Lecture #3
The Making of America
I. Chesapeake/Southern Region
A. Statistics
 _________________________ and typhoid rampant
 ½ born in Virginia and Maryland did not live to see their ___________
 Remaining ½ would maybe see _____ birthday (men) or ___ (women)
 Most early settlers were young men looking “__________________”
 Number of women scarce (1650 = ____________) grandparents
almost _____________.
 Most marriages lasted an average of ___________ due to death of
either mate.
 Southern laws allowed for women to retain ________________ after
their husbands pass away because men tended to ______________.
 Eventually colonists develop immunity to diseases and at the
beginning of the 1700s; ______________ was the most populous
colony with __________________.
 __________________ was the major cash crop – wore out land
creating a ever present need for land
 1630s = ________________ pounds annually, 1700 = ____________
pounds annually
 originally looked to indentured servants as a labor force and used the
“____________________ to gain land (50 acres for every paid
passage)
 indentured servants served a period of usually ______________ and
led a very hard life with the hope of someday owning land
B. Bacon’s Rebellion (1670)
 group of impoverished frontiersmen had been pushed into the Virginia
backcountry to find arable land and were _____________________.
 ____________________ would not intervene due to a fur trade with
the Indians
 Bacon lead a group who attacked the Indians and ran Berkeley from
_____________. Bacon dies of ____________ and the rebellion ends.
 The rebellion shows planters that white labor could turn rebellious and
they looked for an _____________________.
 Slavery causes a widening of the social gap between classes
o Top = small but powerful group of ____________ who owned
gangs of slaves and vast amounts of land – ruled the region’s
___________________________________ (oligarchy = FFV’s)
o Middle and largest social group = ________________
o Lower class = ____________________
o Lowest class =___________________
II. New England Region
A. Statistics and Womens Roles
 lower death rate due to clean water and ________________________
 actually added ______________ to life expectancy (____ years)
 tended to migrate as ____________________________
 early marriage encouraged a booming birthrate – ________________
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
largest families borne by several mothers due to _________________
children lived in nurturing environment with parents and ____________
women seen as _________________ due to original sin and only
granted property rights in extreme situations and had to give up
property rights when _____________________.
 ____________________ believed that if women retained land
ownership, it would undermine the ____________________ in society.
 women could not _________, but in some colonies were protected by
law from _____________.
 cherished marriage and divorce was ______________, the courts
could even ordered _______________________ to reunite
B. New England Society
 grew from _____________and farms into towns and eventually into
____________.
 Towns consisted of a meetinghouse, which served as church and town
hall, houses, a _______________ where the militia trained, a tract for
growing crops and a tract for ___________________.
 towns of more than ________________ had to provide ____________
education and the majority of adults knew how to ________________
 ____________________________ were held when a group of girls
claimed to be bewitched and began to blame townspeople of the
bewitching. By the end, _____ were hung, 1 was ________ to death
and ____________ were hung.
 Most of the accused came from families associated with Salem’s
_________________ and their accusers came from ______________
farming families.
 The reason for the hysteria has never been successfully explained
though the theories include, _______________ from those accused,
_________ poisoning, ________________ and superstition fed by the
“_______________________________”
 New England wealthy tried to recreate the social structure of _______
__________and passed laws that kept the “______________” in their
place. Ex: In Massachusetts in 1651, poorer folk could not wear ____
or _________ or _______ and only “gentlemen” could ____________.
 This social division however, was hard to enforce in the growing
American colonies where __________________________ was finding
its place.
C. Democracies Without Democrats
 the colonies were largely left to _____________________
in spite of seemingly repressive laws passed by the governments of
Massachusetts and _________________________.
 Primary responsibility for maintaining order rested with the ________
of the region.
D. The Dominion of New England
 (1636) The __________________________ was created by royal
authority. The Mass. Bay Colony is angry about this change because
it ___________________ their ability to govern themselves.
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In order to protect the colonies trade from their competitors and
enemies, England designed the _______________________ of the
1650s and 1660s.
These acts would enforce the economic system called ____________,
the belief that colonies should exist to _________________________.
Colonial merchants were expected by law to trade only with ________.
Sir ___________________ is sent to enforce Navigation Laws and
watch over the colonies.
He is strongly affiliated with the _______________________
o His soldiers were unruly and ________________________.
o He restricted the courts, press and ____________________.
o He revoked all land titles and taxed the people without consent
of _________________________.
The “_____________________” broke out in England and dethrones
the ________________ and enthrones Protestant William II and Mary.
Andros flees the Bay Colony, yet more English officials were still in
control despite the Revolution. (he tries to leave _________________)
III. The Middle Colonies
A. Politics and Resentment
 The _____________________ developed a more sophisticated
political culture than either New England or the southern colonies.
 All of the Middle Colonies had popularly elected _________________
assemblies.
 _________________ and _______________________ were less likely
than southern colonists to defer to the landed _____________.
 political divisions led to the trial for seditious libel of _______________,
the editor of an opposition newspaper who spoke out against New
York’s governor.
 The Zenger trial established truth as a defense against ________,
which was contrary to English __________________.
 Zenger was found not guilty, thus establishing the principle of “______
_________________.”
 Settlers in western Pennsylvania were resentful of eastern indifference
to the threat of _________________________.
 The _____________________ slaughtered an Indian village and
marched on the capital.
 ___________________ talked them out of attacking the town.
IV. The Changing Colonies
A. American Enlightenment
 The ____________________which had begun in Europe was the
belief in the improvement and application of ______________.
 Ben Franklin was a _______________________________ and
enlightenment thinker.
 Education was highly promoted in the ___________________ region.
 In Pennsylvania, _________________ set up private schools.

__________________ were separated and seldom went to formal
schools. Wealthy southerners were sent to ____________ or taught
by ______________ on the plantations.
B. The Great Awakening
 _______________________ and George Whitefield the “__________”
preachers became worried when ___________ began to grow and
people were “falling away” from the _________________ religions.
 They felt that people had become to preoccupied spending money
instead of ______________________.
 Their sermons were very __________________ and held the
congregations ____________________.
 This movement would eventually split colonial churches and spawned
new religious denominations such as the _________________,
Presbyterians and _________________.
 It undermined and weakened the status of the ___________________.
C. What is an American
 Americans came from a variety of backgrounds and _______________
of the _____________.
 Although they never completely abandoned their various heritages,
they became different from their relatives who remained in
___________________.
 Even the most rebellious seldom intended to create an entirely new
civilization, but physical separation and a new environment led to
different _______________________________.
 On the eve of revolution these new “____________________” began
to be more aware of their joined culture and _________________
against the crown.
Lecture #3
A Colonial Comparison
I. Chesapeake/Southern Region
A. Statistics
 malaria, dysentery and typhoid rampant
 ½ born in Virginia and Maryland did not live to see their 20 th birthday
 Remaining ½ would maybe see 50th birthday (men) or 40th (women)
 Most early settlers were young men looking “get rich quick”
 Number of women scarce (1650 = 6 to 1) grandparents almost
nonexistent
 Most marriages lasted an average of 7 years due to death of either
mate
 Southern laws allowed for women to retain land ownership after their
husbands pass away because men tend to die young.
 Eventually colonists develop immunity to diseases and at the
beginning of the 1700s; Virginia was the most populous colony with
59,000 people.
 Tobacco major cash crop – wore out land creating a ever present need
for land
 1630s = 1.5 million pounds annually, 1700 = 40 million pounds
annually
 originally looked to indentured servants as a labor force and used the
“headright” system to gain land (50 acres for every paid passage)
 indentured servants served a period of usually 7 years and led a very
hard life with the hope of someday owning land
B. Bacon’s Rebellion (1670)
 group of impoverished frontiersmen had been pushed into the Virginia
backcountry to find arable land and were attacked by Indians
 Governor Berkeley would not intervene due to a fur trade with the
Indians
 Bacon lead a groups who attacked the Indians and ran Berkeley from
Jamestown. Bacon dies of disease and the rebellion ends.
 The rebellion shows planters that white labor could turn rebellious and
they looked for an alternate labor force.
 slavery causes a widening of the social gap between classes
o Top = small but powerful group of large planters who owned
gangs of slaves and vast amounts of land – ruled the region’s
economy and controlled political power (oligarchy = FFV’s)
o Middle and largest social group = small farmers
o Lower class = landless whites
o Lowest class = slaves
II. New England Region
A. Statistics and Womens Roles
 lower death rate due to clean water and cool temperature
 actually added 10 years to life expectancy (70 years)
 tended to migrate as families and at times whole communities
 early marriage encouraged a booming birthrate – average of a baby
every 2 years



largest families borne by several mothers due to death at childbirth
children lived in nurturing environment with parents and grandparents
women seen as inferior due to original sin and only granted property
rights in extreme situations and had to give up property rights when
they married.
 Puritan faith believed that if women retained land ownership, it would
undermine the power of the man in society..
 women could not vote, but in some colonies were protected by law
from abuse.
 cherished marriage and divorce was extremely rare, the courts could
even ordered separated couples to reunite
B. New England Society
 grew from small villages and farms into towns and eventually into cities
 towns consisted of a meetinghouse, which served as church and town
hall, houses, a village green where the militia trained, a tract for
growing crops and a tract for pasturing animals.
 towns of more than 50 families had to provide elementary education
and the majority of adults knew how to read and write
 Salem witchcraft trials were held when a group of girls claimed to be
bewitched and began to blame townspeople of the bewitching. By the
end, 20 were hung, 1 was pressed to death and two dogs were hung.
 Most of the accused came from families associated with Salem’s
growing economy and their accusers came from subsistence farming
families.
 The reason for the hysteria has never been successfully explained
though the theories include, taking the land from those accused, ergot
poisoning, political cover-ups and superstition fed by the “mere power
of suggestion”
 New England wealthy tried to recreate the social structure of Old
England and passed laws that kept the “meaner sort” in their place.
Ex: In Massachusetts in 1651, poorer folk could not wear gold or silver
or lace and only “gentlemen” could race horses.
 This social division however, was hard to enforce in the growing
American colonies where equality and democracy was finding its
place.
C. Democracies Without Democrats
 the colonies were largely left to govern themselves
in spite of seemingly repressive laws passed by the governments of
Massachusetts and Connecticut.
 Primary responsibility for maintaining order rested with the towns of the
region.
D. The Dominion of New England
 (1636) The Dominion of New England was created by royal authority.
The Mass. Bay Colony is angry about this change because it removes
their ability to govern themselves.
 In order to protect the colonies trade from their competitors and
enemies, England designed the Navigation Acts of the 1650s and
1660s.






These acts would enforce the economic system called mercantilism,
the belief that colonies should exist to benefit the mother country.
Colonial merchants were expected by law to trade only with England.
Sir Edward Andros is sent to enforce Navigation Laws and watch over
the colonies
He is strongly affiliated with the Church of England
o His soldiers were unruly and curbed town meetings.
o He restricted the courts, press and closed schools
o He revoked all land titles and taxed the people without consent
of representation
The “Glorious Revolution” broke out in England and dethrones the
Catholic James II and enthrones Protestant William II and Mary.
Andros flees the Bay Colony, yet more English officials were still in
control despite the Revolution. (he tries to leave dressed as a woman)
E. The Politics of Diversity
 The Middle Colonies developed a more sophisticated political culture
than either New England or the southern colonies
 All of the Middle Colonies had popularly elected representative
assemblies.
 New Yorkers and Pennsylvanians were less likely than southern
colonists to defer to the landed gentry.
 political divisions led to the trial for seditious libel of John Peter Zenger,
the editor of an opposition newspaper who spoke out against New
York’s governor.
 the Zenger trial established truth as a defense against libel, which was
contrary to English common law.
 Zenger was found not guilty, thus establishing the principle of “freedom
of the press.”
 Settlers in western Pennsylvania were resentful of eastern indifference
to the threat of Indian raids on the frontier.
 the Paxton boys slaughtered an Indian village and marched on the
capital.
 Ben Franklin talked them out of attacking the town.
F. American Enlightenment
 The Enlightenment which had begun in Europe was the belief in the
improvement and application of reason.
 Ben Franklin was a scientist, printer and enlightenment thinker.
 Education was highly promoted in the New England region.
 In Pennsylvania, Quakers set up private schools.
 Southern children were separated and seldom went to formal schools.
Wealthy southerners were sent to England or taught by tutors on the
plantations.
G. The Great Awakening
 Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield the “New Light” preachers
became worried when Deism began to grow and people were “falling
away” from the established religions.




They felt that people had become to preoccupied spending money
instead of serving God.
Their sermons were very emotional and held the congregations
spellbound.
This movement would eventually split colonial churches and spawned
new religious denominations such as the Baptists, Presbyterians and
Methodists.
It undermined and weakened the status of the established clergy
H. What is an American
 Americans came from a variety of backgrounds and intermingling of
the races.
 although they never completely abandoned their various heritages,
they became different from their relatives who remained in Old World.
 Even the most rebellious seldom intended to create an entirely new
civilization, but physical separation and a new environment led to
different patterns of development.
 On the eve of revolution these new “Americans” began to be more
aware of their joined culture and grievances against the crown.