5-1 Early American Culture Essential Question: Identify the movements that encouraged the colonists to begin to question the British government.

Terms and Names and Why it all matters British colonies were based on prosperity, literacy, new movements in religion and thought Important people: John Locke, Benjamin Franklin Important movements: Great Awakening and the Enlightenment

Land, Rights and Wealth Landowners could: Cheap farmland and natural resources gave colonists a chance to prosper Landowners could: Sell everything they produced Had the right to vote

COLONIAL SOCIAL RANK HIGH CLASS: Large land owners, church officials, government officials, wealthy merchants UPPER MIDDLE: small farmers, tradespeople LOWER MIDDLE: renters, unskilled workers LOW CLASS: indentured servants, slaves Women held the social class of their father or husband

Women, Children and the Economy Women: took care of household, made products the family needed Married women could not own property w/out husbands permission Money earned by a women belonged to her husband Children began helping around the farm as early as 3 Age 11 boys could become an apprentice

SCHOOL Children were taught to read to understand the Bible Wealthy children had private tutors or private schools to learn writing and math Poorer children learned from their mothers Formal education ended at age 7 Textbooks emphasized religion Literacy rate was high in colonies: measured by ability to sign their name

THE GREAT AWAKENING Movement that preached inner religious emotion was more important then outward religious behavior Changed colonial culture Encouraged ideas of equality and stressed the importance of the individual over the authority of the church Encouraged the colonists to question the authority of the British government Encouraged the Revolution movement

THE ENLIGHTENMENT Emphasized reason and science as paths to knowledge Benjamin Franklin: American enlightenment thinker John Locke: natural rights of life, liberty, and property, people create the government to protect their rights. If the government does not protect their rights the people can change the government. Charles Montesquieu: believed the government should have 3 branches to keep each other in check Colonists began to question if the British government was protecting their rights