what unique aspects of american colonial society might shape the course of american history?

So the colonial experience was one of absorbing British models of government, the economy, and religion. Over the course of about 150 years, American colonists practiced these rudimentary forms of self-government that eventually led to their decision to revolt against British rule.

Full Answer

What was the Society and culture of colonial America like?

Society and culture in colonial America (1565-1776) varied widely among ethnic and social groups, and from colony to colony, but was mostly centered around agriculture as it was the primary venture in most regions. While New England had small family farms, the southern colonies had large plantations that required slave labor.

What were the characteristics of the early colonists?

Thus, early colonists consisted of a mixture of diverse ethnic, religious, linguistic, and racial groups. Once organized into Thirteen Colonies to be ruled by the British Empire, the colonists settled into a mercantile economy that separated the colonies into three distinct regions which contained religions and exports unique to each area.

What was the social structure of the colonies?

The social structure of the colonies. At the bottom of the social ladder were slaves and indentured servants; successful planters in the south and wealthy merchants in the north were the colonial elite.

What was the relationship between the British and American colonies like?

Commercial, military, and cultural ties between Great Britain and the North American colonies tightened while a new distinctly American culture began to form and bind together colonists from New Hampshire to Georgia.

What were some other important aspects of colonial society?

Some of those shared characteristics were an emphasis on family, hard work, and clearly defined gender roles. In colonial America, many people lived with their extended families. Most colonists lived on farms, where having a large family was an advantage because many people were needed to do all the work.

What factors shaped colonial America?

Human Resources included skilled craftsmen, shopkeepers, shipbuilders. Geography and Climate: Appalachian Mountains, Boston Harbor, hilly terrain, rocky soil, jagged coastline. Moderate summers and cold winters. Specialization: Fishing, shipbuilding, industry, naval supplies.

How did the colonial period shape American culture?

During this time, colonists came from many different countries to create new lives. The people spoke different languages, followed different religions, and had different customs and traditions. This lively mixture led to a vibrant and ever-changing social structure.

How would you describe colonial American society?

Definition of Colonial Society: Colonial society in the North America colonies in the 18th century (1700's) was represented by a small wealthy social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization. The members of Colonial society had similar social status, roles, language, dress and norms of behavior.

What were the changes brought about by American colonization?

As Europeans moved beyond exploration and into colonization of the Americas, they brought changes to virtually every aspect of the land and its people, from trade and hunting to warfare and personal property. European goods, ideas, and diseases shaped the changing continent.

What are the effects of the development of regional colonial society?

Cause-Effect: Colonial SocietyABThe Chesapeake's reliance on tobaccoThe region does not diversify economically and settlers are constantly moving west as the crop wears out the soil, and discourages urbanizationThe headright systemLandowners become more powerful and have an incentive to bring over indentured servants28 more rows

What new aspects of American culture emerged after the Revolutionary War?

What new aspects of culture emerged after the american revolution? New political ideals (Republican gov't) , State constitutions, Voting rights, Freedom of religion, better education for women.

What was colonial culture?

Abstract. The term cultural colonialism refers to the extension of colonial state power through cultural knowledge, activities, and institutions (particularly education and media) or the systematic subordination of one conceptual framework or cultural identity over others.

How did American culture develop?

Nearly every region of the world has influenced American culture, most notably the English who colonized the country beginning in the early 1600s, according to the Library of Congress (opens in new tab). U.S. culture has also been shaped by the cultures of Indigenous Americans, Latin Americans, Africans and Asians.

How was colonial society structured?

During most of the colonial era, Spanish American society had a pyramidal structure with a small number of Spaniards at the top, a group of mixedrace people beneath them, and at the bottom a large indigenous population and small number of slaves, usually of African origin.

What was the foundation of colonial society?

By the mid-1700s, settlers had established thirteen colonies in America. The colonies, all under British control, were located along the Atlantic shore, extending from present-day Maine in the north to Georgia in the south.

What were the social classes in Colonial America?

In Colonial America, there were three main social classes. They were the gentry, the middle class, and the poor. The highest class was the gentry.

What were the differences between colonial and modern politics?

These various interest groups arose based on commonalities in various areas. Some commonalities arose over class-based distinctions, while others were due to ethnic or religious ties. One of the major differences between modern politics and colonial political culture was the lack of distinct, stable political parties. The most common disagreement in colonial politics was between the elected assemblies and the royal governor. Generally, the various colonial legislatures were divided into factions who either supported or opposed the current governor’s political ideology.

What was the culture of the 18th century?

Eighteenth-century American culture moved in competing directions. Commercial, military, and cultural ties between Great Britain and the North American colonies tightened while a new distinctly American culture began to form and bind together colonists from New Hampshire to Georgia. Immigrants from other European nations meanwhile combined ...

How did the Caribbean influence North America?

Connections between the Caribbean and North America benefited both sides. Those living on the continent relied on the Caribbean colonists to satisfy their craving for sugar and other goods like mahogany. British colonists in the Caribbean began cultivating sugar in the 1640s, and sugar took the Atlantic World by storm. In fact, by 1680, sugar exports from the tiny island of Barbados valued more than the total exports of all the continental colonies. 5 Jamaica, acquired by the Crown in 1655, surpassed Barbados in sugar production toward the end of the seventeenth century. North American colonists, like Britons around the world, craved sugar to sweeten their tea and food. Colonial elites also sought to decorate their parlors and dining rooms with the silky, polished surfaces of rare mahogany as opposed to local wood. While the bulk of this in-demand material went to Britain and Europe, New England merchants imported the wood from the Caribbean, where it was then transformed into exquisite furniture for those who could afford it.

What were the major changes in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries?

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, improvements in manufacturing, transportation, and the availability of credit increased the opportunity for colonists to purchase consumer goods. Instead of making their own tools, clothes, and utensils, colonists increasingly purchased luxury items made by specialized artisans and manufacturers. As the incomes of Americans rose and the prices of these commodities fell, these items shifted from luxuries to common goods. The average person’s ability to spend money on consumer goods became a sign of their respectability. Historians have called this process the “consumer revolution.” 1

How did the Transatlantic trade affect the colonists?

This two-way relationship reinforced the colonial feeling of commonality with British culture. It was not until trade relations, disturbed by political changes and the demands of warfare, became strained in the 1760s that colonists began to question these ties.

What was the idea of elected assembly?

An elected assembly was an offshoot of the idea of civic duty, the notion that men had a responsibility to support and uphold the government through voting, paying taxes, and service in the militia. Americans firmly accepted the idea of a social contract, the idea that government was put in place by the people. Philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke pioneered this idea, and there is evidence to suggest that these writers influenced the colonists. While in practice elites controlled colonial politics, in theory many colonists believed in the notion of equality before the law and opposed special treatment for any members of colonial society.

Why was paper money used in the 1751 and 1763 currency act?

Paper money tended to lose value quicker than coins and was often counterfeited. These problems, as well as British merchants’ reluctance to accept depreciated paper notes , caused the Board of Trade to restrict the uses of paper money in the Currency Acts of 1751 and 1763.

Why were the Pilgrims considered separatists?

The Pilgrims, more properly referred to as Separatists, were actually a minority aboard the Mayflower and, in fact, would always be one within their own colony. That’s why, from the beginning, they had to preserve their right to rule.

How many people were on the Mayflower?

The Separatists were just passengers on the Mayflower. The boat was sailed and crewed by 25 “strangers,” i.e., non-Separatists. Among the 102 passengers, no more than about 40 were traveling to the colonies to practice their religion free from persecution.

Why did Squanto only learn English?

It turns out that Squanto only learned English because he was enslaved by English traders, possibly twice.

What were the Mayflower passengers?

Most of the Mayflower passengers were migrants, tradesmen, and average Joes gambling on the hope that America would be less terrible than England, which was experiencing endemic poverty and the shortage of tillable land.

What was the promise of cheap land?

The promise of cheap land was the best chance at a better life available to many of the non-Separatists aboard the Mayflower. The Mayflower Compact is, in part, a reflection of the Separatists’ minority status aboard the Mayflower. The Separatists feared that, once on land, the “strangers” might break away and start their own colony, ...

Why were the accused of witch trials so wealthy?

That was likely because accusers could benefit financially from a victim’s property in the event of a conviction. Both men and women were convicted and executed in the trials, but none were burned at the stake. All of the victims were hanged or died in prison, except one man who was crushed to death.

Did the church leaders encourage reason and rationalism?

Lastly, contrary to the popular belief that equates the trials to a kind of American inquisition, church leaders and ministers actually encouraged reason and rationalism to end the bloodshed.

What was the life like in colonial America?

Everyday Life in Colonial America. When North America was first discovered, almost every imperial European power began to settle this New World. Initially, British settlers arrived in the regions of New England, the Chesapeake area, and what is now considered the South, while French holdings included areas west of the Mississippi River such as ...

Why were the Southern colonies largely uniform?

Because many migrants to the Southern Colonies were of English descent, their Church was brought alongside them.

How were the New England colonies formed?

The New England Colonies were formed by the joining of various Massachusetts colonies with other colonies in the region. What began as a small Puritan settlement in Plymouth, now became a large collection of colonies that formed a larger colony that was recognized as one of the Thirteen Colonies by the British Crown by name of “Massachusetts”. Eventually, the settlers of Massachusetts began to spread out to neighboring lands, which established colonies in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. The Massachusetts Colony was the most populous of these New England Colonies, which resulted in life being focused on industry, seaborn trade, and sprawling urban life.

Why did the Southern colonies depend on slave labor?

Thus, the Southern Colonies relied heavily on slave labor from the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and forms on indentured servitude to maintain and increase labor input to be translated into material output and mass exports and even more massive amounts of profit.

How many colonies were there in the Middle Colonies?

Thus, the Middle Colonies became four of the most ethnically, linguistically, and religiously diverse of the Thirteen Colonies. A colonist within the Middle Colonies found themselves within one of the most productive regions of the Thirteen Colonies.

What were the colonies of Massachusetts?

The Massachusetts Colony was the most populous of these New England Colonies, which resulted in life being focused on industry, seaborn trade, and sprawling urban life.

Why did the British establish colonies in Virginia?

Under British rule, settlements in Virginia, like Jamestown, and Maryland were used to free Britain from the problems associated with over-population and over-crowding . Additionally, once the first settlements proved successful, these colonies later became penal colonies that kept the prison population of Britain far away from the regular populace. Eventually, the British Lord Baltimore wished to establish a colony that would safeguard Catholics against the Anglican persecution faced in Britain. Thus, Lord Baltimore officially established Maryland which fostered some of the largest amount of religious toleration within the Thirteen Colonies.

What was the social structure of the colonies?

At the bottom of the social ladder were slaves and indentured servants; successful planters in the south and wealthy merchants in the north were the colonial elite. In the Chesapeake area, the signs of prosperity were visible in brick and mortar.

Why did the supply of indentured servants decrease?

As the supply of indentured servants diminished, in part because work opportunities had improved in England, the supply of slaves either imported directly from Africa or transshipped from the West Indies was increased . Charleston, South Carolina, and Newport, Rhode Island, were important points of entry.

What was the colonial industry?

Colonial industry was closely associated with trade. A significant percentage of Atlantic shipping was on vessels built in the colonies, and shipbuilding stimulated other crafts, such as the sewing of sails, milling of lumber, and manufacturing of naval stores. Mercantile theory encouraged the colonies to provide raw materials for England's industrializing economy; pig iron and coal became important exports. Concurrently, restrictions were placed on finished goods. For example, Parliament, concerned about possible competition from colonial hatters, prohibited the export of hats from one colony to another and limited the number of apprentices in each hatmaker's shop.

How did the slave population increase?

The slave numbers increased, as had the white population, through a combination of immigration, albeit forced, and natural increase . As the supply of indentured servants diminished, in part because work opportunities had improved in England, the supply of slaves either imported directly from Africa or transshipped from the West Indies was increased. Charleston, South Carolina, and Newport, Rhode Island, were important points of entry. Competition from Brazilian and Caribbean planters kept the price of male field hands high, however, and the planters' North American counterparts responded by buying women and encouraging slave families.

What were the colonies part of?

Colonial trade and industry. The colonies were part of an Atlantic trading network that linked them with England, Africa, and the West Indies.

What were the landholders in the Middle Colonies?

The descendants of the Dutch patroons and the men who received lands from the English royal governors controlled estates in the middle colonies. Their farms were worked by tenant farmers, who received a share of the crop for their labor. In the northern cities, wealth was increasingly concentrated in the hands of the merchants; below them was the middle class of skilled craftsmen and shopkeepers. Craftsmen learned their trade as apprentices and became journeymen when their term of apprenticeship (as long as seven years) was completed. Even as wage earners, the journeymen often still lived with their former master and ate at his table. Saving enough money to go into business for himself was the dream of every journeyman.

What was the largest slave revolt in the colonial era?

Given the demographics, it is not surprising that the largest colonial slave revolt—the Stono Rebellion —took place in South Carolina. In 1739, about one hundred fugitive slaves killed twenty whites on their way to Florida and were killed themselves when captured. The rebellion sparked other slave revolts over the next few years.

What were the social patterns of the New England colonies?

Social Patterns - New settlers from Europe, especially those that came to the Middle and New England Colonies, did so for land ownership. The growth of the colonies into a population with so many landowners - yeoman farmers as they were called - led to a large and diverse voting population which has always promoted democratic sentiment. Unlike Europe where the land was owned by Lords and royalty, Jefferson imagined an agrarian republic, where each landowning male had a say:

What was the Mayflower Compact?

Events - The writing of the Mayflower Compact, the first colonial document dealing with self-government, town meetings, and the concept of majority rule. We would borrow from this idea, among many others, later in our history when democracy was developing.

What is the Iroquois Constitution?

The Iroquois Constitution is thought to be a precursor to our eventual Constitution. In the earlier document can be found, among other things, the foundations of a representative government (in which, interestingly enough, men served as representatives but were elected by the women). These representatives gathered from many tribes to conduct business and make decisions which would ultimately benefit the entire native nation--quite similar, of course, to the representatives from each colony who would one day gather to write the U.S. Constitution .

How did European colonization affect the North American environment?

Perhaps European colonization’s single greatest impact on the North American environment was the introduction of disease. Microbes to which native inhabitants had no immunity led to death everywhere Europeans settled. Along the New England coast between 1616 and 1618, epidemics claimed the lives of 75 percent of the native people. In the 1630s, half the Huron and Iroquois around the Great Lakes died of smallpox. As is often the case with disease, the very young and the very old were the most vulnerable and had the highest mortality rates. The loss of the older generation meant the loss of knowledge and tradition, while the death of children only compounded the trauma, creating devastating implications for future generations.

What changes did the Europeans bring to the Americas?

As Europeans moved beyond exploration and into colonization of the Americas, they brought changes to virtually every aspect of the land and its people, from trade and hunting to warfare and personal property. European goods, ideas, and diseases shaped the changing continent.

How did the Europeans influence the slave trade?

The growing slave trade with Europeans had a profound impact on the people of West Africa, giving prominence to local chieftains and merchants who traded slaves for European textiles, alcohol, guns, tobacco, and food. Africans also charged Europeans for the right to trade in slaves and imposed taxes on slave purchases. Different African groups and kingdoms even staged large-scale raids on each other to meet the demand for slaves.

What were the reasons for the rise of slavery in the American colonies?

Explain the reasons for the rise of slavery in the American colonies. As Europeans moved beyond exploration and into colonization of the Americas, they brought changes to virtually every aspect of the land and its people, from trade and hunting to warfare and personal property.

What happened to Africans when they reached their destination in America?

When they reached their destination in America, Africans found themselves trapped in shockingly brutal slave societies. In the Chesapeake colonies, they faced a lifetime of harvesting and processing tobacco. Everywhere, Africans resisted slavery, and running away was common.

Why did Europeans travel to America?

Just as pharmaceutical companies today scour the natural world for new drugs, Europeans traveled to America to discover new medicines. The task of cataloging the new plants found there helped give birth to the science of botany. Early botanists included the English naturalist Sir Hans Sloane, who traveled to Jamaica in 1687 and there recorded hundreds of new plants ( [link] ). Sloane also helped popularize the drinking of chocolate, made from the cacao bean, in England.

How many slaves were there in 1700?

By 1700, the tiny English sugar island of Barbados had a population of fifty thousand slaves, and the English had encoded the institution of chattel slavery into colonial law. This new system of African slavery came slowly to the English colonists, who did not have slavery at home and preferred to use servant labor.

I. Introduction

II. Consumption and Trade in The British Atlantic

• Transatlantic trade greatly enriched Britain, but it also created high standards of living for many North American colonists. This two-way relationship reinforced the colonial feeling of commonality with British culture. It was not until trade relations, disturbed by political changes and the demands of warfare, became strained in the 1760s that co...

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III. Slavery, Anti-Slavery and Atlantic Exchange

IV. Pursuing Political, Religious and Individual Freedom

v. Seven Years’ War

VI. Pontiac’s War

VII. Conclusion

VIII. Primary Sources

IX. Reference Material