Chapters 4 and 5: American Life in the 17 - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Chapters 4 and 5: American Life in the 17th c

EQ: How was life in the Southern Colonies similar to and different from the Northern Colonies?Slide2

Life in the Southern ColoniesSlide3

The Atlantic Slave TradeSlide4

Triangle TradeNew England ships brought Rum to Africa to trade for slaves

New England ships brought slaves to Caribbean and sold for sugar

Were able to sell slaves for 500% profit in Americas

Influenced entire English economy

New England ships brought sugar to New England to be made into rum

1

2

3Slide5

Goods Traded with AfricaSlide6

The “Middle Passage”Slide7

As the number of slaves increased, white colonists reacted to put down perceived racial threat.

Slavery transformed from economic to economic and racial institution.

Early 1600s

 differences between slave and servant were unclear.

By the mid-1680s, black slaves outnumbered white indentured servants

.

Bacon’s Rebellion added to the desire for slaves in hopes they wouldn’t revolt

Colonial SlaverySlide8

Beginning in 1662 

“Slave Codes”

Made blacks [and their children]

property, or

chattel

for life of white

masters.

In some colonies, it was a crime to teach

a slave to read or write.

Conversion to Christianity did not qualify the slave for freedom.

Colonial SlaverySlide9

Slaves Fight BackNY Slave Revolt (1712) uprising 2 dozen slaves, results in death of 9 whites and execution of 21 blacks

South Carolina Slave Revolt

(

Stono

River 1739) roughly 50 slaves attempt to reach Spanish Florida, killing whites along the way, stopped by local militia

Spanish gov’t had offered freedom and refuge to colonial slavesSlide10

Southern SocietySocial ClassesGreat Planters: dominate politics such as the House of Burgesses; at first hardworking and businesslike

Small Yeoman Farmers: largest social group;

might

have a slave (1-2)

Landless Whites: most former indentured servants

Indentured Servants

Black SlavesSlide11

Way of LifeRural, few citiesprofessional class slow to emerge

waterways main transportation

family burial plots in South

Good soil, easy to grow crops

Education sparse, schools expensive; wealthy tutors were used by planters

William and Mary College 1693Slide12

Patriarchal SocietyFather ruled the house (though often died early leaving the mother behind to tend to business along with eldest sons) –

Widowarchy

Military tradition –

Aligned themselves with English gentry – thought themselves more English than AmericanSlide13

Life in the Northern ColoniesSlide14

Characteristics of New England Settlements

Low mortality

 average life expectancy was 70 years of age.

Many extended families.

Average 6 children per family.

Average age at marriage:

Women – 22 years old

Men – 27 years old.Slide15

Way of Life

Authoritarian

male father figures controlled each household

.

Wife abusers would be punished

Most farmers

Family center of life; children learn obedience

Divorce and premarital pregnancy rare (abandonment and adultery)

Layout towns; over 50 families required Elem.

Edu.Harvard est. 1636Church most important!!!!Slide16

Religion /Government in New EnglandCongregational church -- democracy in church and government (majority rule)

Town meetings – adult males voted / elected school masters, officials, and creating laws

Jefferson quote “ greatest school of political liberty the world ever saw”Slide17

Religion in New England (continued)Jeremiad sermons – “hell fire and brimstone” – successful?? Why? Why not?

Decline in conversions

Establishment of the HALF-WAY COVENANT – basically partial membership in the

Puritan Church

non exclusivity

Increases church membership – women included Slide18

The GREAT AWAKENINGReligion became less fervent during the 1700’s in the colonies

Churchgoers complain about the lack of excitement in the pulpit (dead dogs)

Ministers worried about the “softness” of their parishioners / Liberal ideas entered society / some people began to question the concept of “predestination” in New England

ARMINIANISM – individual free will (ALL humans who believe) could accept God’s grace (radically different than the concept of the “ELECT” of Calvinism and Puritanism)

THE GREAT AWAKENING

started in Northampton, MA by

JONATHAN EDWARDS

-----Declared good works a folly / salvation depended on dependence on God’s GraceSERMON – “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” –

GEORGE WHITEFIELD – message of human helplessness and divine power of God – GREAT SPEAKEROld Lights vs. New LightsSlide19

The Great AwakeningEffects of the Great Awakening –

New Light schools – Princeton / Dartmouth / Brown / Rutgers

1

st

spontaneous mass movement of American people

No sectional or denominational lines

United Americans under a common history and shared experiencesEDUCATIONSlide20

Culture in the ColoniesEDUCATION

English

idea – education for the few (Leaders,

etc

)

Puritan New England pushed education for all (Congregationalist Church) –name given for the Puritan church

Flourished in New England –

In the South – wealthy families used tutorsMiddle colonies – some adequate elementary schools -- both places had tax-supported education

FOCUS was on – doctrine and dogma / NOT experiment and reason – (TODAY???)Discipline was severe / switches / etc. COLLEGE EDUCATION – used to prepare MALES for ministry

Wealthy Southerners sent their boys abroad for education (real) – “refined and philosophicalSlide21

Culture in the ColoniesArtists –John Trumbull - eventually traveled to London to pursue his interests

Charles Wilson Peale – known for portraits of Washington

Benjamin West – England to become successful (people could pay for sittings there)

John Singleton Copley – Loyalist during the Revolutionary War

Architecture

Imported from the Old World / Sweden / Georgian style /

Literature

Phillis Wheatley – poet / former slave girlBenjamin Franklin –

POOR RICHARD’S ALMANACK, unique sayings that emphasized virtues like thrift, industry, morality, and common sense“Plow deep while sluggards sleep”, “Fish and visitors stink after 3 days”

His witty advice helped shape the American characterPress – John Peter Zenger – local newspaper printer in NY – charged with SEDITION because his paper attacked the local royal governor – Was declared not guilty Landmark decision for FREEDOM of the PRESS in the Colonies and later the U.S.Slide22

Salem, Massachusetts1692

Salem Witch TrialsSlide23

Why Salem Still Haunts UsFascination with WitchesA Stain on American HistoryHow Could an Entire Community Engage in Such Horrific Acts?Slide24

Witches and EuropeMany people in early European society relied on the local wise people to give an explanation for good and bad fortune.It was believed that some people possessed special powers that could cause good or harm.Slide25

In Times of HardshipIn times of hardship, in tight knit communities, people began to look for people to blame for their problems.Hardships Blamed on Witches:

Failed crops

The death of livestock

People becoming ill

Sudden accidental death

People believed that witches had a

secret pact with the devil

. Most often the people accused of being witches were widows and single women.Slide26

Puritan Life

Society centered around the church. The younger generation did not share the same strict religious views.Slide27

Salem—the Village History1630: John Winthrop is elected the first governor.1641: English law makes witchcraft a capital crime. November, 1689: Samuel Parris is named the new minister of Salem, and Salem Village Church is formed. Slide28

Winter of 1692Several girls began to meet at Rev. Parris’ home to pass along the cold days of winter.The girls became entertained by the stories told by Tituba, a slave from Barbados.Soon after the girls began behaving in a strange manner.Slide29

Strange BehaviorIn January of 1692, a group of girls in Salem Village, MA began to exhibit strange behavior, such as blasphemous screaming, convulsive seizures, trance-like states and mysterious spells.Physicians concluded that only the

influence of Satan

could be responsible for the girls’ afflictions.

Pressured to identify the source of their affliction, the girls

named three women as witches

:

Tituba (the pastor’s Caribbean-Indian slave), Sarah Good & Sarah Osborne.Slide30

Causes for the Girls’ ActionsWitchcraftJealousyRepressionHysteriaGuilt

BoredomSlide31

The AccusedTituba is a foreigner, given to storytelling, confessed, perhaps because of fear for her life and the enjoyment of being the center of attention. Sarah Good was homeless, a social misfit who would mumble incoherently when someone failed to be charitable, and the death of livestock was attributed to her curses.

Sarah Osborne

was an elderly woman who hadn’t been to church in year and may have been considered rather crotchety. Slide32

Preliminary ArrestsFebruary 29, 1692: Arrest warrants are issued for Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne. Slide33

Map of Salem

Can any deductions be made from this map?Slide34

The Examination of a WitchT.H. Matteson 1853Slide35

Indictments: Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey

At the trial of Rebecca Nurse jury first acquits, then told to reconsider. Slide36

Characteristics of “Witch” TrialsPressure of Social ForcesStigmatization of the AccusedClimate of Fear

Resemblance to a Fair Trial

Non-falsifiable Evidence

Non-Openness

Use of Loaded QuestionsSlide37
Slide38

Dorcas Good- a juvenile caseMarch 23, 1692: Marshal Deputy Samuel Bradbrook arrests 4-year-old Dorcas Good because of physical impairments. The arrest questioned the imprisonment of the mentally and physically disabled.

Many of those accused of witchery awaited their fates inside small prison cells, approximately 6 by 4 feet.Slide39

The sentences are carried out.August 19: George Burroughs, John Proctor, John Willard, George Jacobs, and Martha Carrier are hanged. Elizabeth Proctor is spared because she is pregnant.September 9: Six more tried and sentenced to death, including Martha Corey.Slide40

Giles and Martha CoreyGiles Corey was a prosperous, uneducated, eighty-year-old  farmer and full member of the church. He and his wife Martha lived on a farm in the southwest corner of Salem village.  In March of 1692, Martha Corey made the mistake of publicly questioning the sincerity of the accusations of the afflicted girls.  Slide41

Giles Corey Refused to ConfessGiles Corey refused to give testimony at the 1692 Witch Trials.

He would neither confess nor deny the charges brought upon him.

Slide42

Giles Corey is Pressed

So, in order to obtain a statement, he was taken outside, a board placed across his body, and heavy stones piled on top. It is said that his only words before he was crushed to death were: "More weight!" Slide43

Hanging of George Burroughs – Minister – he owed money to members of congregation

Accused because he could lift a musket with only a finger in the barrel, George Burroughs recites Lord's Prayer perfectly at hanging – a feat thought to be impossible for witchesSlide44

Cotton Mather

Mather, a minister of Boston's North Church, was a prolific publisher of pamphlets and a firm believer in witchcraft. Slide45

Results of the Hysteria140 people had been accused of practicing witchcraft in Salem, including a 4 year old girl and a man in his 80s.

Twenty accused witches were executed

, fifteen women and five men.

Nineteen were hung following conviction.

One was pressed to death for refusing to enter a plea.

At least 4 and as many as 13 prisoners may have died in jail.Slide46

Why the hysteria ended1.  Doubts grow when respected citizens are convicted and executed.

2.  Accusations of witchcraft include the powerful and well-connected.

3.  The educated elite of Boston pressure Gov. Phips to exclude spectral

Increase Mather

points out the Devil could take the shape of an innocent person: "It were better that 10 suspected witches should escape than one innocent person should be condemned." Slide47

Salem Witch Trials MemorialSlide48

Salem Witch MuseumIn Salem, Massachusetts, the witch-on-a-broomstick image is everywhere—it even appears on the badges of the town's police officers. Indeed, this site of colonial-era witch hysteria is a modern-day magnet for all things Halloween, all year long. Psychics and tarot card readers flock to the town, and there are numerous ghost tours and haunted houses. Slide49
Slide50
Slide51

Witch Trial Jeopardyhttp://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/scopesjeopardy%5B1%5D.htmSlide52

Choose One Option

Flee Salem

Accuse someone else.

Quick! Get pregnant!

Confess, even though you are innocent.

Plead innocent and stand for trial.

Refuse to stand trial and face the consequences.

What would you do?Slide53

Flee SalemGood idea, if you can swing it.  Several accused witches did escape from jail and survive the 1692 hysteria.  They included Philip and Mary English, John Alden, Hezekiah Usher, and Mrs. Nathaniel Cary.   However, all these accused persons had either money or influence that made their escape possible.  You don't have either.  Try your next option. Slide54

Accuse Someone ElseThe theory here is that if you're afflicted by witchcraft, you can't be a witch yourself.  This theory even convinced some daughters to testify against their own mothers.  It's not a bad idea (if you have no conscience), but--sorry--it's too late now.  You should have thought of this idea a few days ago.  Now, your accusation will look like an obvious attempt to distract attention from your own guilt.  The accusation of witchcraft has been made against you and you're still going to have to deal with it.  Pick another option.

  Slide55

Quick Get PregnantThis isn't as silly an idea as it sounds.  Pregnant women, even if convicted of witchcraft, would not be executed so long as they remained pregnant.  The theory is that even if you deserve death, the baby inside you does not--so the officials will put off your execution.  This was called "reprieve for the belly." Of course, you still might be executed eventually, but the hope is that the hysteria won't last another nine months.

One slight problem, however.  Who will you find in jail to impregnate you?  Sorry, this option is not available: Try another!

  Slide56

Confess Even Though Your Are Innocent.This route, pioneered by accused witches Tituba and Deliverance Hobbs, turned out to be a life saver.  Confessing witches weren't executed.  Instead, they were kept apart from other prisoners, to be called upon in trials when their testimony might be helpful to the prosecution.  The Puritans believed that once a person made a full confession, his or her fate should be left in God's hands, not man's.  Fifty-five persons in the Salem area confessed to witchcraft in 1692, adding substantial credibility to the initial charges of witchcraft made by the afflicted girls.

Do you really want to admit to being a witch?  Is this something you want on your resume?  If not, try another option..

  Slide57

Plead Innocent and Stand TrialThis is the approach that led to nineteen innocent persons being carted off to Gallows Hill during the summer of 1692.  If you plead innocent, you'll have to face trial without a lawyer and without the ability to call witnesses on your own behalf, answer unanswerable questions ("If you're not a witch, how do explain the fact that these afflicted girls fall into fits the minute you enter the room?")--all before a court that unanimously believes in witchcraft and believes that you're guilty.  (Even in the one case that the jury came back with an acquittal, the trial of Rebecca Nurse, the court sent the jury back to reconsider the verdict.  The second time around, the jury found Nurse guilty.) You'll face spectral evidence--and how do you propose to convince the court that your apparition was

not

doing all this work on the part of the Devil? 

Just exactly what was your apparition doing on the night of April 23 anyway

?

This approach looks hopeless.  You better try another option. Slide58

Refuse to Stand TrialOctogenarian Giles Corey gave this option a try.  Knowing the fate that awaited him if he stood for trial, Giles refused to answer the ritual question, "Will you be tried by your God and your country (that is, a jury)?"  The penalty for refusing to answer was peine forte et dure, an especially unpleasant way of going that involves piling heavy stones on your body until you either agree to stand trial or are crushed to death.

I don't think you want to go through with this.  Better try another option.