Life in Colonial America
Why was New England more stable
than the Chesapeake Region?
• NE colonists tended to arrive in family units, large families
• Chesapeake colonists were young single males who arrived
as indentured servants
• Chesapeake Region had a much higher death rate among
colonists ( diseases- malaria, dysentery)
• NE less disease and cleaner water
• The ratio of males to females in Chesapeake was much
more imbalanced, than NE making it difficult to find a wife
and start a family
• Population increased faster in NE allowing for the
development of stable communities
• Life span in NE about 70years, Chesapeake about 50years
New England Economy
• Harsh climate and rocky soil made farming
difficult
• Short fast rivers and good harbors
• Believed in owning and improving land
• Land usually given to congregations and towns
subdivided among family
• Turned to shipbuilding, commerce, whaling
and fishing to make a living
Middle Colonies Economy
• Known as the “breadbasket” of the colonies
• Climate and soil produced a grain surplus
• Large slower rivers allowed for fur trade and
transportation
• Major cities Philadelphia and New York City
• Merchants and artisans flourished
Southern Economy
• Based on cash crops- tobacco, rice and cotton
• Based on plantation system- wealthy landowners
used slaves to harvest cash crops
• Wealthy landowners controlled economy and
politics
• Small farmers- owned a 1 or 2 slaves, struggled to
make living
• Landless whites- worked as laborers for low
wages
• African slaves about 40% of population
John Peter Zenger
• was jailed in NY 1735
because he criticized royal
governor in his newspaper
• Charged with seditious libel
• His defense he printed the
truth
• Was acquitted
• Basis for freedom
of press
Education
• New England
– First public school
system in the Americas
– Based in religion
– Literacy very important
– Hornbook
– New England Primer
– Massachusetts law
required towns of over
50 families to provide
elementary school
The New England Primer
The New England Primer
Education: Middle and Southern Colonies
• Middle Colonies
– Generally private and religiously based
• Southern Colonies
– Private tutors
– Broad education
• Classics (Latin and Greek) and maybe French
• History, Philosophy, and perhaps Science
• Music
Education
Colleges
Name
Denomination
Colony Founded
Harvard
Puritan-Congregational MA
1636
William and Mary
Anglican
VA
1696
Yale
Puritan-Congregational CT
1701
College of New Jersey (Princeton) Presbyterian
NJ
1746
King’s College (Columbia)
Anglican
NY
1754
University of Pennsylvania
Non-sectarian
PA
1740/49
Rhode Island College (Brown)
Baptist
RI
1764
Queen’s College (Rutgers)
Dutch Reformed
NJ
1766
Dartmouth
Puritan-Congregational NH
1769
New colleges founded
after the Great
Awakening.
Phillis Wheatley
- Slave girl who was taught to read
and write
- 1st important African American
writer
- Proof that blacks were not
intellectually inferior
Benjamin Franklin
- Seen as the symbolic American and as
personification of the Enlightenment
- Self educated- was a painter, scientist,
inventor, statesmen and writer
- Invented lightning rod, bifocal glasses
highly efficient stove
- Wrote Poor Richard’s Almanack
1) writings of many thinkers of
the day
2) emphasized thrift, industry
morality and common sense
3) only the bible read more
THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND THE GREAT
AWAKENING
• 1700s: An intellectual
movement known as the
Enlightenment began in
Europe and a religious
movement known as the
Great Awakening started in
the Colonies
• The Enlightenment
emphasized reason, science,
and observation and led to
the discovery of natural laws
• Copernicus, Galileo, Franklin
and Newton were key figures
The Great Awakening was a spiritual
renewal that swept the American Colonies
 1st mass social movement in American
History
Main issues- religious style, personal faith,
church practice and public decorum
Deepest effect on young people
Movement stressed the importance of the
individual
Reasons it arouse
1) movement toward secularism- certain
practices should exist separate from religion
2) influential preachers
3) colonial instability, looking to god for
help
4) dissatisfied with traditional Puritan
church services
Jonathan Edwards
• Jonathan Edwards was a
Puritan priest was credited
with starting Great
Awakening
• Fire & Brimstone style of
worship; large, emotionally
charged crowds
• Rejection of salvation by
works, affirmed need for
complete dependence on
grace of god
• (sinners in the hands of an
Angry God)
The Great Awakening
• Orator George Whitefield followed,
touring colonies, led revivals,
countless conversions, inspired
imitators
• Most influential figure of the
movement
• Founded the Methodist Church in
Georgia and SC
George Whitefield
Old Lights vs. New Lights
• Old Lights- God existed and created the world
- denied God communicated with
man in any form
- got to have if good, skeptical of
emotionalism
- New Lights- heaven by salvation by grace
through Jesus Christ
- challenged traditional authority
- divided congregations
- used emotion to inspire followers
Results of Great Awakening
• Split denominations thus increasing religious
competition in American
• Brought religion to many who had lost touch
with it
• Undermined older clergy
• Encouraged new wave of missionary work
among slaves and Indians
• Founding of New Light Colleges- Dartmouth,
Brown, Rutgers, Princeton