The Colonial Population Essential Question What did colonial

The Colonial Population

Essential Question What did colonial society look like in the 17 th and 18 th centuries?

Indentured Servitude ¾ of arrivals in the Chesapeake were indentured servants Most voluntary (preferred New England colonies) Involuntary: prisoners, convicts, orphans, vagrants, paupers Gradual decrease in indentured servitude

Birth and Death At first immigration #1 reason for pop growth Eventually natural reproduction. Why? Southern colonies had higher death rates

Medicine in the Colonies No understanding of infection and sterilization Four Humors must be balanced Not balanced? Then ill! Best method to rebalance: purging Bleeding Laxatives “Pukes”

Women and Families in the Chesapeake Abundance of men Indentured Servants kept from marrying = more premarital relations and bastards Avg. women gave birth to 8 children Dangers of child birth Widows Independent Remarried, comp. family structures

Women and Families in New England Sex ratio more balanced Fewer widows Absolute male authority Duties of the female Girls encouraged to be modest

Beginnings of Slavery Increased demand for slavery. Why? Most went to Caribbean Captured in the interior, sold on the coast Suffered the “Middle Passage” Status unclear Slave codes limit rights

Triangle Trade Develops Royal African Company monopoly ends New England merchants become involved

Changing Sources of European Immigration Less immigrants from England Standard push and pull factors Main destination: Middle or Southern colonies

The Colonial Economy British restrictions on manufacturing Mercantilist policy leads to colonies engaged in agriculture New England Logging, shipbuilding, fishing, trading, rum-distilling Middle Colonies Wheat, corn Indentured servants Iron-making Southern Colonies Tobacco in Chesapeake Rice and Indigo in S. C. and Georgia Need for slaves

Religion Colonial gov’t taxed to support one denomination Established church Immigrant groups = religious diversity decline of est. churches Eve of revolution even Mass. Bay exempted some groups

The Great Awakening 1730 s -1740 s swept through the colonies God: benign creator? Fear of growing secularism

Jonathan Edwards: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God New England Human sinfulness Heaven vs. Hell? Vivid imagery

George Whitefield British preacher Most well known Spread message in all colonies Huge crowds, open air God only saves believers

Religious Impact of Great Awakening Emotionalism Ministers lost authority as believers were encouraged to study the bible at home Division of “Old Lights” vs. “New Lights” More denominations = separation of church and state

Education Limits of learning at home 1647 Massachusetts law each town must set up a school Quaker schools, “dame” schools Small # recv’d ed past primary school Women? Slaves? Native. Americans? Colleges set up for training of ministers

Harvard University, 1636

Yale University, 1701

University of Pennsylvania, 1765

The Press 5 newspapers in 1725 Content: news from Europe, ads for goods/services, return of indentured servants and slaves 1735 John Peter Zenger case vs. royal governor of NY English common law or freedom of press?