Colonial Culture Do now: Write 5 useful facts from the video on mercantilism and triangular trade. To get credit your facts must be numbered. Today, I will understand and draw the colonial social structure; identify key aspects of African culture and the struggle to maintain a cultural identity while being enslaved; explain how the Great Awakening impacted the colonies and how children were educated in the colonies. If you do a good job with taking notes, you will not have homework (my discretion).

Statistical breakdown of colonial America in 1700 In 1700 there was less than 300,000 people Ratio of English settlers to other colonists: 20 to 1 By 1775 there were 2.5 million people Ratio of English settlers to other colonists dramatically dropped to: 3 to 1 89% increase. The biggest colonies were Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Maryland 90% of all people lived in rural areas and worked on farms There were only 4 major cities: Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Charleston 80% of the total British and continental emigration to America prior to the Revolutionary War were Indentured Servants 20% of population of North America were slaves (approx. 560,000) 90% of slaves were in the South

Indenture servitude vs. Slavery Dr. D. Shi from Furman University Write 5 useful facts.

Social Structure Gentry The Middle Class Smaller land owners Less successful professional and artisans Wealthy landowners, merchants, ministers, and royal officials Outside the social structure were enslaved Africans that were treated as chattel Low class: hired farmhands, white indentured servants and free blacks

Women in the colonies Roles/treatment/expectations of women varied depending on the colony and location within the colony. Most women would take care of the household and related tasks. Women in the “backcountry” would work in the field with their husband. Some women, especially in larger populated areas would become skilled crafts-workers (butcher, silversmith and some would become “midwives”

African Culture Africans were able to maintain more of their cultural identity in areas where they interacted less with whites (example South Carolina, with is the largest slaveholding colony) Gullah (combination of English and Bantu languages) In some areas slaves would become skilled laborers and be able to purchase their freedom (rather uncommon after 1800) Africans living in the Middle and New England colonies were greatly outnumbered and would often live in cities (Philly, New York, and Newport)

Great Awakening Yes, ppl. were becoming even more spiritual (if that’s possible) Examine the life you’re living: “Are you going to hell?!? [We are all], “sinners in the hands of an angry God” Edwards and Whitefield (old school evangelists). Led to a democratic movement within the church that spread to politics (challenge authority when liberties are at stake

Edge-a-macation New England (ppl live closer together), public schools (1647) all parents must teach their children to read and write and understand the principles of religion (sounds rather Puritanical to me). 1 room schoolhouse (all children and all grade-levels

Middle Colonies Population is a little more spread out, thus private schools were created. Parents would send their children for the week to attend and pay private tuition (obviously not for everyone).

Southern Colonies Population extraordinarily spread out. Wealthy plantation owners would hire private tutors to live on the grounds and teach their children. Only few people in society could afford a formal education, thus ill-literacy was highest in the Southern Colonies.