1. 17th century Colonial Period
New England

2. New England Colonies New Hampshire--1623
Province of Massachusetts Bay (Massachusetts and Maine)
Rhode Island
Connecticut

3. The Thirteen Colonies

4. New England Colonies England v. Colonies Economy = Tobacco Culture
Land/Laborers
Economy = Tobacco Culture
Cultivate what you can to make MONEY!
Labor Intensive Crop
Mercantile Society
Not to grow food but to grow tobacco!

5. New England Colonies Chance to make it!
Tens of thousands of people enter
Indentured servants come in hopes of serving then getting land
Men, poor, young (16-24), unmarried and white
Ratio is 7:1
Immature and chaotic colonies
Society grows through migration, not procreation

6. New England Colonies Problem is… Life Expectancy was low!
Indentured servants get the worst land
Left to fend for themselves on the wild frontier
Life Expectancy was low!
Within three years of coming to the colony:
40 to 50 percent of the indentured servants died

7. New England-Religion Religion Puritans (Separatists)
Escaping religious persecution
Their goal was to create ‘a city on the hill, a shiny beacon to the world’ (Matthew)
Build a godly utopia

8. New England-Religion Become a church member or else…
No voting
No owning land
No power
If you don’t go to church you must pay a fine!
The ultimate goal is to become a visible saint
Get “saved” in front of the church

9. New England-Religion Puritan Equality
Men = Women (in the eyes of God)
Both come to salvation the same way
Inequality in terms of church members leaders
Gender roles given by God
Civil Equality is non-existent

10. New England-Women Traditional, Nuclear family is non-existent
Single women hold their ‘power’
Women get to choose the ‘pick of the litter’
Economic success of a man is a plus!
Marriage = Civil Contract (No love/romance)
Married women become Coventry
Average marriage 9 years
Divorce rare but not uncommon

11. New England-Women Once widowed:
1/3 of inheritance goes to the woman after her husband dies (most leave it all to their wife)
Another man sees this as an opportunity to make money!

12. New England-Women Women will: Travail
birth 10 to 11 children
Only 3 to 4 will survive
Travail
Part of culture
Neighborly
Badge of Honor
Pre-marital pregnancy was not abnormal
Not marrying soon after is SCANDAL!

13. New England-Women Deputy Husbands
Man not present/sick—Woman may Vote for him!
Could take on the man’s role…but always put back
(19th century changed it all) **Things got worse**
Upper middle class could afford to hide their women
Frontier women were poor and needed to help with physical labor

14. New England-Women Women Were bartering/trading with one another
Sustaining the colonial society
Performing a SIGNIFICANT role
made the decisions about what needs are needed in society
were bringing Puritans into the modern world

15. New England-Women Highest Literacy Rate in the WORLD!
85% literacy vs. 20% in England
Higher among women

16. New England-Women Puritan Women Elderly women Weak
Susceptible to temptation
Labored and Beautiful
Elderly women
Protect younger women from sexually aggressive men

17. What observations can you make about Puritan children?

18. New England-Children Born with sin Key is: Prone to do bad things
To break the will of the child
Prepare them for salvation
Constantly try to do better

19. Decline of the Puritan Society
Trade Materialism Commerce Money Happiness
This is SINFUL
Materials God
1700 to 1776 Trade increases 9X!
Decline of Puritan society