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Life in the 1700s British American colonies – Ch. 5 of The American Pageant, “Colonial Society on
the Eve of Revolution,” pp. 84-97
Overall main idea: Life in colonial America included a growing diverse population, social mobility,
agricultural-based economy, slow travel and a revival of Christianity.
32 British colonies in North America in 1775, but only 13 rebelled, because of social, economic and political structures that
were developing a distinctly American way of life
Conquest by the Cradle
Main idea: The American population boomed in the 1700s due to immigration and slavery, but especially due to natural
family growth, leading to a shifting balance of power with Britain.
1700 American population: 300,000 people; 20,000 (1/15) were black slaves
1775 American population: 2,500,000 people; 500,000 (1/5) were black slaves
Less than one million of this increase was due to immigration and slavery; most was due to natural
fertility of Americans, who were doubling the population every 25 years
Why is it important? American population numbers were approaching English population numbers, causing a shift
in economic and political power
Vast majority of the population was still east of the Appalachian Mountains, near the coast, but some were
beginning to move west, even beyond the mountains to today’s Tennessee and Kentucky
Major cities: Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Charleston; still, about 90% lived in rural areas
A Mingling of the Races
Main idea: America became a cultural melting pot as numerous European and African groups immigrated there during the
1700s.
Germans made up around 6% of the 1775 population:
Came to America to escape religious persecution, economic problems, and war
Mostly Protestant, but of different denominations
Often known as the “Pennsylvania Dutch,” as the German word for “German” is Deutsch; many settled in
Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania backcountry
Scots-Irish (a.k.a. Scotch-Irish) made up around 7% of the 1775 population:
From the northern part of Ireland that had been colonized by the English and Scottish Lowlanders (not
ethnically Irish at all, just mostly Scottish people who lived in northern Ireland)
Came to America to escape conflict with Irish and English and because of economic problems
Tried to settle mostly in Pennsylvania but found best land taken already, so they moved out onto the
backcountry of PA and down the Appalachian Mountains to MD, VA, and the Carolinas
Known as frontier-people and “hillbillies”; reputation of being independent, stubborn, rowdy and having
a dislike of authority, especially English; many participated in frontier rebellions and the eventual American Revolution
Other Europeans made up 5% of the 1775 population:
French Protestants (Huguenots), Welsh, Dutch, Swedish, Jewish, Irish, Swiss and Scottish (Highlanders)
Africans made up 20% of the 1775 population; heavily concentrated in the plantation South, of course
While the colonies still had an English majority, they were perhaps the most ethnically diverse in the world;
middle colonies were the most diverse; New England was the least diverse
“What then is the American, this new man?” – Jean de Crevecoeur, French writer describing American melting
pot; very diverse and mixed population created a new American cultural identity
Makers of America: The Scots-Irish
Main idea: The Scots-Irish migrated to escape religious and economic oppression, eventually settling along the
Appalachian Mountains in America.
The Structure of Colonial Society
Main idea: Though it started basically classless and continued to be more equal than Europe, in the 1700s America
developed social classes due to slavery, war profits, and land availability.
1700s America seemed like a shining land of equality and opportunity to many Europeans; it had no official
nobility or a large body of poor people; most Americans were middling class land-owning farmers or village artisans; the
exception of course was slavery
As 1700s continued, more social stratification emerged:
Plantation owners in the South – still owned the majority of land, wealth and power
Wealthy merchants – in cities in the Middle and New England colonies, many merchants grew wealthy
from supplying the military
Landowning (“yeoman”) farmers – land was becoming scarcer in the East; many holdings were divided
up; others went farther west for land
“Poor whites,” farmers without land – most likely to be tenant farmers on someone else’s land
Indentured servants – continued in the 1700s but not near as significant as in the 1600s
Debtors and convicts – often shipped to America as “indentured servants”
Homeless poor, widows and orphans in cities; some cities built almshouses to aid them
African slaves – some colonies tried to stop the slave trade, for moral reasons as well as fearing rebellion;
yet the English government, Southern planters and New England slave traders continued to benefit from it, so their efforts
were vetoed
Clerics, Physicians, and Jurists
Main idea: In colonial America, ministers still enjoyed prestige, doctors were rudimentary and lawyers were not highly
regarded.
Ministers did not have the power and prestige they did in the early 1600s, but were still esteemed and honorable
Doctors were poorly trained to deal with the difficult diseases of the time, like smallpox and diphtheria; some
smallpox inoculation was available but resisted by some ministers; high disease mortality may have led to Great
Awakening
Lawyers were considered noisy windbags who did not do honest, manual work
Workaday America
Main idea: The American colonial economy was primarily farming but also included other growing industries whose
exportation was limited by English trade controls.
Average American standard of living was higher than the majority of other countries
Farming – 90% of Americans were still farmers; the South grew cash crops with slaves, tobacco in VA and MD,
rice and indigo in SC and GA; the middle and New England colonies grew wheat; many raised cattle and grew diverse
crops
Fishing and whaling – especially along the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Canada
Commerce and trade – New Englanders were known as good sailors and traders by ship
Triangular trade – trade between three different locations, especially between the American colonies, the
West Indies, and Africa; the most famous version was “Molasses to Rum to Slaves,” as sugar (molasses) from the West
Indies was shipped and traded in New England for rum, which was shipped and traded in Africa for slaves, which was
shipped and traded in the West Indies for molasses again; the shipper made a profit each time too
Small manufacturing – America had more iron forges than England, but smaller ones; craftsman were highly
valued
Lumber and shipbuilding – largest manufacturing industry; endless forests in America were used for ships;
Carolinas supplied other naval products; New England was especially known for shipbuilding
Multitude of American products flooded English markets so they looked to other countries for trade; yet England
controlled and limited American trade (Trade and Navigation Acts) with these other countries, causing American
resentment as early as the early 1700s
Horsepower and Sailpower
Main idea: Travel and communication was slow and inefficient in America, due to their reliance on waterways and terrible
roads.
Major roads between cities were not even built until the 1700s, and they were terrible; dusty in the summer and
muddy in the winter with little upkeep; very slow and dangerous
Most major travel was done by boat along rivers and coastlines; majority of early cities and settlements were
therefore along waterways
Taverns sprang up along major travel routes; they served as entertainment and sources of communication and
socializing
Inter-colonial postal service was established by the mid-1700s; also private couriers; both were slow, inefficient,
and not very private either
Dominant Denominations
Main idea: The differences between the dominant Anglican and Congregationalist churches would contribute to tension
between England and its colonies.
Anglican and Congregationalist churches were the most dominant tax-supported churches; yet only a minority
actually belonged to them; a large portion of Americans did not go to any church
Anglican Church was more dominant in the South; Congregational in New England; mixed or none in the middle
colonies
Anglican Church was more worldly and relaxed than the Puritanical Congregational churches, but it had more ties
to the royal crown, so Anglicans usually sided with the crown over locals; Congregational Church disliked hierarchy and
authority from above and contributed to independently-minded colonists, resenting royal involvement; Presbyterians also
Religious tolerance was greater than anywhere in Europe, though Catholics and non-Christians were still
discriminated against; but because of their rarity, discrimination was less severe or prevalent
The Great Awakening
Main idea: In response to waning church interest, the Great Awakening burst forth in America, reviving Christianity with
emotionalism, splitting churches, and producing the first American mass movement.
In the early 1700s, religion had basically slowed down from what it had been in the 1600s; churchgoers
complained of boring, over-intellectual sermons; ministers complained of waning attendance and passion among their
churches; conflicts arose over theology
Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield helped ignite the First Great Awakening in the 1730s-1740s – a revival
of Christianity focused on emotionalism, passion and new ideas
Jonathan Edwards – intellectual Puritan preacher; known for “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” speech
George Whitefield – fiery, loud, passionate preacher that ignited emotions; could make audiences weep merely by
how he pronounced “Mesopotamia”; inspired other preachers in style
Revival meetings like that of Whitefield’s were boisterous and emotional with shrieking, yelling, weeping,
flickering torches, etc.
Old Lights vs. New Lights – “Old Lights” were the old-style Christian ministers who were skeptical of the new
Great Awakening ideas and movements; “New Lights” were the new-style preachers who defended the new movement;
churches split over disagreements about the Awakening
The Great Awakening sometimes broke down sectional and denominational boundaries and united many
Americans with a common purpose and sense of shared religious experience
Overall main idea: Life in colonial America included a growing diverse population, social mobility,
agricultural-based economy, slow travel and a revival of Christianity.
Life in the 1700s British American colonies and the clash of empires – Ch. 5-6 of The American
Pageant, “Colonial Society on the Eve of Revolution,” and “The Duel for North America,” pp. 97-111
Overall main idea: Life in colonial America included developing education, culture, freedom of the
press, democratic government, entertainment and war between competing European empires.
Schools and Colleges
Main idea: Originally based on religious doctrine, schools and colleges existed across Colonial America, especially in New
England.
Education was regarded as a blessing for the few—mostly males and upper class; for leadership and religious
education
New England had more education than the rest of America because of religion, dense population, town structure
and educated immigrants; Congregational Churches stressed the need for Bible reading
The middle colonies and the South also had schools, but the South lagged behind, especially due to farm focus and
widely-spread farm structure; most wealthy Southerners employed private tutors
Education was mostly focused around religion, classical languages, doctrine and dogma, not independent thinking
and reason
Colleges had small enrollments; some wealthy would send their kids to English colleges
Harvard University was the first English university in America; Univ. of Pennsylvania was the first non-religious
A Provincial Culture
Main idea: American artistic culture in the 1700s was largely borrowed from England as it developed its own merits.
Many early American painters had to study in England first: John Trumbull, Charles Wilson Peale
Architecture was largely borrowed from Europe also
Phillis Wheatley – slave girl, brought to Boston, then England; wrote good poetry despite her disadvantaged
background
Benjamin Franklin – “the first civilized American”; known for his autobiography, the famous Poor Richard’s
Almanack, philosophy, science experiments, and inventions: bifocals, the Franklin Stove, the lightning rod
Pioneer Presses
Main idea: Books and libraries grew slowly in America, but newspapers were popular and were allowed some freedom of
the press.
Franklin started the first library in America, in Philadelphia; many wealthy people had private libraries, like the
Byrd family in Virginia
Pamphlets, leaflets, journals and newspapers were popular; powerful for criticism, complaints and rallying support
on issues
Zenger trial – John Peter Zenger was a newspaper printer, a German, who printed criticism of the royal governor
of New York; he was brought to trial for sedition and libel (printing criticism against the royal government); he was
acquitted on the fact that he printed only truth, establishing a precedent for freedom of the press in America
The Great Game of Politics
Main idea: Americans established democratic political institutions that would set traditions for future democracy, despite
royal rule of the colonies.
All but two colonies had royal governors; every colony had a two-house legislature, with an upper house of
representatives appointed by royal governor and a lower house elected by property-owners; but property was so easy to
acquire that near half of males could vote in America; set tradition of self-government
Legislatures set taxes and expenses; set standard of taxation only with representation
Some governors were corrupt and incompetent, but most weren’t
Legislatures could control governor’s salaries and have some power over them
Local government in the South was mostly county government; New England was town meetings; middle colonies
was a mix; backcountry farmers complained of the rich having control over legislatures and ignoring backcountry concerns
America was far more democratic than the rest of the world at the time
Colonial Folkways
Main idea: Colonial life was drab and tedious compared to today, lacking modern comforts, but was better than most
Europeans of the time.
Work time was from “can see” to “can’t see”; food was plentiful, especially compared to Europe; heating was
limited and inefficient; no running water, plumbing or bathtubs
Amusement: militia musters/parties, funerals and weddings, house-raisings, bees, winter sports, cards, dancing,
hunting, horse racing, lotteries, plays
Holidays were celebrated; Christmas was considered too Catholic in New England; Thanksgiving became a truly
American tradition
Similarities in the colonies: English language and customs, Protestant religion, some diversity that pushed
tolerance, social and economic mobility, self-government and lack of strict royal control
Chapter 6: The Duel for North America
World wars broke out in 1688 to 1763 between England, France, Spain and America; the French and Indian War
would set the stage for American independence
France Finds a Foothold in Canada
Main idea: After a slow start, France founded sparsely populated colonies in North America.
France was late to colonize due to internal problems, wars and religious conflict, like England and Holland;
Huguenots – French Protestants; Edict of Nantes established limited toleration of Protestants in France in 1598, ending
religious wars there
King Louis XIV led France to be the most powerful nation in Europe and began its colonization of America
1608 – Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec in Canada, the first French colony; friendly with local Huron
Indians, but joined them in attacking the Iroquois Confederation, who thereafter tried to block French colonization
New France government was royal and autocratic with no self-government; population was small as most French
peasants had less reasons to immigrate than English; also Huguenots were denied emigration; French were more concerned
about the Caribbean than North America
New France Fans Out
Main idea: The French American empire spread across Canada, to the Rocky Mountains, and down to the Gulf of Mexico
in the pursuit of fur, missionary work and empire.
New France’s chief economy was the beaver fur trade; beaver fur was prized in Europe for hats and clothing
Coureurs de bois (“woods runners”) and voyageurs (“voyagers”) traveled long distances looking for beaver,
recruiting and trading with Indians across North America; Indians were changed by disease and desire for European goods;
beaver populations plummeted
French Catholic missionaries attempted to convert Indians to Christianity; not very successful
French settlements: Baton Rouge, Des Moines, Illinois, Montreal, Saint Louis, Detroit and New Orleans; Robert
de La Salle floated down the Mississippi River in 1682 to claim it and its lands as part of New France – “Louisiana,” after
King Louis; from the Mississippi the French floated fur, grain, and other exports out to the Gulf of Mexico
The Clash of Empires
Main idea: The English, French and Spanish battled in successive wars over North American colonies, pulling in American
colonists as well.
King William’s War, Queen Anne’s War, King George’s War and the War of Jenkins’s Ear were successive wars
between England, France and Spain over colonies
New England was involved in many of the northern parts of the wars versus the French and Indians, even
capturing French settlements
Georgia was involved in defending the colonies from the Spanish in the War of Jenkins’s Ear
Yet overall these wars were stalemates leading up to the French and Indian War; France still clung to its vast
American empire
Overall main idea: Life in colonial America included developing education, culture, freedom of the
press, democratic government, entertainment and war between competing European empires.