Women and Slaves in Colonial America The rights of

The Role of Women in Colonial America Women did not have the same rights as men during the colonial era. They couldn’t own land or vote. They mostly served to help out on their homes or farms. Some did make significant contributions to colonial life: example : Eliza Lucas Pinckney developed the indigo plant for commercial production. It became a major cash crop for the people of South Carolina.

The Impact of slavery in Colonial America Agrarian Economy - The Southern Colonies, more than the other regions, developed an economy based on farming cash crops. Slavery in the U.S The Southern Colonies developed into a rural region, much of the available land was converted to plantations. Most settlements were far away from each other, and few towns and cities developed in the Southern Colonies. A stratified social structure – enslaved Africans in the South belonged to the lowest social class. They did not have rights as people, they were seen as property of their masters. To promote this social order, a rigid class system was created with the wealthy planters holding the most prestigious position atop the class structure. They held the most political and social power in the Southern Colonies.

Rights of Free Blacks and Slaves Free African Americans were a small percentage of people living in the 13 Colonies. About less than 1% of the colonial population was made up of free African Americans. The majority of these free blacks lived outside the Southern Colonies. Most found a place within large cities where they could encounter other free blacks. However, the vast majority of these free blacks faced difficult times in these cities. For the most part they were allowed to work, and they could own some property. As far as rights go, they still found themselves as second class citizens. They could not testify in court against a white person. They could not vote in local election, and they lived in fear that they would be kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Southern Colonies. Even though they faced these hardships this life was better than a life of slavery. NO RIGHTS WHATSOEVER!!! They were seen as property of their masters. Remember what Englishmen were taught, the right to own property was protected by their governments. Slavery was a protected institution for much of early American History.