By; Autumn Hefty, Katie Petrilak, and Alex Cruz Colonial Population By; Autumn Hefty, Katie Petrilak, and Alex Cruz

Indentured Servants Three fourths of immigrants to the Chesapeake were indentured servants. Most servants chose to go but soon prisoners, orphans, vagrants and paupers were sent unwillingly to provide a work force. Male indentures were supposed to be provided with benefits like clothing, tools, and even land, but most men were given nothing. Most male servants ended up without spouses, land or jobs, and most of the time these men were the cause for social unrest. After a while the indentured servant system became unappealing because of the instability and African slavery became more prominent.

Birth and Death Everyone that was born faced inadequate food, epidemics which most of the time resulted in early death. The North had almost a 40 year higher life expectancy then in the South.(cleaner water, cool climate, and relatively disease free environment) Only a 40 year life expectancy in the South for a white man. Through the 17th century families became more balanced.(men to women) By the end of the 17th century North America grew over a quarter of a million people, 25 percent were Africans.

Medicine in the Colonies High Death rate of women who bore children. 17th and 18th century physicians had no understanding of infections and sterilization. Many people died from infections during childbirth or surgery(dirty instruments and hands). Garbage and unclean water in colonies didn’t understand bacteria. Midwives helped in childbirth and gave ideas of natural remedies.

Galen’s Doctoring Theory Galen was a Roman physician that believed that the body was made of four parts and the four parts should be all in balance. The four parts were yellow bile(choler), black bile(melancholy), blood, and phlegm. If the parts weren’t in balance they treated it with purging, expulsion, and bleeding to even them out.

Beginnings of Slavery in the Americas At first the demand for black servants was low, but as soon as tobacco became a staple of the Chesapeake colony, the demand went up. Eventually the Dutch and French joined the slave trade and supply of slaves in North America was plentiful. The Middle Passage was the forced immigration of Africans to the New World. Slaves brought to the New World suffered hardship, like abuse, lack of food and water and commonly death. The slave population in the colonies started to grow and outnumbered the Europeans in some areas, especially the south. Eventually the status of black laborers in the Americas became uncertain as some laborers were treated better and eventually released, owned land and a few owned their own land.

Women and families in Chesapeake Many women stay single because of the sex ratio. Some women become pregnant before marriage as a slave and are given harsh treatments. The most common cause of death for woman is childbirth. The men usually die before their wives.

Women and families in New England The sex ratio between men and women were more equal than in the Chesapeake. Woman married young and gave birth to 6-8 children. Most children lost their parents before the age of 21. They usually had parents consideration of their spouse for things in return. Men and women are equal. Women do farm work.

Changing Sources of European Immigrants Different cultures immigrated. English, French, German, Swiss, Irish, Welsh, Scottish, and Scandinavian traveled as immigrants. French Calvinists or Huguenots were the most non-english immigrants.