Hanley1

KathleenHanley
Mr.Herrmann,Mr.Rutherford
APUSHistory
31August2015
Chapter5Notes:ColonialSocietyoftheEveofRevolution

ConquestbytheCradle
TheburgeoningcoloniesinNorthAmericahadmoreinhabitantsthanBritain.
MostofthecolonistslivedinVirginia,Massachusetts,Pennsylvania,NorthCarolinaand
Maryland(90%ofthepopulationwereintheruralareas).

AMinglingoftheRaces
TheearlycolonistscamefromalloverEurope.
Theracialbreakdownwasasfollows:Germans(Pennsylvania6%),ScotsIrish(7%Appalachia,
Pennsylvania,Georgia)FrenchHuguenots,Welsh,Dutch,Swedes,Jews,Irish,SwissandScots
Highlanders.

TheStructureofColonialSociety
TherichestBostoniansandPhiladelphiansownedmostofthetaxablewealthintheircities.
ThereweremanyhomelessinBostonandtheyforcedtowearalargered"P"ontheirclothing.
Thelowerclassesincludedindenturedservantsandslaves(thelowest).

Clerics,Physicians,andJurists
Religiousfigureswereheldinhighregard.
Notsofordoctorswhowerepoorlytrainedandwerefacedwithepidemicssuchassmallpoxor
diphtheria.
Lawyerswerenotthoughtofveryhighlyeither.

WorkdayAmerica
Theleadingindustrywasagriculturemostofthepopulationwasinvolvedintheseefforts.
TobaccowasgrowninMarylandandVirginia.
Grainwastypicallygrowninthemiddlecolonies.
Notnearlyasmanyofthecolonistswereinvolvedwithfishing.
InNewYorkandPennsylvania,tradewasveryimportant.
AshipwouldleaveNewEnglandloadedwithrumandsailtoAfrica.Whenitarriveditwould
pickupslavesandthensailtotheWestIndiesinordertopickupmolasses.Whenthemolasses
arrivedinNewEnglanditwouldbeconvertedtorum.Thiswascalled
triangulartrade
.

Whiledistillingwasimportant,manufacturinginthecolonieswasnotnearlyasimportant.

Hanley2

Loggingwasanearlyactivity.
MostoftheBritishmerchantfleetwasAmericanmadeby1770.
TherewasatradeimbalancewithEngland,duetothenumberofAmericansbeingborn.The
BritishcouldnotkeepupasthecolonistswantedmoreandmoreEnglishproducts.
TheAmericansbegantolooktoforeignmarketstomakemoneyinordertopayforBritish
products.

ParliamentpassedtheMolassesAct(1773)totryandstemthetideofAmericantradewith
FranceintheWestIndies,whichledthecoloniststobeginsmuggling.

HorsepowerandSailpower
Whiletheroadsinthecolonieswereinbadshape,apostalsystemtodelivermailthroughoutthe
colonieswasbeguninthe1770s.

DominantDenominations
TheprimaryreligionsweretheAnglicanChurch(ChurchofEngland)andtheCongregational
Church(Puritans).
TheCollegeofWilliamandMarywasestablishedtotrainAnglicanclerics.T
heChurchofEnglandbecamethestatesanctionedreligionforGeorgia,NorthandSouth
Carolina,Virginia,Maryland,andNewYork.
ThePuritanChurchbecametheCongregationalChurchandspreadthroughoutNewEngland.
UnlikeEngland,thecoloniesweremuchmoretolerantandtherewerefewantiCatholiclaws.
Ingeneral,peoplewerefreetoworshipastheysawfit.

TheGreatAwakening
The

evangelicalmovementthatsweptProtestantEuropeandBritishAmerica,andespeciallythe
Americancoloniesinthe1730sand1740swascalledtheGreatAwakening,whichlefta
significantimpactonAmericanProtestantism.
Somechurchescametobelievethatspiritualconversionwasnotnecessarytojointhe
denomination.Thebeliefthatfreewillnotdivinedecreedeterminedapersonsfatewasspread
byJacobusArminius,aDutchtheologianwhochallengedtheCalvinistdoctrineofpredestination
(Arminianism).
TheAwakeningwasstartedbyJonathonEdwardsinNorthampton,Massachusetts.
HebelievedeternalsalvationwasreachedthroughfaithinGod.Thiswascontrarytothe
popularthoughtthatsalvationwasreachedthroughgoodworks.Hispreachingwasveryalive.
Thereweregenerallytwotypesofpreachersoldlightsandnewlights.
Theoldlightswereorthodoxclergyandthenewlightswereevangelicalpreachers.Theold
lightswereskepticaloftheseevangelistsandthenewlightsweredefendersofthegreat
awakening.
GeorgeWhitefieldwasoneoftheseenthusiasticnewpreachers.

Hanley3

ManynewdenominationsandchurcheswerestarteddueinparttotheGreatAwakeningand
thisnewbrandofspiritualism.

SchoolsandColleges
Duringthecolonialera9newcollegeswerefounded.
ThePuritansweremoreinterestedineducationandtheCongregationalChurchstressedthe
importanceBiblereading.
ACollegeeducationwasconsideredveryimportantintheNewEnglandcoloniesand
considerablefocuswasplacedontrainingfortheministerialduties.

AProvincialCulture
Artandarchitecturewasimportantinthecoloniesbutsciencewasadistantthird.
TheGeorgianstyleandtheuseofredbrickgainedinpopularityafteritsintroductionin1720.
AlthoughscienceinthecolonieslaggedbehindBritain,BenFranklinwasconsidereda
firstrankscientist.

PioneerPresses
JohnPeterZenger,anewspaperprinter,waschargedwithaccusingtheroyalgovernorofNew
Yorkwithcorruption.Hewaslateracquittedbyajuryofhispeers.
Thislargelyledtofreedomofthepress.

TheGreatGameofPolitics
Therewasnoonesingularwayinwhichthestateexecutivewaschoseninthenewcolonies.
Therewere8royalgovernorschosenbytheking.
Maryland,Pennsylvania,andDelawarewereunderproprietorswhohadlandgrantsandcharter
agreements,theychosethegovernors.
ConnecticutandRhodeIslandelectedtheirowngovernors.
Mostofthecolonieshadalegislaturethatconsistedofanupperhouseandalowerhouse.
Theupperhousewasappointedbythecrownortheproprietorandthelowerhousewaselected.