Chapter 5: The Cultures of Colonial North America Outline

Middle Colonies

I. The Middle Colonies a. Location i. Along the lower Hudson River ii. Included New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania b. Religion i. Puritan, Baptist, Quaker, Catholic, and Jewish congregations ii. Lutherans or Calvinists, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Baptists iii. Tolerance of religious practices and distinctions c. Politics and government i. Justices appointed by colonial officials ii. Landowning farmers chose local officials d. Economy i. Some of the best farmland in North America ii. Exported abundant produce iii. Booming port in Philadelphia e. Social and cultural aspects i. Ethnically diverse, including Dutch, Huguenots, Flemish, German ii. Communities connected by kinship and neighborly bonds iii. Social stability and prosperity iv. Lots sold individually rather than in communal packages f. Physical characteristics i. Rich farmland ii. Ports iii. Human environment interaction 1. Agriculture g. Historical context i. Quakers rented land to various ethnic and religious groups, creating “salad bowl”

Indian America

I. Relative location of regions a. Hundreds of Indian cultures ranged from foothills of Appalachians to western flank of Sierra Nevada in California b. Colonists forced Indians to relocate i. Moved from Atlantic coastal plain ii. Moved into or beyond Appalachian mountains c. Became active in the fur trade II. Relations with colonists a. Dependency on colonists i. Began using firearms and metal tools ii. Built homes out of logs iii. Participated in commercial economy iv. Received clothing b. Colonial power conflicts i. Iroquois Five Nations vs. French and Indian allies (King William’s War) ii. 1701: Treaty of neutrality with France c. Had better relations with French than English i. Sided with French in wars and occasionally traded ii. Traded with English III. Population decrease a. European disease i. 7 to 10 million in 1500 dropped to 1 million in 1800 ii. Natives with contact with colonists lost 50% or greater iii. Indian societies on the interior did not endure the epidemics IV. Indians of the Great Plains a. Migrated during the early eighteenth century b. Indians on the Southern fringe of the Plains stole horses from the Spanish colonists in New Mexico i. Enabled Indians to hunt buffalo herds more efficiently ii. More productive economy based on nomadic culture

New England

I) Location of Region A) All of the New England Colonies except Rhode Island II) Human Characteristics A) Religion 1) Every local community was free to run its own affairs under the guidance of the General Court 2) Religious persecution 3) After Toleration Act, religious persecution was stopped and many Anglican, Baptist, and Presbyterian lived in New England B) Politics 1) Mix of freedom and repression C) Government 1) Governor and representatives elected by the towns 2) Free men chose their minister, voted on his salary and support, and elected local men to offices ranging from town clerk to fence viewer 3) Autonomy D) Economy 1) Towns grew too large, reached limit of land and supply E) Social 1) Each village was based around a Church, land was split on a basis of status and seniority 2) Banded and pursued people of other faiths or people who questioned their faith F) Cultural 1) Adult male members constituted freedom of the town 2) Little distinction between secular and religious authority III) Physical Characteristics A) Communal land centered around a Church

Backcountry

Geography

A. Region extend from Maryland to Virginia B. Included Appalachian Highlands C. Land West of established colonies I. People A. Indians 1. Cherokee 2. Delaware 3. Shawnees B. White Pioneers 1. Claimed land that they had no legal title to II. Lifestyle A. Strived to become commercial farmers B. Planted corn C. Hunted in the woods D. Built log cabins E. Great violence resulted from the westward expansion. Indians worried about the threat of new people taking their land F. Men 1. Hunted 2. Warriors G. Women 1. Domestic workers

Southern North America (Chesapeake and Lower South)

I. Population a. Triracial society i. Made up of white colonists, black slaves, and substantial Indian communities ii. 40% were African slaves b. Colonies of Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia II. Agriculture a. Southern colonies were overwhelmingly rural b. Specialized in commercial crops i. Rice ii. Tobacco c. Tobacco was more profitable than rice i. Farmers planted more tobacco in the Chesapeake region ii. Tobacco, however, drained the nutrients from the soil III. Religion a. Church of England the state religion i. Citizens required to attend services and pay taxes supporting the Church b. No other Church was supported c. Dissenters of the Church of England were shunned from the colony d. Anglican establishment was weak IV. Society a. Farms and plantations were spread across this region b. Few town or villages c. Dominant social institution was the large plantation d. Poor families lived in wooden cabins with poor conditions e. Richer families lived in better conditions and had slaves i. Not as substantial as other houses of New England f. Lower South had little community g. Chesapeake had well developed neighborhoods h. Growing sense of racial solidarity as African population increased V. Government a. Lower South had little to no established government b. Chesapeake had developed a form of government i. Developed kinship networks and economic connections ii. Country court had executive and judicial power iii. The governor appoints gentlemen justices, who appoint the grand jury VI. Physical Characteristics a. Fertile land b. Wooden homes c. Swamps and marshes d. Bordered by water

The French Crescent

 Relative location o The “French Crescent” referred to a crescent of colonies, military posts, and settlements that extended from the mouth of the St. Lawrence River southwest through the Great Lakes, then down the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico. o France established a thin colonial presence along the Mississippi River between Louisbourg on Ile Royale (Cape Breton Island, east end of Canada), which guarded the northern approach into New France, and New Orleans, which guarded the southern approach.  Religion o In France, church and state were closely interwoven. Cardinal Richelieu and Cardinal Mazarin, prime ministers of France, established a Catholic imperial policy that led to the bishopric of Quebec, Catholic culture in New France, and Jesuit missionaries pushing Catholicism deep into the continent. o Quebec founded local seminaries, oversaw the appointment and review of priests, and laid the foundation for the Catholic culture of New France.  Economics o The French planned to use the communities between Louisbourg and New Orleans to establish a commercial empire. o During the years of 1500 – 1650 the French Crescent had little effect on the Americas because it was not fully developed until the 1720s. o Communities of farmers or habitants along the St. Lawrence formed the core of the French empire, becoming the most profitable French enterprise in North America. o Farming communities in Illinois provided wheat to the booming sugar plantations of New Orleans.  Culture o Communities were inclusive, combining both European and Native American elements. An ethnic group called metis (French for mestizo) grew out of this intermixing. o Towns looked French, but were built Indian-style with bark covering their walls. Frenchmen would dress in Native American attire. o The fur trade linked native peoples to Europeans and by the nature of beaver furs which built the French crescent.  People and the physical characteristics of New France o “Long lots” that stretched back from the rivers provided families with a share of good bottomland for farming and frontage on the waterways to the Mississippi River. o The Mississippi and other rivers formed the “interstate highway system” of the French Crescent, which served as a basic transportation network between the dispersed French settlements. The Spanish Borderlands

1. Relative location of region a. What is now known as the sunbelt of the United States b. Also, northern, present day, Florida i. Conflict with Indians and British reduced the Spanish Presence in Florida 2. Human Characteristics a. Religion i. Franciscan missions constructed among the Indian peoples of Texas ii. Jesuit missions built among the desert Indians of the Indians of the lower Colorado River and Gala River Valleys iii. Established missions in Baja (lower) California 1. Indians were not forced to join missions, but once they did they could not leave them. a. Franciscan missionaries resulted to cruel and violent means of controlling Indians i. Shackles, solitary confinement, whipping posts ii. Indians resisted and ran away 1. Native population of coastal California dropped by 74% iv. Catholic Church played a dominant role in the community life of the borderlands b. Politics and Government i. Ruled by riceroyalty of New Spain c. Economy i. Colonial outposts founded west of New Mexico (today’s southern Arizona) ii. Cattle herding became the dominant economic activity for the next 200 years iii. Limited by a restrictive colonial economic policy 1. Required colonists to exchange wool, pottery, and buffalo hides for imported goods at unfavorable rates d. Social and Cultural Aspects 1. Approximately 1 million Spanish colonists and mezitos 2. At least 2 million Indians e. Military i. Military posts, presidios, established on the fringes of Louisiana because Spanish were worried about the French activity in the Mississippi 3. Physical Characteristics of Region a. The northern borders of Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and California were considered as buffer zones (to protect New Spain from rivaling New World colonies) b. How it affected the people living there i. Cattle ranching was the dominant way of life ii. Human Environment Interaction 4. Significant historical context important to region a. Was the largest and most prosperous European colony on the North American Continent b. In Florida, the oldest colonies in North America, war reduced colonial presence to mere forts surrounded by colonized territories for families i. Because of size and weakness, Spain’s forts had no choice but to establish relations with Creek and Seminole Indians and hundreds of runaway African Americans ii. Florida consisted of a growing mezito population and a considerable number of free African American and Hispanicized Indians c. New Mexico borders expanded as people headed North along valleys and streams 5. Mexico City a. Administrative capital of New Spain b. Most sophisticated city in the Western Hemisphere c. Site of one of the world’s greatest universities d. Great architecture e. Broad avenues

Traditional Culture in the New World

 Oral cultures o Some cultures passed on traditions orally through story and song as opposed to printing o Rhythms of life were regulated by sunlight and seasons of the year o Farmed with simple tools and were subject to drought, flood, or pestilence o Demands of the season determined working routines  Communal cultures o Quebec- villagers worked side by side to repair the roads o New Mexico- collectively maintained the irrigation canals o New England- gathered in town meetings to decide the dates when common fields were to be tended to o Very little privacy within homes o Majority of 18th century North American farmers grew crops and raised livestock for their own needs or local barter o The primary goal of farmers was ownership of land and the assurance that children and descendants would have nearby lands to settle upon  Colonial cities o Places of commerce o Artisans and craftsmen work full time o Young men pursuing a trade (job) served several years as apprentices in exchange for learning the skills and secrets of the trade o Some men had to migrate and became known as “journeymen” o Ultimate goal of journeymen was independence  Few opportunities for women outside of the household o Men held managerial rights over family property; widows received 1/3 lifetime interest in a deceased husband’s real estate (dower) o Some colonial women played active roles in 18th century journalism

The Frontier Heritage

 Distinction between North America and Europe: land was cheap and abundant in North America  Labor was the key to prosperity; labor was in short supply in the colonies  Because free men and women could work for themselves on their own land; there was little incentive to work  Landowners could secure an agricultural workforce through forced labor  More than half the immigrants to 18th century British America were indentured servants  Agents paid their way to America through several years of service in America  Property ownership led to rising demands in colonial regions that land be taken from the Indians and opened to colonial settlement  Tried to justify their war actions against Indians by saying the Indians failed to maximize the potential of the property and saying the Indians were savages

Population Growth and Immigration

 High fertility and low mortality rates  Colonies in the 18th century grew about 3% per year  Women typically gave birth to seven kids or more  Abundance in food allowed for good health and low mortality  British sent families, Spanish limited the migration of their subjects, and French sent Catholic engages as opposed to Protestant Huguenots  British were the imperial power to encourage the immigration of foreign nationals to the colonies  “Trade in strangers”- Carrying migrants provided English and Dutch merchants with a way of making a profit on the voyage of vessels sent to bring back tobacco, rice, indigo, timber, and flour  British colonies enacted liberal naturalization laws that allowed Protestant immigrants who swore allegiance to the British crown to become free “denizens” with all the privileges of natural-born subjects  Parliament passed the Plantation act of 1740, which allowed prohibited naturalization for Catholic and Jewish immigrants, but allowed it for others  Majority of European immigrants were bonded servants or slaves  In 1750, Pennsylvania passed a law to prevent the overcrowding of ships filled with indentured passengers  Backcountry majorly populated by Scots-Irish

Social Class

 North American society was not aristocratic like Europe, but was not without social hierarchy  In New Spain, Espanoles (Spaniards) were the highest in social class while mestizos, mulattoes, and other ethnicities were on lower levels  African slaves and Indians were at the bottom of the social classes  In British colonies, upper class was made up of large landowners, merchants, and prosperous professionals  As opposed from Spanish and French , British celebrated social mobility  Large and impoverished lower class in the British colonies- slaves, bonded servants, and poor laboring family make up 40% or more of the population  British contained a large and influential middle class; Spanish and French did not have a middle class  About 70% of Pennsylvanian colonists were middle class  Most were moderate landowning farmers  Enjoyed better living in America than “mother country”- due to many reasons such as the enclosure movement

Economic Growth and Increasing Equality

 Heavy regulation leads to stagnation in New Spain and New France while impressive economic growth takes place in the British colonies  Middle and upper class British people began enjoying improved living conditions  Growth resulted in increasing social inequality  Rich were getting richer and poor were getting poorer  Greatest amount of wealth occurred in commercial farming cities

Contrasts in Colonial Politics

 French Canada was ruled by a superior council, and intendant, and a bishop  New Spain was governed by the Council of the Indies- direct executive authorities  British Prime Minister Robert Walpole established a decentralized administration; felt this would best accomplish the nation’s economic goals  With the exception of Connecticut and Rhode Island (who elected their own governors by charter), colonies were administered by royally appointed governors  Taxation and spending were controlled by elected assemblies  Only men with property could vote; adult white males who qualified was 50% or higher in the colonies  Those who could vote elected wealthy landowners, planters, or merchants to serve as their leaders

The Enlightenment Challenge

 Enlightenment thinkers in Britain and Europe argued that the universe was governed by natural laws that people could understand and apply to their own advantage  John Locke proposed that the state existed to provide for the happiness and securities of individuals,  Locke also believed the state existed to provide for those with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and property  Enlightenment writers emphasized rationality, harmony, and order  Enlightenment thinking appealed to those whose ordered lives improved their lot  Cotton Mather wrote about the existence of witches  About ½ of adult men and ¼ of adult women could read  Boston News-Letter was the first continuously published Newspaper in North America  The almanac, a combination calendar, astrological guide, and sourcebook of medical advice and farming tips, was another popular literary work

A Decline in Religious Devotion

 Anglican and Puritan churches suffered declining memberships and falling attendance at services  Once Puritanism became an established church, attendance was expected of all townspeople  The Half-Way Covenant of 1662 allowed children who had not experienced conversion to join the church as half-way members who could do everything except participate in communion  In 1708, the churches of Connecticut agreed to the Saybrook Platform, which enacted a system of governance by councils of ministers and rather than by congregations; this weakened the passion and commitment of church members  Congregationalists began to question the Calvinist theology of predestination—the belief that God had predetermined the few men and women who would be saved in the Second Coming  Puritans believed that God had given people the freedom to choose salvation by developing their faith and by doing good works—known as Arminianism

The Great Awakening- George Whitefield

 The colonial widespread colonial revival of religion in the New England colonies became known as the Great Awakening  Religious leaders condemned the laxity, corruption, and officialism of Protestantism and reenergized it with calls for piety and purity  Religious factions known as the Old and New Lights accused each other of heresy  New Lights fought against a rationalist heresy and called for a revival of Calvinism  Old Lights condemned emotional enthusiasm as part of the heresy of believing in a personal and direct relationship with God outside the order of the church  Many “unchurched” colonists were brought back to Protestantism by 18th century revivalism