1. The Southern Colonies

2. Early Life in the Chesapeake
Disease: Malaria, dysentery, typhoid
½ born did not survive to their 20s
Population grew slowly, only due to immigration
Immigrants were single men in late teens, early 20s
Men out numbered women 6 to 1
Many outside of wedlock pregnancies
Few families
Death separated those that existed
Children often died

3. Southern Way of Life Plantation Owners
Biggest controllers of the economy, politics, and society, although small farmers biggest population
Balls, banquets, parties
High standard of living

4. Social Hierarchy Plantation Owners Small Farmers Landless whites Women
Indentured Servants
Slaves

5. Women No right to vote or preach
Some women allowed to own property due to high death tolls of husbands.

6. The Economy Plantation Economy  Each grew cash crop
Maryland, VA, NC – tobacco
SC, Georgia – rice and indigo
No towns, b/c no need for markets
Plantations near rivers so crops could be shipped to New England or Europe.
Needed more labor

7. Indentured Servants Lower than women on social ladder
No rights while a servant
Many would die during servitude
After serving, forced to poor life in western part of the colonies

8. Headright System Employed by VA and MD
Encourage importation of servant workers
Masters would receive 50 acres for paying the passage for coming to the New World

9. Bacon’s Rebellion Freed servants increasingly frustrated
No Women
No Land
Forced into backcountry
Problems with Natives
In 1676, a rebellion led by 29 yr old Nathaniel Bacon against Governor Berkeley and all local Natives
Many died of disease during the rebellion, Berkeley able to crush the uprising, hung 20 rebels
Rebellion Crushed, Tensions remained between wealthy and poor

10. The Slave Trade

11. Slavery Grew tremendously after 1680
Lucky to survive the voyage to the colonies
80-90% worked in fields
The others worked in the house cooking, cleaning, and raising the masters children
Punishments: whippings, beatings
Full time work for life beginning at age 12 until death
Acceptable to murder slaves during punishments

12. He (the slave) is called up in the morning at daybreak, and is seldom allowed time enough to swallow three mouthfuls of hominy, or hoecake, but is driven out immediately to the field to hard labor, at which he continues, without intermission until noon… About noon is the time he eats his dinner, and he is seldom allowed an hour for that purpose…They then return to severe labor, which continues in the field until dusk in the evening.
~ John Ferdinand Smyth

13. Culture of Slaves
Basket weaving, pottery, musical traditions, oral stories, and dances
Created new families when real ones were torn apart

14. Rebellion of Slaves
Passive Rebellion: Slow Downs, faking illness, breaking tools
Aggressive Rebellion: The Stono Rebellion
1739, 20 slaves gathered outside of Charleston
Killed several white planter families
White militia later surrounded the group – those not killed in fighting were executed.
Result: Harsher slave laws  Black Codes