Ms. Thrower's Social Studies Website



CategoryNew England ColoniesMiddle ColoniesChesapeake/Lower South ColoniesLabor ForceSmall family farms and little African slave labor…not many indentured servants (largely voluntary immigration/religious dissenters as labor force)?Indentured servitude, especially in 1670-after 1700; headright system used to attract workersLarge plantation style living arrangements with large indentured servant population, later switching to slave labor (esp. in Chesapeake region)Birth/death rateHigh birth/reproduction, less rate of adult death—due to better longevity?higher mortality, but less than southern regions1 in 4 children died during infancy/didn’t live past the age of 20…very high death rate—arduous labor, climate, contamination, disease, etc. caused larger death ratesLife expectancyVery high-approximately 71/70 years (M-F) …approximately 10 years above that of Europe, 25 years above Southern colonies—possibly due to climate?Approx. 40 years—very low due to very warm climate, difficult labor—women have slightly less, in part due to mortality rates during childbirthGender ratioLess than ? population male—eventually decreased to 60% male and leveled out after 1700 to slightly more females than males?Overall, originally more male, similar to New England and South, but evened out by the end of the eighteenth centuryOver ? population male—took longer to decrease, but eventually leveled out in the eighteenth centuryMarriage PatternsMarried around 20/21—traditionally young early marriages—more arrangement but not compared to English marriage patterns?Married around 18—younger than in North—less traditional values (less religion in lives), due to more variety in family patterns—premarital sex commonNumber of childrenmost likely to survive 6-8—many lived to mature age due to longevity?8—but as many as 5 died before maturity; many females died during childbirth, having children on average every 2 yearsRole of womenIn theory, women were equal in eyes of church, in reality, men held all power in church and thus in society—little importance other than childbearing?Good amount of freedom for womenWidows wielded much power in improved social order—more power in families than in New EnglandFamily patternsChildbearing for women—male authority—birth of grandparents in New England—longevity provided three generations of living people—tradition lifestyles but improvised from England (rooted deeply in religion)?Childbearing biggest female priority—improvised social structure provided for complex families (step-children, half-siblings, widows, widowers, etc.)Slavery:WhereExtentAcquisitionNumbers?Relatively small slave population—not very important to way of life or economy; approximately 16,000 by 1763 medium amount of slaves by mid-1700s, a few more than New England but far less than in the South; Pennsylvania—very few slaves/low percentage (didn’t believe in slavery); moderated slave labor to lesser extent in middle colonies—not as economically important; approx. 29,000 by 1763?very heavily concentrated in Southern colonies (slaves dominated population in South Carolina and Chesapeake region eventually—approx. 1 in 10 residents was African by 1700 in all colonies, but outnumbered Europeans in South areas; many slaves born in Chesapeake region (more males than females); death rates among Africans high, esp. in high intensity labor situations; at first slaves treated similar to indentured servants, eventually leading to slave codes that reduced their rights; took a while for England to become involved to due monopoly in Atlantic slave tradeCategoryNew England ColoniesMiddle ColoniesChesapeake/Lower South ColoniesImmigration patterns:Where fromTo which coloniesNumbersImpact?English immigration declined by 1700 (due to new emigration laws/depopulation in England)--not much other foreign immigration—remained largely English settlers as population increased domestically and naturallyMany German/French protestants emigrated, esp. to NY/PN (developed into Penn. Dutch (German=Deutsch); Scots-Irish settled in backcountry PN—biggest group of immigrants in colonies; Scottish Presbyterians and Catholics went to NJ/PN—had major religious impact there?Swiss/Germans emigrated to places such as NC; Scots-Irish relocated to backcountry South after religious/social/political restrictions in Ulster colony—settled in outskirts of VA/NC/MD with little regard for ownership of land-biggest group to immigrate; population greatly increased in all colonies, especially after 1700Major economic activities`some farming (still major economic activity)—subsistence agriculture within families—industry most evolved in New England—metalwork and small businesses in villages and towns emerged (formed merchant middle class)Better land—led to medium sized agriculture, not like plantation economy—wheat grown, especially in Pennsylvania and New YorkAgriculture major economic opportunity (plantation economy)—used as cash crop and only economic structure—three main crops (VA-tobacco, SC and GA-rice/indigo, later cotton)Major citiesBoston, Newport (to an extent)New York, PhiladelphiaCharles Town (never to extent of other cities in Middle and South)Elite or privileged class“Elect” Calvinists and religious/political clergy made up elite—least separated from middle and lower classesNo distinct elite class—no sizeable African population and blurred boundariesWealthy planter class were privileged and separated from much larger African slave population and lower classes of backcountry peoplesStratification (separation of classes)Not as stratified as South, but elite held much political and religious power due to theocratic structure of societyVery little stratification—blurred lines and less social classesMost stratified—hierarchical social structure of planter eliteCharacteristic social unitBirth of the small towns and villages—tight-knit communities?Not as isolated farming communities—less African slavery but much diversity in cultureIsolated farm communities—plantation served as social organization unit—very self-sufficient and scattered from each otherMajor religionsCalvinist Puritanism—known as Congregationalists…very strict in Massachusetts—RI fostered toleration, and to a lesser extent, Connecticut—small minorities of Jews, Catholics, and other Protestant denominationsDiverse religious background—more toleration—(Calvinists, Quaker, Congregationalist, Church of England, Catholic minorities)Church of England (establish Church), occasional Catholics (religion never the most important factor in Southern coloniesReligious Toleration?Very little in Massachusetts (least in all colonies) but great toleration in Rhode Island and, to a lesser extent, Connecticut and New Hampshire, First Great Awakening begins here, “Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God”; John Edwards?decent religious toleration due to diverse culture, religious, and social background, esp. in Pennsylvania and New York, “holy experiment” began here by William Pennnot very much toleration, although religion not as significant as in middle colonies and not nearly as important as New EnglandEducational OpportunitiesBirth of public school system—Massachusetts; went during winter to allow for planting seasons; mainly for boys’ education—more important for girls to maintain house/children; higher education for religious purposes mainly (i.e. Ivy League schools)more similar to South with tutoring system in farming culturetutoring system—education mainly reserved for planter elite, reserving power for the elite classLiteracy ratesgenerally a bit over 50% for boys, and less for girls due to educational differences Same as New EnglandSame as New England? ................
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