1. Early American Culture
Chapter 5 section 1

2. Land, Rights, and Wealth
Land and wealth were easily attainable in the colonies because there was lots of land available after Native American were pushed off
Land ownership = political rights & prosperity
Voting rights were given to white males who owned land

3. High Upper Middle Lower Middle Low
Large Land Owners
Church officials
Government officials
Wealthy Merchants
Women Held the same ranking as their husbands or fathers
Most Colonists were in this Category
Upper Middle
Small Farms
Trades People
Lower Middle
Renters
Unskilled Workers
Once debt was paid they could move up in society
Low
Indentured Servants
Slaves

4. Women’s work
Women made large contributions to the colonies economy through their work including,
Helping raise cash crops, making products their families needed, tended farms, looked after animals, traded, ran Inns, taught, rented rooms,
Women could not vote, preach or hold office and whatever money or land they had was considered to be their husbands.

5. Children
Children were expected to contribute the family from as young as age 3.
At age 11 many young boys became apprentices to learn a trade.
Girls learned the skills they needed from their mothers or other women.

6. School Most children were taught to read so they could read the bible
Wealthy families sent their kids to school to learn to write and do arithmetic
Most schooling was completed by age 7
The colonies had a very high literacy rate for this time period. The New England colonies had the highest.

7. Newspapers and Books
Colonies begin to publish their own books such as, Almanacs, poetry, regional history, and autobiographies.
Newspapers also began to be widely published. Over 80 different newspapers within 70 years
The Sovereignty and Goodness of God written by Mary Rowlandson was the first bestseller in the colonies.

8. The Great Awakening
Many colonists feared that their religious passions were weakening.
In the 1730’s and 1740’s travelling minister began preaching that Inner religious emotion was more important than outward religious behavior. They drew in large crowds and appealed to many people
Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield were two of the best known preachers during this time.

9. This movement changes the colonies culture.
Churches gained 20,000 to 50,000 new members
Colleges were founded, ministers began to teach reading to Native Americans and African Americans
Encouraged ideas of equality, the right to challenge authority, and led to revolutionary fervor

10. Enlightenment
Movement that emphasized reason and science as the path to knowledge.
Benjamin Franklin and John Locke to key figures during this movement

11. It began with the discovery of the natural laws (Isaac Newton's laws of gravity).
Led to the idea of Natural rights, life, liberty, property .
When the government is failing people they have the right to change it.