Chapter 3: Colonial Ways of Life
American History
Southern Colonies

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Southern Colonies had warm climates and
good soil, which were good for growing crops
Because of many cash crops growing in the
South, southern farmers needed a lot of
manpower to grow the crops
Many indentured servants who were free
began to leave the plantations in order to
buy lands around America
Planters tried to make Native Americans to
work, but many died from European diseases
Slavery and its effects

As a result of increased need
for work, planters took
enslaved Africans and used
them for work
◦ worked at growing rice,
tobacco, cotton, and indigo, a
plant used for coloring clothes

Because of profits from cash
crops, the planter class
became the most powerful
and wealthiest class in the
Southern colonies
◦ controlled most of the land in
the South
Slave Life
Some planters were good to
their slaves, while others were
tyrants
 On plantations, slaves worked in
groups of 25 under an overseer,
or men hired to watch over and
direct the slaves while working

◦ slaves worked 15 hours a day
◦ slaves lived in one room cabins
that had sleeping cots in them only
◦ slaves didn’t receive a lot of food
for the week, only enough to
survive
 despite hardships, many slaves kept
their traditions and customs alive
Attempted rebellions and their
aftermaths
Some slaves fought against their
enslavement by working slow,
damaging crops, or carrying out
order in the wrong way
 Some slaves, so angry at their
masters, rose up in rebellion

◦ most were put down easily

As a result of the rebellions,
slave masters established
stricter slave codes, or a set
of laws that regulated slavery
and defined the relationship
between the slave and their
master
New England Colonies
New England had long winters,
rocky soil, and had a large
English population
 New England farming was
short, due to the short
growing season, so many
practiced subsistence
farming

◦ farmers produced enough food
for them, plus a little extra

Many in New England lived in a
town
◦ farmers surrounded a green
square, or the center of the
town
Fishing and Trade

Since farming was difficult, many turned towards
the sea to fish
◦ Atlantic provided great fishing grounds
◦ oak trees provided good ships

New England settlers established three types of
trade:
◦ 1) Traded with other colonies
◦ 2) Traded with European countries
◦ 3) Triangular Trade-route with three stops
 1) Ship from New England brought rum and iron to Africa
 2) Ship from Africa brought slaves and gold to West Indies
 3) Ship from West Indies brought sugar and molasses to
colonies
The Middle Colonies

Middle Colonies had shorter winters, fertile
soil, and populations from all over Europe
◦ many of those immigrants were German and Dutch,
who brought knowledge of farming

The longer growing season allowed the Middle
Colonies to produce cash crops
◦ raised to be sold for money (fruits, vegetables, and
grain)

Mills were extremely important to the Middle
Colonies
◦ animal and man power were used to crush corn,
wheat, rye, and other crops
Middle Colony Society

Since many different immigrants lived
in the Middle Colonies, there was a
great surge of diversity, or variety
of peoples
◦ a majority of immigrants, besides
English, were German
◦ came as indentured servants escaping
religious persecution

The region’s diversity allowed for
tolerance to spread throughout
communities
◦ many practiced religious tolerance, or
allowing other religions to practice
without persecution
◦ Quakers allowed other religions to
practice in Pennsylvania
The Navigation Acts
From major profits in New England, the
Navigation Acts were passed to ensure
that England continued to make money
from the colonies
 Even with the Navigation Acts, England
had trouble controlling shipping

◦ smuggling (importing and exporting goods
illegally) was common
◦ pirates interfered with colonial shipping
from the colonies

New Englanders in large towns owned
slaves
◦ worked as house servants, since farming
was scarce
◦ Interest in business and competition with
other religions caused the decline of
Puritan society in New England
Control in the New England
Colonies

The king of England appointed
governors to rule the
colonies on his behalf
◦ colonists disliked the idea
because the had no
representation in Parliament to
argue it

King James II collected the
Northern colonies and made
them in New England, which
was governed by a governor
◦ angered the colonists because
it ended their representative
bodies and they could hold
town meetings only once a
year
The Glorious Revolution

A revolution in England swept the governors of the
colonies from power
◦ Parliament overthrew James II for not respecting the
peoples’ rights

James fled the country, and his daughter, Mary, and her
husband, William, became rulers of England
◦ The Glorious Revolution

After William and Mary took over, they agreed to
uphold the English Bill of Rights
◦ an agreement to respect the English citizens and Parliament
◦ king and queen could not cancel laws or impose taxes
without Parliament agreeing
◦ established that the government was to be based on laws
made by Parliament
Life for Women in Colonial America

The colonies, especially in New England, began to
thrive
◦ land ownership determined success and social
position

Women did many things around the land to
support the family
◦ tended to crops and made products to trade and use
for the family

Even though they did a lot for the family, women
did not have many rights
◦ could not vote, preach, hold office, own property, and
all moneys earned had to go to the husband, if she
were married
Life for Children in Colonial
America

Children also worked to support
their family and their land
◦ children ages 3-4 looked after
animals and picked berries
◦ boys age 6 helped their fathers tend
to the land
◦ boys age 11 became apprentices,
or students of a professional
craftsman
◦ received food, clothing, lodging, and
education, specifically in the craft
they were learning
◦ boys age 18 would start their own
business with the craft they learned
◦ girls learned household skills, and
were sent to other households to
learn other skills
Education and Religion in Colonial
America

Education was a large factor in the growth of the
colonies
◦ wealthy children learned reading, writing, and arithmetic
◦ poor children went to “dame schools”, where they were
taught the alphabet
Colonists published newspapers, poems, books, and
autobiographies to increase reading and education
 In the 1730’s and 1740’s, a great religious movement
swept through the colonies, teaching those who
listened to continue to believe in God

◦ The Great Awakening
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Another movement during this time emphasized on
reason, logic, and science
◦ The Enlightenment