Colonial America in the 18Th Century

Colonial America in the 18th Century

Mid-Atlantic States

Irish, German 90,000 immigrants “God’s three arrows” : famine, pestilence, war

Pennsylvania = fertile land, low taxes, avoid military duty Germans come as indentured servants (1715-1725)

Scots-Irish: New York + Pennsylvania

1715-1754: No major Indian wars By 1750: Philadelphia is the largest city in the colonies

New England Key Theme: Homogeneity of New England

Mixed Economy Rocky soil, small farmers Boston + Salem are port centers for trade with Europe, Caribbean and Africa

New England Reduced size of farms 250 acres = 1600s 75 acres = 1700s Decreased soil fertility = dwindling farm size Migration to the frontier (Nova Scotia, Maine, New Hampshire)

Unfree Labor

Indentured servants + Slaves Labor system was harsh

Early slaves (North) Artisans, farmhands, personal servants 10% of population House slaves adapted English culture

Middle Colonies Rich soil: cleared by Native Americans Corn, beef, pork, wheat Trade with West Indies, New England, Portugal, Spain, England Thus, close ties with Atlantic basin New York is the fastest growing city in the Middle Atlantic

Changing Values

North 50 acre farms Land ownership = independence + political rights

Cotton Mather “Eyes of an Angry God”

Key values: Ambition, materialism, individualism Commitment to religion declined in importance Land speculation = profit

Benjamin Franklin Pennsylvania Gazette Poor Richard’s Almanac

“Lost time is never found again” “Sloth makes all things difficult but industry all easy” “The sleeping fox gathers no poultry”

Women + Family

Remarried because of scarcity of women midwives Make contracts Quaker women used love not guilt to mold kids Inherited land Nurturing role in the family unit

Ecological Transformation Demand for wood =deforestation European livestock = denuded grasslands Demand for fur = decline of beaver, bear, wolf, raccoon

European ethic Land = wealth

Plantation South Scots-Irish + German immigrants Tobacco Coast Grain, hemp + flax Planter Class = Political Leadership

Indigo, Rice + Carolinas

South Courthouse = main gathering place 1619 House of Burgesses Church = center of community gatherings

Southern Backcountry Small farms Poverty, lacked education Few libraries in the all the colonies (John Adams largest library) Poor diet, endless work, meager rewards