Colonial Society on the
Eve of Revolution
Chapter 5
Conquest by Cradle
• Britain had 32 colonies in North
America by 1775
– 13 rebelled – others were larger and wealthier
(Canada, Jamaica)
• Population grew from 300,000 in 1700
to 2.5 million in 1775
– Mostly from natural fertility of Americans
– Average age 16
– Began to catch population of England itself
• Most populated American colonies
– Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania
• Mostly rural – 90%
– Only cities: Philadelphia, New York, Boston,
Charleston
A Mingling of Races
•
Germans
– Tried to keep own language and
cultures
• No loyalty to British crown
• Mostly Lutheran
– Settled mainly Pennsylvania
• developed Conestoga wagons
• developed iron stove
– 6% of population (1775)
•
Blacks
– 400,000 in 1775, 20% of
population
– 90% in the South
•
5% of population were other Europeans
– Huguenot, Welsh, Dutch, Swedes,
Irish, Swiss, Jews
– None had loyalty to British Crown
New England was least ethnically
diverse, Middle colonies, the most
– Intermarriage created American
identity
•
Scots-Irish
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
7% of population (1775)
– Second largest white ethnic group
Pushed from Scotland to Northern Ireland to America
looking for success
– Irish Test Act 1704 denied limited voting to
Anglicans, heavy taxes put on Scots-Irish products
– Resented British authority and Anglican church
Presbyterian
Mostly to Pennsylvania, moved to frontier back country
to find land
– Were transient - built log cabins and moved on
Were ready to fight, fiercely independent, confronted
Indians in Appalachians
Brought whiskey making to America
Paxton Boys 1764 (Pennsylvania), Regulator movement
(North Carolina)
– Violent revolts against colonial government because
Scots-Irish disagreed with government
Structure of Colonial Society
•
•
•
•
America had more equality than Europe in 1700s, but
less than it had in 1600s
– Most Americans were small farmers
– Cities had artisans, shopkeepers and
tradespeople
– Social mobility was available to almost all
Increased social stratification
– Increasing gap in wealth
– Wealthy took control of politics, education and
religion
– Number of destitute increase, but not to
European levels
– Immigrants and indentured servants increased
numbers of poor
Loss of land
– More people and estates divided through
inheritance made it harder to get land
Slaves were oppressed lower class
– Britain would not stop slave trade because it
would end cheap labor in West Indies
Occupations in the Colonies
•
Ministers were highly influential and
esteemed
•
Physicians were poorly trained, medical
care was inconsistent, epidemics
common.
– Physicians were not looked on
favorably
•
Jurists - Lawyers were looked down
upon because manual labor was favored
•
Agriculture was leading industry
– 90% of people involved
– Tobacco in Maryland, Virginia
– Middle colonies raised cattle and
grains
•
Fishing
– New England
– Encouraged shipbuilding industry
Manufacturing
•
•
•
•
•
Secondary to the economy, agriculture was main source of wealth
Iron forges allowed some manufacturing
Other products also produced
– Rum, beaver hats, spinning and weaving cloth, carpentry
– Lumbering important for shipbuilders
Colonial naval stores
– Tar, pitch, rosin, turpentine
– Britain encouraged production as way to help British fleets
Commerce and Trade
– New York, Pennsylvania and New England dominated trade
Molasses Act 1733
•
•
•
America out produced British demand, so wanted to be able to sell to
foreign markets
– Americans needed cash to be able to buy British finished products
By 1720s Americans were trading mostly with French colonies for
sugar and molasses (for rum).
“Sugar Lobby” of British West Indian members of Parliament had
Molasses Act passed to restrict trade between American colonies and
French West Indies
– It was a tax designed to make British molasses cheaper than
French
– Would hurt American economy and standard of living
– Led to smuggling, bribery and breaking the law
– Britain did not enforce the law
Horsepower and Sailpower
•
•
•
•
•
Deep Rivers and peninsulas in South encouraged
water transport
– Was easier to sell goods to English textile
manufacturers than overland
– Reduced need for cities because trade happened
directly from plantation to England
New England had rough, rocky coast
Had deep, sheltered bays
– Encouraged development of cities around safe harbors
Few navigable rivers to ocean
Rivers were steep and downhill
– Ideal for running mills
•
•
•
Green Dragon Tavern, Boston
Populations cluster on waterways
Roads were poorly made and maintained
Taverns
– emerge to provide food, shelter, entertainment,
news and gossip along journeys
– Were gathering centers and incubator for
democracy and revolution
Dominant Denominations
•
Established Churches (paid with taxes) existed
in 9 of 13 colonies
– Congregationalist – MA, CT, NH
– Anglican – NY, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA
• Britain encouraged establishment of
Anglican churches as way to promote
authority of King
• Was not popular in America because it
wasn’t “Puritan” enough
• Americans opposed creation of American
Anglican bishop, fearing extension of
King’s power
•
Ministers frequently addressed sinful lives and
politics in sermons
– Congregationalist and Presbyterians
supported revolutionary ideals, Anglicans
supported King
Religious Revivalism
•
•
•
•
•
Colonial Churches were not as intense as they were in
1700s.
Liberal preachers argued that good works could lead to
salvation, challenging Calvinist predestination
Arminians argued free will determined salvation, not
God’s will
Liberal challenges led to Halfway Covenant
Pietism
– German religious movement that emphasized pious
behavior
– 1720s Theodore Frelinghuysen brought passionate
spiritual message to Pennsylvania and New Jersey
Jonathan Edwards
•
William and Gilbert Tennent led revival with Scots-Irish Presbyterians
•
Jonathan Edwards “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” began the
emotional, fire and brimstone sermons in Congregationalist churches in
Connecticut
• Believed vivid words would “fright persons from Hell”
• Opposed financially motivated actions of merchants and land
speculators, defended poor families
Great Awakening
•
•
Great Awakening of 1730s – 1740s
– George Whitefield (1739)– charismatic preacher
• Inspired by Tennents and John Wesley (founder
of Methodism)
• Toured nation and attracted huge crowds
• Preached human helplessness and divine power
• Inspired evangelical, emotional imitators that led
revival gatherings
– Supporters of Awakening were “New Lights”
• Anglican, Quakers, Baptists, and
Congregationalist Churches split over their
support or opposition to Awakening
Effects
– First spontaneous mass movement of Americans
– Revived values of individual experience and lessened
need for church organization
– Created sense that challenges to American values
were products of satanic influences
George Whitefield
Old Lights vs. New Lights
•
•
•
•
Old Lights opposed emotional
theatrics of Awakenings, New
Lights supported it.
Impacts local politics
– Connecticut
• Colonial government
controlled by Old Lights
• Supporters of revolution
and Sons of Liberty were
New Lights
Disestablishment of Church
Opposition to old lights made
some leave Congregationalist for
Baptist and oppose tax support
for churches
New light Presbyterians in
Virginia were led by Samuel
Morris and Samuel Davies to
leave traditional churches
Democratic Spirit
•
Dangers of an Unconverted
Ministry (1740) Gilbert Tennent
said minister authority come from
conversion experience, not
theological knowledge
– Anyone who had experience
could speak as minister –
democratic idea
•
New Light Baptists welcomed
everyone including slaves –
focused on adult baptism after
adult was “born again”
– Challenged social and class
distinctions
•
New lights, Isaac Backus –
common people have as much
right to judge religious matters as
clergy
Education in
colonies
•
•
•
Traditionally education limited to
elite, aristocrats in England
– Education for leadership, not
citizenship
Protestants believed you had to
read Bible
– Led to increased literacy rates
in America
Boys were given more formal
education
–
–
–
•
Schools limited by needs of farm
South relied on tutors instead of schools
because of distance
Very strict, focus on classics and religion
Girls were taught housekeeping
skills
Memorial of 1st Public School in US –Latin School, Boston
American Universities
•
•
Most universities were to train “New Light” preachers and lawyers
If someone wanted non-religious training, they would send their kid to
Europe
•
Harvard was first
Founded 1636
Congregational
Rutgers
Founded 1766
Dutch Reformed
Founded 1740
Founded 1693
Anglican
Columbia
Founded 1754
Anglican
Founded 1701
Congregational
Princeton
Founded 1746
Presbyterian
Founded 1764
Baptist
Dartmouth
Founded 1769
Congregational
Provincial Culture
•
•
Most Americans still looked to Europe for art
and culture
No schools to train artists
•
American painters
– John Trumbull, Benjamin West, John
Singleton Copely
•
Literature
– Phillis Wheatley, slave girl who became a
poet
•
Benjamin Franklin
– Scientist, inventor, businessman,
philosopher
– Wrote Poor Richards Almanack
– Was one of few Americans known and
admired in Europe
Pioneer Presses
•
•
Libraries were rare, mostly privately owned
– Ben Franklin created first circulation library
Few newspapers were made in the colonies
– Benjamin Franklin was a printer and had his own paper in Philadelphia
– 40 papers by Revolution, most written under pseudonyms
– Played major role in criticizing policies or Britain
Zenger Trial
•
John Peter Zenger was
arrested for libel because
he printed articles
criticizing the corrupt
governor of New York
– Zenger defended by
Alexander Hamilton
•
Jury ruled in favor of
Zenger despite royal judges
instructions to the contrary
•
Zenger won the case,
establishing precedent of
free press in America
– Establish that truth is
defense against libel
– Allowed Americans to
criticize government
Structure Colonial Government
•
Governor
– By 1775 – 8 royal colonies; 3 proprietary
colonies (PA, MD, DE); 2 elected their own
governors (CT, RI)
– Had most authority
•
Colonial Legislatures
– Colonial Council
• Was upper house, usually chosen by
king or proprietor
– Colonial Assembly
• Lower house
• Representative governments
– Voted into office by land owners
– Backcountry areas were usually
unrepresented and resented both
colonial and royal governments
• Voted for taxes
• Controlled governors by limiting pay
and budget
Colonial Politics
•
Town meetings encouraged
democratic spirit and political
debate
•
Voting tied to land ownership
so most males could vote
– Land was available for
people to own their own
farm
– All colonies had limitations
on voting
•
Culturally, tended to defer to
“betters”