COLONIAL SOCIETY ON
EVE OF REVOLUTION
Ch. 5
DEMOGRAPHICS
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Population
• 1700
• 300,000
• 20,000 black
• 1775
• 2.5 million
• 500,000 black
• Average age was 16 years
DEMOGRAPHICS
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Immigration
• Between 1700 & 1775=400,000
• German
• Pennsylvania “Dutch”
• Scots-Irish
• “Frontier”
• “Paxton Boys”
PAXTON BOY’S
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Village of Paxton in Western Pennsylvania
Mostly Scots-Irish immigrants
Harassed by Natives
Requests for soldiers or guns ignored by Quaker
legislators
December 1763-group raided small settlement of
peaceful Indians
Governor issued warrants, but frontiersmen refused
to turn in the perpetrators
PAXTON BOYS
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Tried to raid a second Indian settlement, but
escaped to Philadelphia and were protected
Upset that the government would spend tax money
to protect Indians but not frontier
January 1764-group of approx. 1,500 began march
to Philadelphia (capital)
Public panic
Ben Franklin intercedes and provides meeting
between Paxton Boys and legislators
•
No significant outcome
PAXTON BOYS
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Results
• Earliest example of regional and Social
conflicts
• Urban v. Rural
• New Indian “problem” belief
• Can no longer live in peace
• Only solutions are relocation and extermination
LITERACY
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Before Enlightenment-books to
expensive & took to much time read
Invention of hand operated printing
presses
• Best for pamphlets and newspapers
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1735-John Peter Zenger Trial
• Freedom of the Press
GOVERNMENT
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By 1775
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8 royal colonies-governor appointed by king
3 proprietary colonies-governor appointed by owner
2 self-governed colonies-elected governor
Every colony-two house legislature with an
upper house (appointed by crown or proprietor)
& a lower house (elected by people
Began more religious or property requirements
for voting
ENLIGHTENMENT
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Use science and reason to explain
things rather than religion
Began in Europe
• Scientists-Sir Isaac Newton
• Philosophers-John Locke
• Natural rights and Social Contract
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Benjamin Franklin-epitome of American
Enlightenment
GREAT AWAKENING
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Beginning of 1700s-religion less important
1730s & 1740s-Religious revival called Great
Awakening
Preachers-Jonathan Edwards & George
Whitefield
Belief in God’s grace and forgiveness
Revival Meetings
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Professed conversions
Emotional outbursts
Immediate baptisms
GREAT AWAKENING
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Emphasis on direct spirituality
Created many new churches to compete with
Anglican & Congregational (Puritan) Church
Missionary work
Founding of several colleges; Dartmouth,
Brown, Rutgers, Princeton
First mass movement among the colonies
Effected every section of the colonies