Colonial Society Social expectations spread from Europe: men superior to women, wealthy superior to the poor. Gentry – men & women wealthy enough to hire others to work for them. Wore wigs (unmistakable sign of status), silk stockings, fashionable hats. Also known as “gentle folk” or “gentlemen”. Devoted most of their time “displaying” their status – strolling the streets, building mansions, supervised labor.

Skilled Class Artisans – silversmiths, pottery makers, glassware makers Printers – gathered and circulated news Farmers/Fishermen – reputation for being tough, thrifty, conservative. Women – Under English law, a woman was under her husband’s control (or father’s). Her class depended on his. Many worked hard cooking, gardening, weaving, and rearing children.

Benjamin Franklin Printed annual additions of Poor Richard’s Almanac from 1732 to 1757. Weather predictions, calendars, advice, etc. Retired from printing in his 40s and spent his life studying science and politics. In 1752, he flew a kite in a thunderstorm to prove the electrical nature of lightening. Also invented bifocal glasses.

Colonial Education Attendance at school not required. Protestants pushed children to read the Bible. In 1647, Massachusetts passed a law requiring every town w/ 50 families to hire a schoolmaster to teach reading & writing. Towns with 100 or more families offered a grammar school w/ Greek & Latin. Many boys became apprentices for skilled crafts. Colleges – typically for the wealthy: Harvard (Boston, MA) – 1636, William & Mary (Williamsburg, VA) – 1693, Yale (Connecticut) - 1701

Changing South Between 1690 and 1760, South shifted from a frontier society w/ a surplus of males to a region bustling w/ native-born families and newly developed plantations. Population quadrupled. Virginia remained the largest colony with 340,000 Families began to stretch south and Georgia was founded in 1732 as a debtor’s haven and buffer to Spanish Florida.

Slavery in the North Slaves & indentured servants made up much of income people after 1713. Slaves made up <10% of population in northern colonies, 4% in most. Usually labored alone, under less repressive condition than southern slaves. Most commonly found in wealthy port cities. Over 40% of NYC households owned slaves by 1700.

Slavery in the South From 1700 to 1775, more than 350,000 African slaves entered the colonies. By 1760, slaves made up 1/5 of Southern population. With high populations on plantations, many worked to keep native beliefs, form kinships. Many spoke Gullah – a “pidgin” mixing of English and African languages.