Unit Three: Colonial Culture and Conflict Colonial Culture

The people of colonial America developed very differently with each area having its own unique characteristics (style of church, lifestyle, housing, or dialects). In the Southern colonies people were religious, but due to the geography and sparse population went to church once a month, in the Middle and New England colonies’ people were close together in towns, so people went each week and were more pious (self- righteous). Each region of America has its own dialect or style of speech (southern draw and etc.)

Colonial Culture Most colonists were functionally literate to illiterate (can not read and write). The more literate population was found in New England because of the Puritan belief in educating every child with a schoolmaster (taught reading writing, and arithmetic) and grammar schools (teach Latin or Greek). The first colleges in America developed from seminary schools (schools for preachers): Harvard (1636), William and Mary (1693), Yale (1701), Penn (1740), Princeton (1746), Brown (1764), Rutgers (1766), and Dartmouth (1769). Each one of these schools had the ability to give diplomas (Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorates) and later spread to teaching doctors and lawyers.

Colonial Culture Colonialists did have literature at hand, there were many printers who made some books (most shipped to America), but mostly pamphlets, newspapers, and almanacs. The newspapers of the day were mostly gossip, some news, comedy, and want aids. (these were usually read by one person to others in a bar or tavern) Pamphlets were used for political discussion and more news oriented. The most well known almanac was Poor Richard’s written by Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym (Richard Saunders) which included farm reports, weather predictions, poems, and wise sayings.

Franklin’s Virtues "TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation." "SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation." "ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time." "RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve." "FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing." "INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions." "SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly." "JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty." "MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve." "CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation." "TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable." "CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation." "HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates."

Benjamin Franklin “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” “Three may keep a Secret, if two of them are dead.” “Time is money.” “He that lieth down with Dogs, shall rise up with Fleas.” “Glass, China, and Reputation, are easily crack'd, and never well mended. “

Colonial Family Life The people in Colonial America had very large extended families and usually a whole family (father, mother, children, and grandparents) lived in one small house. The women would have on average ten children which four might see adulthood, and half of the women died in childbirth. Each family was to be self-sufficient (able to make do without outside help) with every member of the house contributing. Women and children were seen as the property of the husband, but most lower class women had a “sense” of equality to men.

Colonial Health Colonial life was very hard with many people suffering from malnutrition and other health issues. The average age was around 18, life expectancy was around 36; this led many parents to not even name their child until they were two out of fear of them dying. Colonials suffered from typhoid fever, tuberculosis, cholera, diphtheria, flux (diarrhea), flu, scarlet fever, and etc. Cotton Mather a Puritan preacher aided Dr. Zabdiel Boylston to discover the technique to inoculate people for smallpox.

Diverse America The British colonies were not just populated by British, but also many other peoples. Germans immigrated heavily in Pennsylvania known as the Pennsylvania Dutch. Jewish people immigrated to New York founding the first congregation in America called Shearith Israel, others followed mostly staying in urban centers. (Touro oldest synagogue) Free Black populations dotted the whole landscape of the colonies. There were also Muslims, and other groups that moved to the colonies.

Emerging Tensions in the Colonies The economic principle of Mercantilism led to the develop of the Navigation Acts and economic tensions: –1.) All imports and exports to colonies had to be carried by English ships. –2.) Three-fourth of the crew had to be English. –3.) Colonies could only sell to the English. –4.) Staple Act made where the colonies could only purchase goods from the English. This led to colonial smugglers and the purchasing and selling of goods to and from Dutch smugglers, which led to tensions with England.

Emerging Tensions in the Colonies Territorial tensions developed in the colonies due to Western expansion into the frontier lands of the Appalachian Mountains and westward. The settlers and the natives almost automatically began having problems leading to raiding parties carrying out violence on each other. The French also saw the Western expansion as land grabs on the Louisiana territory causing international problems.

Emerging Tensions in the Colonies Intellectual tensions developed due to the Enlightenment bringing new thoughts of governmental control and people’s rights to the colonies. The Enlightenment was a movement in Europe that stated that natural laws applied to social, political, and economic relationships, and that government and society could be run better through rational thinking (using logic and reason to figure problems out). These thinkers influenced colonial mindsets on their relationship with the British government.

Enlightenment Thinkers John Locke wrote the Two Treatises of Government which he explained natural rights (rights we are given because we are humans: Life, Liberty, and Property) and the purpose of a government (For the people, By the people, and if the People do not like it they can change it). In Locke’s Essay on Human Understanding he stated that people were blank slates (Tabula Rasa) when born, so society can be improved through education and social conditions.

Enlightenment Thinkers Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote the Social Contract that stated people made a contract with their government to rule them, so true power of government comes from the people. Baron de Montesquieu wrote the Spirit of the Laws were he suggested Separation of Powers (three branches of government: a Legislative, an Executive, and a Judicial) and a system of Checks and Balances (that each branch checks the other to make sure one does not become all powerful).

Emerging Tensions in the Colonies Religious tensions developed in the colonies due to a mass revival (large preaching and prayer meetings) movement that swept through the colonies called the Great Awakening. The Great Awakening was sparked by the piety movement (an individual devoutness and emotional unity with God) to save backslidden Christians (people who fell away from their faith) and bring salvation in Christ to the lost (against dominant predestination teachings). The Great Awakening was not a unified movement that happened all at one time, but had a unified message, salvation from hell and a personal understanding of God.

The Great Awakening Cotton Mather was an early Puritan preacher that noted the need to make the word of God more open to the people (democratization of religion). Many preachers like William Tennent opened “Log Colleges” to teach preachers how to preach to the heart and not lecture to the people’s mind (introduction of emotion to the message). Many of the preachers of the Great Awakening were circuit/evangelist/itinerant preachers traveling from church to church starting revivals that took place outside where people had conversion experiences (shouted in tongues, rolled on the ground or etc.).

The Great Awakening Jonathan Edwards was a leader of the movement who traveled through New England giving his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. The most popular preacher was George Whitefield who traveled through the colonies giving pathetical (emotional) sermons that led many women to faint. One radical preacher was James Davenport who said that the “outside” society was destroying Christianity, even to throwing his pants on a bonfire during a sermon.

Denominations in America The Great Awakening led to a splintering of some religious sects and the growth of others. Sects in the Sothern colonies like Baptists and Methodists (founded by John Wesley) grew in ranks due to preaching to all people including slaves. In the New England colonies the Congressionalists split into Old Light and New Light and Presbyterians split into Old Siders and New Siders, either embracing the dissent (difference of opinion) emotionalism or staying with old teachings and styles of preaching.

Salem Witch Trials Another religious movement sweep through Europe and the New England colonies out of fear of Wiccan (Witchcraft) or White Magic/Black Magic. In Massachusetts over 150 people were put on trial between 1692 and 1693 for witchcraft in the famous Salem Witch Trials. The witch trials ended with 19 people hanged men (warlocks or wizards) and women (witches) with one man being pressed to death between two large boulders.

Salem Witch Trials Will you Survive Click the Witch

To Road to Rebellion Due to the different tensions developing in the British “American” Colonies, people began to see a need to separate from the parent colony. The debate to split with England was not at all unanimous and would not be even during the Revolution. What was certain though in the colonies a new culture had started to develop, that was distinctly American.