2. Role of women

3. Role of women
A colonial woman often bore her husband many children, and childcare took up much of her time.
Her other domestic responsibilities included cooking, laundry, making cloth and sewing clothes, gardening, tending animals, and preserving food.
Other Roles of Women
On Farms
A woman might help plow, pitch hay, or do other chores, especially if she lived on the western frontier.
In Towns
A woman might keep a shop or an inn or work as a baker, a printer, or even an undertaker.
In Public Life
Because they could not vote or hold office, women had little or no role in public life.
But on the western and southern frontiers, once in a while women participated in government in an advisory capacity.

4. The Gentry Size of Group
The gentry were few in number, but they were the most powerful people.
Occupations
The gentry included wealthy planters, merchants, ministers, royal officers, successful lawyers and, often, prosperous artisans.
Lifestyle
People in this group often had luxurious homes filled with expensive furniture.
Public Office
Because many official jobs paid no salary, few but the gentry could afford to hold office.

5. The Middle Class Size of Group
The great majority of European colonists were middle class and were neither rich nor poor.
Occupations
Men in the middle class were small planters, independent farmers, and artisans.
Ethnicities
The middle class was mostly white, but some of its members were of African descent.
Public Office
Middle-class men could vote, and a few held public office.

6. Indentured Servants Countries of Origin
In the 1600s, most indentured servants came from England.
In the 1700s, a growing number came from Ireland and Germany.
Status
Indentured servants and farmhands were just above enslaved Africans on America’s social scale.
Rights
Indentured servants were bound to obey their masters, and they had few, if any, rights.
Those who disobeyed could be whipped, or time might be added to their service.

7. Indentured Servants
At the end of a term, an indentured servant received clothes, tools, and 50 acres of land.
About 1 indentured servant in 10 became a prosperous landowner, and another 1 in 10 became an artisan.
The others either returned to their country of origin or joined a class of landless, poor whites.

8. African- Americans
In 1763 almost half of the colonial population came from Africa, but very few African Americans were free.
During the first census in 1790, there were 60,000 free people of African ancestry and 757,000 enslaved people of African ancestry in the colonies.

9. African Americans
Even in the South, free African Americans were allowed to own property, and they also could become slaveholders.
Some free blacks purchased enslaved relatives and set them free.
But most African American property owners were not allowed to vote or sit on juries.

10. Colonial Society Men Gentry • Head of family • • Worked as farmers
or in trades
Gentry •
Colonial Society
Middle Class •
Family
• Living in
extended
families
• More single
people in
towns
Women •
Children •
Indentured Servants •
African Americans •

11. Colonial roles
Go through each station to take notes on each colonial role. (no more than 4 at a station)
After you are done taking notes write a journal entry from the perspective of one of the roles
1 page
Be descriptive
Discuss the colony you live in and the conditions you are living in