Chapter 3: Society and Culture in Provincial America
The Colonial Population
 Not long after colonization – the Europeans and Africans outnumbered the Native
Americans
A) The Early Population
a. Upper Class – sons of the wealthy
b. Middle class businessmen
c. Religious dissenters of New England
d. Indentured Servants – system of temporary servitude from Europe that
bound men and women to masters for a fixed term (4-7 years). They
received passage, food, shelter, and after the 4-7 years received: clothing,
tools, and land.
i. Most came as early as 1617 voluntary
ii. Others – convicts, prisoners, orphans, vagrants, paupers, also those
kidnapped or impressed to go.
iii. Remained an important source of population growth but began to
decline in 1670s because of decrease in English Birth rate and an
increase in English prosperity.
B) Birth and Death
a. In the beginning, everyone had great hardship.
b. Immigration remained the greatest source for population.
c. The second half of the 17c marked an increase in life span. The life span
almost reached the average age of the 20c.
d. New England: In the 1st generation born Americans, men lived to be 71
and women 70.
e. South: Through the 17c, the average life expectancy for white men was
over 40 and women less. One out of four children died in infancy, and
fully half died before the age of 20.
C) Women and Families in the Chesapeake
a. The high sex ration meant that few women remained unmarried for long.
b. The average European woman in America married for the first time at 17
or 21. Earlier than in England.
c. High mortality rate for women. Patriarchal authority was hard to
maintain.
d. Sexual roles were more flexible than in England. Indentured women were
not allowed to become pregnant until after they were done. Those that did
were dealt with in a harsh way and their children could be sent away.
e. Over a third of marriages occurred with the bride pregnant.
f. The average wife became pregnant every 2 years and bore an average of 8
children (up to 5 died in infancy or childhood). Relatively few women
survived to see all their children grow to maturity.
g. Women also enjoyed more power and a greater level of freedom than
women in other areas.
h. By the mid-18c, southern families were becoming highly “patriarchal” due
to life expectancy was increasing; indentured servitude decline; sex ratio
becoming more equal.
D) Women and Families in New England
a. Immigrants arrived with families – death rates were lower.
b. Women remained the minority.
c. Northern children were more likely to survive and families remained
intact.
d. Parents in New England lived to see their children and even their
grandchildren grow.
e. Puritanism placed a high value on family. A wife was expected to devote
herself to serving the needs of her husband and household.
E) The Beginnings of Slavery in British America
a. In 1620 – the first Dutch Slave Ship sails into Jamestown. First were
treated as Indentured Servants. Fewer than 5 percent of the Africans
imported to the Americas went directly to the English colonies on the
mainland.
b. Some gained their freedom and owned land and even owned other
Africans.
c. In early 18c, colonial assemblies began to pass “slave codes” limiting the
rights of blacks in law ensuring almost absolute authority to white masters.
d. One factor determined whether a person was subject to the slave code –
color. Any African ancestry was enough to classify a person as black.
The Colonial Economies
CHAPTER 4: THE EMPIRE UNDER STRAIN
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As late as the 1750s, few Americans saw any reason to leave the British Empire
o Benefits:
 Opportunities for trade and commerce
 Military protection
 Political stability
 Few costs
 Left colonies alone
 Some American felt that the colonies would develop greater autonomy
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By the mid-1770s, relationships became so strained that by Spring 1775, the first
shots were fired in a war for American Independence
In 1763 – the British embarked on a series of new policies towards the colonies
A LOOSENING OT TIES
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The British government after 1707, when a union of England and Scotland created
Great Britain
Colonies were brought under direct control of the king
A Tradition of Neglect
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The prime minister and his fellow cabinet ministers began to become the nation’s real
executive
o The day to day administration of colonial affairs remained decentralized and
inefficient
o SEE NOTES AT END OF PAPERS
o The colonies were left to
 Privy Council
 Admiralty
 Treasury
o Few Officials had ever visited America
Some of the officeholders were able and intelligent men; however, most generally
came as the results of bribery or favoritism.
o Customs collectors routinely waived duties for a price
By 1750s – America claimed the right to levy taxes, male appropriations, approve
appointments, and pass laws
o Subject to veto by the governor or the Privy Council
o Control budgets
o Assemblies came to think of themselves a little parliaments
The Colonies Divided
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The colonists continued to think of themselves as loyal English subjects and strong
ties to England.
The growth of the population produced an almost continuous line of settlements
o Construction of roads
o Intercolonial trade
o Colonial postal service
Ben Franklin had an idea that Parliament would set up “one general government” in
America and that each colony would retain its present constitution
o The central government would have a “president general” appointed and paid
for by the king
o Legislature elected by the colonial assemblies
THE STRUGGLE FOR THE CONTINENT
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Seven Years War
French and Indian War
New France and the Iroquois Nation
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The French had laid claim tot eh whole continental interior
The Indians were principally concerned with protecting their independence
The English
o Offered the Indians better and more goods
The French
o Offered tolerance
o Better relations with most of the tribes
Iroquois Confederacy
o Formed a defensive alliance in the 15c
Anglo-French Conflicts
 SEE NOTES AT END OF PAPERS ON WARS IN EUROPE AND AMERICA
 In 1754 – the governor of Virginia sent George Washington into the Ohio valley.
o Washington build a fort there
 The French attacked and trapped Washington – he had to surrender
The Great War for the Empire
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The French and Indian War lasted nearly 9 years and was a North American conflict
o First Phase – 1754-1756
o Second Phase – 1756-1758
 France allied with Austria
 England joined Prussia
 William Pitt put the American conflict under British control by
appointing military commanders, issuing orders
 British commander started to force colonists to join the army along
with taking what supplies they needed
o Third Phase - 1758-1760
 Reimbursed the colonists for supplies used
 Retuned control of colonial forces
 England sent large numbers of troops to the Americas
o The French suffered poor harvests and could not keep up the military
successes
o September 1760 – the French surrendered
o The English inflicted great atrocities on the Indians
 Scalp bounty
o Peace of Paris – 1763
 France gave up the West Indian Islands
 Canada
 All territories (except New Orleans – that was given to Spain)
o Effected the colonies
 Acted against a common foe
 Important socializing event
THE NEW IMPERIALISM
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England was desperately in need of new revenues from its empire
Burdens of Empire
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England could not rely on any cooperation from the colonial governments. Only a
system of taxation administered by London could meet England’s needs.
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George III
o Assumed power in 1760 – was determined to be an active and responsible
monarch
o He created a new coalition to control parliament
o Suffered from a rare disease that produced intermittent bouts of insanity
o Immature (only 22 when king)
George Greenville
o Trying to impose a new system of control upon colonies
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The British and the Tribes
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Proclamation of 1763 – forbid settlers beyond the Appalachian Mountains
Expansion would be in an orderly manner to avoid conflict with Indians
The Colonial Response
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Regular British troops would now be stationed in America
Mutiny Act of 1765 required colonists to assist in provisioning the army
Sugar Act 1764 eliminate the illegal sugar trade and a new vice-admiralty court set up
in America
Currency Act 1764 required the colonies to stop printing money
Stamp Act 1765 imposed a tax on most printed documents
Soon Britain pulled in the money
After 1763 the new policies create common grievances in the colonies and
antagonized virtually everyone
o Northern would suffer in commerce, closing of the west to settlers
o Southern feared paying additional taxes
o Small farmers suffered from higher taxes and from the loss of paper money
o Workers opposed the restraints on manufacturing
Political Consequences
o British challenged control over colonial public finance
Movement to resist policies lead to fight and die ideal
STIRRINGS OF REVOLT
The Stamp Act Crisis
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Stamps were not expensive – just a hassle
England needed revenue
Virginia House of Burgesses (Patrick Henry) introduced a set of resolutions stating
that the colonies should have the same rights as English citizens
o To tax
In Massachusetts – James Otis – wanted an intercolonial congress
Stamp Act Congress 1765 – petitioned the king and parliament
Sons of Liberty founded and terrorized stamp agents and burned stamps
England backed down and repealed the Stamp Act
The Townshend Program
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SEE NOTES AT END OF PAPERS
Charles Townshend – chancellor
Mutiny (Quartering) Act of 1765 – provide quarters for English troops
1767 – disbanded the New York Assemble
Townshend duties
o Taxes on various goods
Colonists boycotted British goods
Homespun products became popular with the colonies and brought people together
The Boston Massacre
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March 5, 1770
o Liberty boys throwing things at custom houses
o CPT Preston (British) lined up to protect custom houses
 Fighting broke out and British open fire killing 5 people (Crispus
Attucks – black sailor)
Samuel Adams – born 1722 – Puritan – held several political and governmental
positions
o Voiced outrage at the British
o He proposed in 1772 – a Committee of Correspondence to publicize the
grievances against England
The Philosophy of Revolt
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The Revolution was in the hearts of the people
John Locke – Puritan background
o Humans are corrupt and selfish – government is created to protect individuals
from the evil in one another.
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o Corrupt people ran government and government needs safeguards against
abuse
o The principal purpose of government, the reason why men give up the state of
nature for civil society, is “for the mutual preservation of their lives, liberties,
and estates, which are called property.”
o Every man has the property in his own person
o Four limitation on the power of the legislature
 Laws must apply to all
 Laws must not be arbitrary
 Legislature must not raise taxes without the consent of the people
 Legislature must not transfer power to anybody else
 Thomas Jefferson liked Locke
English constitution was not written – made up of all laws passed and changeable
American wanted a constitution that was written and could not be changed without
the consent of the people
Members in parliament represented places and not individuals so that representatives
thought about the nation as a whole
o Called virtual representation
Americans wanted Actual representation so that every community had its own
representative looking out for their needs and interest
Differences between England and America came to the point that it was either
subordination or independence
The Bible suggests that people had the right to resist and overthrow unjust rules
The idea that people create government and make a compact that can be broken if
needed
The Tea Excitement
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In 1773 – the British East India Company was given a monopoly on selling tea in the
colonies (no taxes or duties)
Many colonists responded by boycotting tea
Daughters of Liberty
o Women who participated actively against the British
o Boycotted goods throughout the colonies
December 16, 1773
o 150 men dressed as Indians went through the crowd towards the tea ships
o went aboard and heaved the tea into the harbor
o (TEA STORY v. WHITE HOUSE)
o Parliament closed the port of Boston
 Intolerable Acts – reduced the powers of self-government
COOPERATION AND WAR
New Sources of Authority
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Began at the local level to raise the colonists want of liberty
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Committees of Correspondence
o Samuel Adams – Mass 1772
 Intercolonial committees made it possible for cooperation among the
colonies
Continental Congress
o September 1774 – in Philadelphia – Five major decisions
 Rejected a plan for colonial union under British rule
 Endorsed a statement of grievances
 Approved a series of resolutions that colonists make military
preparation for defense against possible attack by the British
 Stopping all trade with Britain
 Agree to meet in the Spring
o Hoped that economic war would win a quick and bloodless victory
o Must be ready to fight
Lexington and Concord
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Minutemen ready to fight
General Thomas Gage (British) received orders to arrest rebels
o Night of April 8, 1775
o 1,000 soldiers surprised the colonists and seized illegal supplies
o shots fired – eight colonists killed, 10 wounded
o On way back to Boston (farmers hid behind rocks, trees, etc. and shot at the
British)
o “Shots heard round the world”
The British and the Americans were at war