Eve of the Revolution Chapter 5 AP US History Michael Perreault Gloucester High School

Colonial Population Growth 1700 less than 300,000 1775 2.5 Million (400,000 slaves) Colonists were doubling population every 25 years 1700 English subjects to colonists 20:1 1775 3:1 Only 4 major cities Philadelphia, Boston, New York, and Charleston 90% still lived in rural areas

Immigrants add to the Population Colonial America was a melting pot Germans: Penn (Religious persecution, Economic difficulties and war) Lutherans (more religious diversity) Penn. Dutch = ⅓ of population Scots-Irish: non-English but spoke English, first settlers West, then south into Maryland and Virginia Became excellent frontiersmen

Scots Attitudes Disdain for law, individualistic No love for the British Brought distilling of Whiskey 1764 Paxton Boys marched on Philadelphia Later begin Regulator Movement

Mingling of the Ethnicities Other groups: French, Welsh, Dutch, Swedes, Jews, Swiss and Scottish Highlanders (There can be only one) 1775 Largest single group: Africans 20% of Colonial population, 90% in South Because of strict religious nature, New England had least ethnic diversity Middle colonies had the most white immigrants Besides New England ½ colonial population was non-English

Social Classes begin to emerge While still a land of unparalleled opportunity and relative equality, social classes began emerging Wars created merchant lords to provide goods to both sides especially in New England and Middle Colonies Widows and orphans became more commonplace New England: heirs got smaller plots of land, children hired out as wage laborers South: Great plantations dominated and owned vast percentage of slaves creating more product→ more export → more wealth

Lower class Homeless poor in New England Freed indentured servants Paupers and convicts involuntarily shipped to colonies (50,000) Some achieved success Two former indentured servants became signers of the Declaration of Independence

Slaves No equality even if one was a “free black” Continual stream of transatlantic trade While vast amount of them ended up in the South, New England profited through the transportation of slaves

Professions Most respected: Christian Ministers though would wield less influence as time went on Physicians: poorly trained, 1st med school 1765 Law was not a respected field (originally) 90% agriculture Fishing New England and coast Lumbering and Ship building

Trade Commercial manufacturing was hampered though domestic output was strong Strong labor and skilled labor was highly prized and scarce 1733 Molasses Act aimed at squelching trade with French West Indies Leading to revolt instead of listening to Parliament so very far away

Triangular Trade John Adams concluded that West Indies trade was vital to the development of American economy

Gatherings and information distribution 1700 Few intercolonial roads terrible condition Populations clustered on navigable rivers Taverns arose as primary sources of gossip and news Became areas to galvanize public opinion and hotbeds of agitation Mid 1700s intercolonial postal system

Churches 1775 Two “established” or tax supported churches Anglican (Church of England) didn’t suport the King’s authority as it did in Britain Congregational in New England struggled under doctrine and liberalizing of membership Church membership in colonies declining Hell was a less threatening place

The Great Awakening Arminianism: All humans could be saved by free accepting God’s grace Runs counter to the concept of the elect Clerical intellectualism and Lay liberalism drained the spiritual vitality 1730-40s Jonathan Edwards delivered Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God warning people of the dangers that awaited them George Whitefield evangelical preaching ignited the spiritual fire of coloniats

Reactions/Impacts Old Lights Orthodox Clergy who were skeptical of the emotionalism and theatrics New Lights Defended the Awakening for revitalizing American religion Direct connection to God undermined clergy authority Split denominations creating religious competition Encouraged new waves of missionary work Founding of colleges

Schools and Colleges Originally for the aristocracy (particularly in South) because of geography wealthy used private tutors Education was for leadership not citizenship New England education was to be for the public (to a point) later secondary education more common Higher education for clergy: goal: good Christians not citizens: Doctrine not Experimentation By 1750s more secular approach in evidence “live” languages and modern subjects

Culture Art was still decidedly British Painters: were portrait based including, Turnbull, Peale, West, and Copley Architecture: imported and modified, 1720s red brick Georgian style Literature: Poor Richard’s Almanack (Franklin) Poetry: Phillis Wheatley Science: Aside from Franklin, minimal advancement

Reading in the colonies Most too poor/too busy to buy and or read books 1776 50 public libraries Franklin established Philadelphia Public Library Byrd family in Virgiaia largest private collection: 4,000 volumes

Printing Presses Pamphlets, leaflets and journals 1776 40 Newspapers Airing of grievances or rallying support Zenger Trial (1734-35) assailed a corrupt governor, stated that truth could not be considered libel Established principle of freedom of the press

Politics 1775 8 Colonies: Royal governors, 3 Proprietary chose, 2 Conn & RI, had self governing charters, all used a 2 house legislature Upper House appointed by crown or proprietor Lower House elected by the people Taxation through representation a cherished privilege London tended to leave the colonial governor to the legislature: control of the purse frustrated colonists

Local government Differed by region South: County gov, dominated by plantations New England: Town meeting 1775 Religious and property qualifications still dictated voting rights Middle: Amalgam Fearful upperclass: unwilling to give the vote to everyone meaning about half adult white males were voteless

Life Drab and tedious Food: plentiful but monotonous Amusement was pursued where time and custom allowed Colonies stitched together by common origins, loosely common beliefs religious, economic, and political particularly, self-rule Setting the stage for a struggle to unite