1.  American Life in the 17 th Century

3. Education & Literacy o Towns with more than 50 households were required to appoint teachers o Harvard College was founded in 1636 to train ministers o About 90% of adult white men & 40% of adult white women could sign their names No more than 50% in other colonies In England, only about 33% could read & write

4. Community Life o Centered around the Meeting House o Homes were close to one another Led to a high population density in town center Created an atmosphere of “watchfulness” Supported the overall goal of a “city upon a hill” without dissent Easy to help one another & work together

6. Family Life o Family Organization Father - Head of the family Mother - Manage the household Children - Provide a labor force o Stability 80% of children reach adulthood Life expectancy - Men: 65

7. Punishments o Convicted criminals were exposed to public ridicule o Meant to serve as a warning to others

8. o Early 1700s – church membership & attendance began to decline o 1730s-40s – religious fervor spread across the colonies with large revivals meeting under tents on the outskirts of town o Led by “New Light” ministers who emphasized an emotional & personal connection to God

9. Jonathan Edwards  Encouraged parishioners to absolve their sins & pay penance by praying for salvation  “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

10. George Whitefield o Proclaimed that ordinary people could understand the Gospel without the leadership of the church o Called for public admissions of sins & followers being “saved” in front of the congregation

11. Legacy o Promoted the growth of New Light institutions such as Princeton, Dartmouth, & Rutgers o Led to new divisions within the Protestant faith & a greater diversity of religion in the colonies o Shaped church life & worship in America o Encouraged egalitarian democracy

13. o Tobacco cultivation dominated the region o Large profits could be made, but prices fluctuated o Indentured servants & slaves were common on the plantations

14. Community Life o Centered around large plantation homes o Homes were spread out & situated along the banks of rivers or streams Led to a low population density – about 6 people per sq. mile

16. Family Life o Chaotic 50% of children reach adulthood Life expectancy - Men: 48 Complex households

17. Headright System o Virginia Company awarded 50 acres to anyone who paid a servant’s travel costs Between 1630-1700 – 110,000 migrated from England to the Chesapeake Bay Up to 90% were indentured servants  About 40% died within 6 years

18. Background o Tension developed between large landowners & former indentured servants Growing gap between the rich & poor The price of tobacco plummeted Conflict with Native Americans

19. o Settlers (often former servants) encroached on land reserved for Native Americans Indians retaliated o Virginia’s governor proposed a series of forts along the western frontier Settlers took matters into their own hands Led by Nathaniel Bacon

20. Key Events o Wanted to exterminate Native Americans along Virginia’s western frontier o Clashed with Governor Berkley & his supporters Issued the Declaration of the People of Virginia o Burned Jamestown to the ground o Bacon died suddenly of dysentery Ended the rebellion

21. Aftermath o Shocked many of the elites of the region o Contributing factor in the shift from indentured servants to slave labor

22. o 1619 – First documented slaves arrived in Jamestown o 1660 – Fewer than 1000 slaves in the region o 1700 – At least 20,000 slaves in the region (22% of the population)

23. o By the early 1700s, slave labor was used extensively in South Carolina o Slavery existed in all of England’s North American colonies Slaves made up 20% of New York City’s population in the mid-1700s