UNIT III: COLONIAL WAYS OF LIFE

Ch. 3 (NOTEBOOK # 8)

THE SOUTHERN COLONIES

Ch. 3 Sec. 1

The Southern Economy Southern Economy

Economy was based on commercial agriculture i.e. cash crops.

tobacco, cotton, indigo, rice, etc.○ Led to the rise of plantations=large farms

which required many laborers (live on the farm)

Tobacco and the Chesapeake Between 1620 and 1660, the demand for

tobacco was greater than the supply=high pricesthe larger quantity of tobacco you produced=the

more money you make○ Required intense manual labor=large work force

Chesapeake Bay region was perfect for tobacco farmingthe bay provided an outlet for trade

○ Most farms were located by rivers so they could access the bay

Indentured Servants Enclosure Movement-poor tenant farmers in

England needed jobs Were willing to become indentured servants

○ Colonists pay for.. Transportation, food, clothing, shelter.

○ Servants must... Work for the colonist for a number of years. (usually 4)

○ Significance of “headright system”

Rice and Indigo in South Carolina In 1690, new type of rice was introduced

Planters from Barbados and Jamaica imported African slaves to cultivate it.○ Led to rice becoming South Carolina’s $ crop○ Why Barbados and Jamaica?

Rice and Indigo in South Carolina In the 1740’s, S.C. began to develop

another $ crop17 yr. old Eliza Lucas discovered that indigo

needed high ground and sandy soil○ Good second crop for rice plantations b/c had

different harvesting seasons

Southern Class Structure Top= Wealthy Landowners=>gentry

Huge economic and political influence in South○ Plantations functioned as self-contained

communities

1600’s plantation○ Small○ Planters worked w/ indentured servants under

difficult conditions1700’s plantation

○ Slave labor w/ overseers○ Large brick mansions=England’s upper class○ Didn’t work their land

Southern Class Structure Bottom=>Backcountry Farmers=>Yeomen

Plantation owners most land along the rivers○ Most landowners in the South lived in the “backcountry”

Referred to as yeomen- Grew some tobacco, practice subsistence farming

Bacon’s Rebellion By the 1660’s, wealthy planters lead by Sir William

Berkeley (VA governor) dominated Virginia’s society He controlled legislature

○ Appointed the House of Burgesses Received majority of supporters

- Exempted himself and his supporters from taxes- Also stated you must have property to vote= ½ of VA voted

(wealthy)

Bacon’s Rebellion Most important issue for colonists was acquiring

land By1670, most land not acquired was claimed by N.A.’s

○ Wealthy had no interest in backcountry=opposed expansion○ In 1675, war b/w backcountry settlers and Susquehannock

people Governor Berkeley built more forts in frontier for protection

Bacon’s Rebellion In April 1676, backcountry farmers met to

discuss the situationNathaniel Bacon organized his own militia and

attacked the N.A.’s○ House of Burgesses authorized Bacon to raise a force

of 1,000Allowed free men to voteTook away tax exemptions

Bacon still wasn’t satisfied○ He went to Jamestown and seized power, charged

Gov. Berkeley w/ corruptionBacon vs. Berkeley until Oct. 1676, Bacon died and his army

broke apart

Slavery Increases In VA From 1680, VA colony supported westward

expansion African slaves=replaced indentured servants

○ Didn’t have to be freed○ English government encouraged slavery w/ King Charles

establishing the Royal African Company

Slavery In the Colonies Middle Passage=voyage that brought

captured Africans to the Americas from AfricaEstimated 10 to 12 million Africans

○ 2 million believed to have died on the voyageRead pg. 89 Olaudah Equiano

Slavery In the Colonies 1st Africans arrived in VA in 1619

Were treated like indentured servantsMaryland became the 1st colony to deny

their rights in 1638. By 1660, most southern colonies limited their rights

Slavery In the ColoniesIn 1705, VA created a slave code

○ Became more harsh over time Denied rights to property and couldn’t testify against

white peopleBecame an accepted institution in colonial society,

especially the southern colonies

THE ECONOMIES OF NEW ENGLAND AND THE MIDDLE

COLONIES

Ch. 3 Sec. 2

New England EconomyResources Industries (How did resource

impact economic development?)1. Fishing and Whaling

2. Crops/Agriculture

3. Lumber/Shipbuilding

4. Wheat

New England Economy New England’s economy was very diverse

Agriculture- subsistence farming=grew corn, beans, peas, pumpkins, squash, turnips, barley, oats, and rye○ Apples, cranberries, blackberries, and strawberries○ Livestock= cows, horses, sheep, and pigs

New England Economy Fishing- Grand Banks=region of Atlantic Ocean where

Gulf Stream and North Atlantic meet, produces plankton= food supply for fish and whales○ Fish= cod, mackerel, halibut, and herring○ Whales=used blubber for making candles, lamp oil, ambergris

(perfume), and bones (buttons and combs).

New England Economy Lumbering in NE=dense forests+waterfalls (powered

sawmills)= development of lumber industry○ Lumber was used for furniture, doorframes, spinning wheels,

construction materials, barrels, and shipbuilding English merchants bought ships from New England=30%-50%

cheaper

Life In New England Towns New England’s social life centered

around the townPuritans believed that they should come

together to form church covenants○ Agreements to worship together

Land was given to groups of Puritans to form towns

Town meetings=local gov’t- Passed laws and elected officials

Life In New England Towns Selectmen- men chosen to manage town affairs,

elected annually Appointed other town officials: clerks, constables, and justices

Town meetings helped the people establish the rights to govern themselves

Triangular Trade Triangular Trade

Multi-directional trading between the colonies, the Caribbean, and England that increased trade, and which resulted in the emergence of large cities in the colonies.

Triangular Trade

Triangular Trade

Urban SocietySocial Class What they do % of Pop.

Wealthy Merchants Controlled Trade <5%

Artisans Carpenters, Masons, Glassmakers

+/- 50%

People w/o Skills or Property

Manual Labor 30%

Enslaved Africans 10-20%

New Urban Society Rapid development of cities caused

many problemsOvercrowding, crime, pollution, and

epidemics○ Gov’ts established offices to deal with

problems

Society in the Middle Colonies Middle Colonies=PA, NY, NJ, and DE=

most fertile farmland in North AmericaProduced surplus of crops=$

○ Long growing seasonsGrew rye, oats, barley, potatoes, and wheat($ crop)

Society of the Middle Colonies Growth of Middle Colonies

Sold wheat and flour to Caribbean○ Had 3 rivers that led to Middle Colonies

interiorAllowed for trade

- Cities grew where rivers led to Atlantic Ocean (NYC and Philadelphia)

Social Classes of the Middle Colonies Wheat Boom

B/W the years 1720-1770= wheat prices doubled○ Increase in demand=increase in pop.

Changed society- Farmers hired immigrants to work- Entrepreneurs risked money on land, equipment, and

supplies=sold to immigrants to make profit- Capitalists invested money in new businesses

- Gristmills=produced flour- Glass and Pottery

Social Classes of M.C.= ○ 1st Wealthy Entrepreneurs ○ 2nd farmers ○ 3rd landless workers=rented their land