AP HISTORY
CHAP 5
COLONIAL LIFE AND FOLKWAYS
Colonial population by 1775
a. In 1700 population was around 300,000
b. By 1775 it had reached 2.5 million
c. 400,000 white immigrants in that 2.5 million
d. Colonists were doubling their number every 25 years
e. Average age was 16 by 1775
f. Political implications:
a. 1700- 20 to 1 English Subject to American Colonist
b. 1775- 3 to 1
c. Set stage for shift in the balance of power between colonies and Brittain
g. Most populous colonies 1775—Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and
Maryland
h. 90% of population in rural areas
Colonial cities
a. Philadelphia
a. 1700- 5,000
b. Suburbs
c. 1775-40,000
b. New York
a. 1700-5,000
b. 1775-25,000
c. Boston
a. 1700-6,700
b. 1775-16,000
d. Charleston
a. 1700- less than 2,500
b. 1775- 12,000
“melting pot” Crevecouer
a. Colonies English in language and heritage
b. Population was interspersed with other nationalities
c. Germans
a. 6% of total 1775 population (150,000)
b. Fled religious persecution, economic oppression and ravages of war
c. Settled primarily in Pennsylvannia
d. Primarily Lutheran in faith
e. Called the Pennsyvlania Dutch (this is incorrect as it came from the word for German,
“Deutsch”)
f. Moved into the Back country of PA
g. No loyalty to Crown
h. Kept Heritage and customs
d. Scots-Irish
a. 1775- 7% of population (175,000)
b. Non-English group that spoke English
c. Not Irish at all but lowlander Scots
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
Had been transplanted to Northern Ireland
Irish Catholics resented Scottish Presbyterians
Economics were hindered by English Sanctions on wool and linen production
Most came to the extremely tolerant Pennsylvania
Moved from the Alleghenies south into Virginia, Carolinas and eventually into Georgia and
the Appalachain foot hills
i. Due in large part to their experience in Northern Ireland as Frontiersmen and Agitators,
they proved be more than efficient frontiersmen
j. Viewed as hotheaded and lawless
k. The practice of whiskey distillery can trace its roots to the Scots Irish
l. Paxton Boys March on Philadelphia in 1764-protest of Quaker oligarchy and lenient policy
regarding natives
m. Regulator movement in North Carolina- protest against eastern domination in colonial
affairs
n. About 12 future presidents would trace their lineage to this group.
e. Other Multicultural groups
a. 5% of this group consisted of the French Hugeunots, Welsh, Dutch, Swedes, Jews, Irish,
Swiss, and Scots Highlanders (different than Scots-Irish)
b. Most felt little loyalty to English Crown.
f.
g.
h.
i.
Population was most culturally diverse in the world
90% of slaves are in the south
New England with Puritan connections showed least amount of cultural Diversity
Middle colonies, Pennsylvania especially, received most of the later white immigrants leading to
one of the greatest diversities of people.
j. With the exception of New England, by 1775 almost half the colonial population was non-English
k. 56 signers of Declaration, 18 non-English, 8 not born in colonies
l. Michel-Guillaume de Crevecoeur
a. saw America as “A strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country”
b. Posed the question “What then is the American, this new Man?”
First Families of Virginia
a. Not necessarily the oldest settlers but those of wealth and prestige
b. Most of these families traced continued ties from the Old Country of England
c. Spencers, Washingtons, Lee, Fitzhughs and Shackelfords
Yeoman
Colonial slavery
a. “forced immigrants”
b. 1700--20,000 in of 300,000 people in colonies
c. 1775—500,000 of 2.5 million
d. Focused mostly in south
e. Single, largest non-English group was African
Colonial professions
a. Clergy
a. Most honored of all professions
b. Not as revered by 1775 but still held high prestige
b. Physicians
a. Poorly trained
b. Not highly esteemed
c. “Bleeding”
d. Epidemics
i. Smallpox
ii. Diphtheria
c. Law
a. Not held in a favorable light at first
b. Due in part to the need for manual labor in the society
c. John Adams future father in law frowned upon him while he was studying law
Colonial industries
a. Agriculture
a. Leading Industry involving 90% of population
b. Tobacco in Maryland and Virginia
c. Wheat cultivation in the Chesapeake area
d. Middle (bread) colonies produced large quantities of grain
b. Fishing
a. Included Whaling
b. Major industry in New England while pursued in all colonies
c. Exported large quantities of dried cod to other countries
d. Led to the development of Shipbuilding as powerful industry in New England
c. Manufacturing
a. Secondary importance
b. Several small enterprises
c. Distilleries
d. Beaver Hats
e. Household industries (sewing and weaving)
f. Iron forges
g. Carpenters highly valued in Virgina (one who committed murder released)
h. Lumbering
i. Most important single manufacturing activity
ii. Timber consumed by shipbuilders in New England
i. Colonial naval stores-Tar, Pitch, rosin and turpentine
Triangular Trade
a. Infamously profitable
b. Ship would leave a New England port with a cargo of rum and sail to the gold coast of Africa
c. Trading the liquor for African Slaves he would then proceed to the West Indies
d. He would exchange the survivors for molasses and then return to New England.
Molasses Act 1733
a. Attempted to suppress North American Trade with the French West Indies.
b. American merchants bribed and smuggled their way around the law.
Great Awakening 1730-40’s
a. Rousing revival that started in Northhampton, MA
b. Set by the changes in Puritan New England
c. People were less focused and interested in religious ideas
d. Some clergy were attempting to compromise or liberalize their theology in order to appeal to
church membership
e. Old Lights (Orthodox) vs. New Lights (revivalists)
f. Revitalized American religion
g. Lasting Effects
a. Emphasis on direct, emotive spirituality seriously undermined the older clergy whose
authority had derived from their education.
b. It set off many denominations which increased the competitiveness and number of
American churches.
c. Encouraged a fresh wave of missionary work among natives and slaves
d. “New light” centers of learning including Princeton, Brown, Rutgers, and Dartmouth.
e. First spontaneous mass movement of the American people.
f. Contributed to the growing sense of Americans as a single people united by common
history and shared experiences
Jonathan Edwards
a. Pastor in Northhampton, MA given credit for igniting the Great Awakening
b. 1734
c. Proclaimed the folly of believing in salvation through good works
d. Affirmed the need for complete dependence on God’s Grace
e. “Sinners in the Hands of Angry God” paints a vivid picture of Hell and eternal torments
f. Sparked a sympathetic reaction from his parishioners
g. Emotional and passionate
George Whitefield
a. Travelled the colonies
b. Delivered a message of human helplessness and Divine omnipotence
c. Jonathan Edwards was moved to tears and Skeptic Ben Franklin emptied in to the collection plate
Tax-supported churches (established churches)
Anglican
a. Church of England
b. Official faith of Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and part of New
York
c. Served in America as a major champion of Kingly authority
d. Tried to impose it on other colonies with little success
e. More worldly and self serving than that of Puritan New England
f. So poor was their reputation that they founded William and Mary College in 1693 to
better train their ministers
Congregational
a. Formally established in all New England Colonies except Rhode Island
b. All residents taxed in Massachusetts early on to support Congregationalism
c. Eventually members of other denominations were exempted
Presbyterian
a. Never made an official church in the colonies
b. Closely associated with Congregationalism
c.
Colonial education
University of Pennsylvania
a. oRiginally called “The Academy”
b. Founded in Philadelphia, PA in 1754
c. Influenced by Benjamin Franklin
d. First college in America free from denominational control
Harvard 1676
a. See Chapters 3 &4 Notes
Tutor system in the South
a. Due to the spread out nature of the south, logisitics of public schools were near impossible.
b. Wealthy families would pay for private tutors
c. Poor families missed that opportunity
Public education in New England/Middle colonies
a. Religious reasons, they passed education laws.
b. Adequate elementary schools
c. Some tax supported and some were not.
Colonial culture:
Painters – John Trumbull, Charles Peale, Benjamin West, John Singleton Copley
a. Most were forced to return to London to pursue artistic ideas
b. Trumbull-challenged on his dream by his father
c. Peale—famous for portraits of Washington
d. West—Close friend of George III and official court painter buried in London’s St. Paul
Cathedral
e. Copley—Loyalist during the Revolutionary War
Writers – Phillis Wheatley, Benjamin Franklin (Autobiography and Poor Richard’s Almanack)
a. Wheatley-Poet, Slave girl brought to Boston at age 8
a. No formal education
b. Taken to England at 20 and published a book of poetry
c. Influenced by Alexander Pope
b. Franklin
a. First Civilized American
b. Autobiography
c. Poor Richard’s Almanac from 1732 to 1758
i. Contained sayings from thinkers of the ages
ii. Emphasized homespun virtues of thrift, industry, morality and common sense
iii. “what maintains one vice would bring up two children” “Plough Deep while the
sluggard sleeps” “Honesty is the best policy” and “Fish and visitors stink in three
days”
iv. More widely read in America than any other publication outside of the Bible
Peter Zenger’s Trial 1734-35
a. Challenged for Freedom of the press.
b. After printing an attack at the corrupt Royal governor in New York, he is charged with seditious
libel
c. Zenger argued that he had printed the truth
d. Judges ordered jury not to consider truth or falsehood of Zenger’s claims but that since he printed
it, he was guilty.
e. He is found not guilty winning a tremendous victory for freedom of press and democratic ideals
Types of colonies:
Royal (8 colonies) - Under direct leadership of king or designee( Royal Governor)
Proprietary (3 colonies) -Under the leadership of one or two individuals
Self-governing (2 colonies)--an elected government in which elected rulers are able to make most
decisions without referring to the colonial power with nominal control of the colony.
Voting qualifications
a. Religious or property qualifications
b. Half of adult males were disenfranchised.