American Life in the 17 th Century New England Society Education amp Literacy Towns with more than 50 households were required to appoint teachers Harvard College was founded in 1636 to train ministers ID: 441166
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Slide1
Colonial Society
American Life in the 17
th
CenturySlide2
New England SocietySlide3
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 coloniesIn England, only about 33% could read & write
New England SocietySlide4
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 dissentEasy to help one another & work together
New England SocietySlide5
New England SocietySlide6
Family Life
Family Organization
Father - Head of the family
Mother - Manage the household
Children - Provide a labor forceStability80% of children reach adulthoodLife expectancy - Men: 65
New England SocietySlide7
Punishments
Convicted criminals were exposed to public ridicule
Meant to serve as a warning to others
New England SocietySlide8
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
The Great AwakeningSlide9
Jonathan Edwards
Encouraged parishioners to absolve their sins & pay penance by praying for salvation
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
The Great AwakeningSlide10
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
The Great AwakeningSlide11
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
The Great AwakeningSlide12
Chesapeake Society
Chesapeake SocietySlide13
Tobacco cultivation dominated the region
Large profits could be made, but prices fluctuated
Indentured servants & slaves were common on the plantations
Chesapeake SocietySlide14
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
Chesapeake SocietySlide15
Chesapeake SocietySlide16
Family Life
Chaotic
50% of children reach adulthood
Life expectancy - Men: 48
Complex householdsChesapeake SocietySlide17
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 servantsAbout 40% died within 6 yearsChesapeake SocietySlide18
Background
Tension developed between large landowners & former indentured servants
Growing gap between the rich & poor
The price of tobacco plummeted
Conflict with Native AmericansBacon’s RebellionSlide19
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 handsLed by Nathaniel Bacon
Bacon’s RebellionSlide20
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 groundBacon died suddenly of dysentery
Ended the rebellion
Bacon’s RebellionSlide21
Aftermath
Shocked many of the elites of the region
Contributing factor in the shift from indentured servants to slave labor
Bacon’s RebellionSlide22
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)
Slavery in the ChesapeakeSlide23
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
Slavery outside the Chesapeake