1. Life in the Colonies Fast population growth Life was fragile
Reason for grow
Immigration
People married early and had large families
People lived longer – healthier place
Life was fragile
Epidemic of diseases
Small pox
women died in childbirth

2. A New American Spirit
Immigrants brought their own culture, but fuse together into a new society
New spirit of independence
They adapted their tradition to new conditions of life
Religion, education and the arts contributed to this new culture
The Family was the foundation of American society

3. Family life Men Women Children Head of household Ran the house
Ran farms and business
Represented the family in the community
Could vote
Sons
Became apprentices or ran farms
Women
Ran the house
Sometimes work in the field
Children
Learn to work

4. American Beliefs
American spirit and family were the foundation of American life. There was a commitment to education , religious beliefs and openness to new ideas

5. Colonial Education Education was highly valued.
New England communities with 50 families had a school
85% of men 50% women could read and write
Middle Colonies had Dame schools-widows or unmarried women ran schools Or private schools
Colleges were set up to train ministers.

6. The Great Awakening Religion had strong influence in colonial life.
Religious movement called the GREAT AWAKENING swept through the colonies in the 1730s and 1740s
Return to a strong faith- Revival
Two leaders- Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield
Emphasized personal faith
Inspired greater religious freedom
United the colonist North and South
Paved the way for rapid spread of revolutionary ideas

7. The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a movement spread the idea that knowledge, reason, and science could improve society.
Increased the interest in science
It promoted freedom of thought and expression and equality and popular government
Best example was Ben Franklin

8. Ideas of Freedom
Freedom of the press became an important issue in the colonies
John Peter Zenger case- was key step toward freedom of the Press in the U.S.

9. Civic Virtue
Civic Virtue- democratic ideas, values, and practices that form a truly free society.
Ben Franklin is the best example

10. THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION
CHAPTER 4 SECTION 4
THE SPREAD OF NEW IDEAS
PURITANS- made laws requiring towns with 50 families to provide for public elementary schools.
The Three R’s- reading, writing and arithmetic (religion was required)
New England Primer- 1st American reading textbook
Dame Schools- young women taught young boys and girls to read and write. Boys went on to elementary schools, girls did not. Girls might attend during the summer when boys were working in the fields.
Grammar Schools were like High Schools today but only for boys
Colleges were for men only. Most were set up to train ministers.
Harvard College was the 1st college in the colonies
College of William & Mary was the 1st college in the south
Public School- schools supported by taxes.
New England had public schools
Middle Colonies had private and church schools
Southern Colonies had few school
Rich Gentry hired private teachers to come to their homes
Poor families often had no education
Enslaved African were not admitted to schools, however some Quakers and Anglican missionaries taught slaves to read and write

11. ROOTS OF AMERICAN LITERATURE
The first American literature were sermons and histories.
POETRY
ANNE BRADSTREET
1st American poet. She expressed the joys and hardships of Puritan life.
PHILLIS WHEATLEY
African American poet. Enslaved but raised as a member of the family. She was later freed. Wrote first published poem at 14 years old.
Wrote in a European scholarly style
BEN FRANKLIN
PUBLISHED A NEWSPAPER THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE
POOR RICHARD’S ALMANACK
PITHY SAYINGS WITH A MORAL LESSON “Early to bed early to raise makes an man healthy, wealthy, and wise”
Autobiography
Franklin was a writer, businessman, community leader, scientist, inventor and diplomat.

12. THE GREAT AWAKING IMPACT OF THE GREAT AWAKING
THE GREAT AWAKING-a period of emotion-pack Christian movement that swept through the colonies in the 1740s and 1750s. A period of religious revival in reaction to the decline of religious zeal. It became the first national movement in the colonies.
JONATHAN EDWARDS
Puritan minister that called on people to examine their lives
Sermon : Sinners in the hands of a angry God
George Whitefield
Spread the revival through the colonies by touring the colonies and preaching
IMPACT OF THE GREAT AWAKING
Led to the rise of many new churches. i.e. Methodist and Baptist
The growth of the new church led to more tolerance of religious differences
It reinforced democratic ideas- if people could decide on how to worship God, they could decide how to govern themselves.

13. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
IN THE 1600’S THINKERS CAME TO BELIEVE THAT ALL PROBLEMS COULD BE SOLVED BY HUMAN REASON.
Thinkers looked for “natural laws” that governed politics, society, and economics
JOHN LOCKE – ENGLISH ENLIGHTENMENT THINKER
Published - Two Treatises
Natural Rights- rights that belong to all people from birth (Life, Liberty, and property) given to people by God
He challenged the idea of Divine Right of monarchy- the right to rule
The main idea was that government exist to protect people natural rights. If the government fails to protect peoples rights, the people can change the government.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU
French thinker wrote “The Spirit of the Law”
Main idea: Government power should be divided (SEPARATION OF POWER) to keep one individual or group from gaining too much power.
Branches of government