churches
• Anglican (Church of England) the Congregational
  (rooted in Puritan New England)
• The Anglican Church official faith in Georgia,
  North South Carolina, Chesapeake, NY.
• Supporter of royal authority
• Less strict more secular than Puritanical New
  England.
• William Mary (1693) est. to train better
  clergy.
• No resident Bishops (rumor of an American
  bishopric)

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The Congregational Church

• Had grown out of the Puritan Church est. in all
  New England colonies (not R.I.)
• PRESBYTERIANISM associated with Congregational
  churches-not official.
• More political anti-royal authority
• Presbyterianism, Congregationalism, Rebellion
• Roman Catholics still discriminated against but
  fewer existed in American colonies.

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Contributing Causes of the Great Awakening

• Early 18th century- religion was less intense
• Puritan churches problems- elaborate theological
  doctrines liberalization of membership rules.
• Doctrine of predestination watered down by good
  works doctrine
• Arminians (Jacobus Arminius) taught that people
  could save themselves through free will.

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The Great Awakening (1730s 1740s)

• Began in Mass. with Jonathan Edwards (regarded as
  greatest American theologian)
• Rejected salvation by works, affirmed need for
  complete dependence on grace of God (Sinners in
  the Hands of an Angry God)
• Orator George Whitefield followed, touring
  colonies, led revivals, countless conversions,
  inspired imitators

Jonathan Edwards
George Whitefield
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Effects of the Great Awakening

• Revival sermons across the colonies- countless
  sinners shrieked rolled with emotionalism.
• Old Lights- Orthodox clergymen skeptical of the
  emotionalism of Great Awakening.
• New Lights- ministers who defended the Great
  Awakening.

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Effects of the Great Awakening

• Split the Congregational Presbyterian churches
• Increased the size of religious sects like the
  Baptists
• Undermined the authority of older clergy
• Increased competition among American churches
  (missionary work among Indians Blacks)
• Founding of New Light colleges (Dartmouth,
  Princeton, Brown, Rutgers)
• Broke sectional differences sense of unity?
• 1st spontaneous movement of the American
  people.

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Education Colleges

• English- education reserved for privileged for
  leadership not, citizenship- for males.
• New England
• more interested education- religious reasons
  later for secular reasons
• Mainly for boys
• Established primary secondary schools
• The South Middle Colonies
• adequate elementary schools- some tax supported
• Wealthy families used private tutors

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Education

• Emphasis on religion classical languages (Greek
  Latin)
• Doctrine Dogma over experience reason
• Severe discipline birching
• Colleges
• New England- prepare men for ministry at first
• Wealthy southerners sent son over seas
• 9 local colleges established in colonial era
  (theology dead languages)
• University of Pennsylvania- (Ben Franklin) 1st
  non-denominational college in America.

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Culture

• In art culture, Americans relied heavily on
  Europe.
• Painters
• John Trumbull (1756-1843)
• Charles Wilson Peale (1741-1827)
• Portraits of George Washington
• Benjamin West
• John Singleton Copley - Official court painter
  loyalist during American revolution close friend
  to George III.

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Peale-
Copley- Paul Revere
West- Death of General Wolfe
Trumbull- Declaration of Independence
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Architecture

• Influenced by imported from Europe
• Modified to meet demands of New World
• Log cabins Sweden
• Georgian-style (1720) Williamsburg Va.

Governors Mansion- Williamsburg
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Literature

• Undistinguished with a few exceptions.
• Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)- slave girl never
  formally educated published a book of poem in
  England at age 20.
• Benjamin Franklin- Poor Richards Almanac-
  contained pithy sayings wisdom from the past
  (well known in Europe America)
• Fish and visitors stink in three days
• Plough deep while sluggards sleep

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Science

• Benjamin Franklin- only 1st rank scientist
  produced by the American colonies.
• Kite flying experiment- lightening is a form of
  electricity.
• Bi-focals, Franklin Stove, lightening rod.

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The Press

• Americans too poor to buy books too busy to
  read
• Clergy held a few private libraries
• Benjamin Franklin est. 1st public lending library
  in Philadelphia
• 1776- 50 public libraries existed
• Printing Press
• Pamphlets, leaflets, journals
• 40 colonial newspapers in eve of revolution
• Newspapers held essays written by anonymous
  authors
• News lagged behind many weeks
• Peter Zinger Case 1734-1735- set precedent for
  freedom of press public discourse

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Politics

• 13 colonial governments took various forms 8 had
  royal governors, 3 had governors picked by
  proprietors, 2 had governors elected by citizens
  were self-governing (RI Conn)
• Almost all colonies had
• 2 house legislature (upper house appointed by
  crown proprietors lower house chosen by
  citizens)
• Backcountry settlers were under-represented in
  some assemblies hatred colonial elites even
  more than king.
• Legislatures voted on taxes as they chose.

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Politics

• Royal Governors- appointed by the King sometimes
  incompetent corrupt
• Legislatures wielded power of the purse (one NC
  governor died with his salary 11 years in
  arrears)
• Local Government
• County government- popular in south town
  meetings popular in New England.

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Politics

• Voting no means a birthright
• Religious or property requirements existed in all
  colonies in 1775.
• About half adult white males could vote
• Ease of land acquisition voting not out of reach
  for many.
• Office holders met stricter rules

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Folkways

• Life drab tedious
• Labor was heavy constant
• Food plentiful but, bland
• Churches not heated, drafty homes, no running
  water, no plumbing
• Lit homes with candles or whale-oil lamps
• Amusement- house raisings, quilting bees
• South- card playing, horse-racing, cock fighting,
  fox hunting stage plays
• North- winter sports
• Lotteries- approved used by church colleges
• Holidays- Christmas, Thanksgiving