Colonial Population By 1775:
- 2.5 Million people (including .5 million Blacks)
- Population 2X every 25 years
- Average age: 16
- 90% Lived in rural areas
- A melting pot: Refer to map on p. 55
- Most non-English groups moved to the frontier
- Single largest non-English group: Africans
- New England: Least ethnically diverse
- Middle States: Most diverse population
Colonial Society
- More stratified with barriers to mobility
- Refer to chart on p. 57
- Colonies had more equality/opportunity than Europe
- Most honored profession: Christian ministry
- Held in low esteem: Physicians/Lawyers (Until 1750)
Colonial Economy
- Colonial economy based on agriculture except in New England where shipbuilding and commerce were important - Refer to chart on p. 59
- Most important manufacturing activity: Lumber (Ships)
- Triangular trade very profitable: Map on p. 61
- Molasses Act in 1733: Inhibited colonial trade with French West Indies
Transportation Problems
- Roads were poor/Rivers most efficient means of travel
- Taverns along main routes: Another cradle of democracy
- Intercolonial postal system established by mid 1700's
Colonial Religions
- 2 Tax-supported churches: Anglican and Congregational
- Anglican Church was most dominant in the South
- Congregational Church was most dominant in the N.E.
- Presbyterians were predominant on the frontier
- Catholics were still discriminated against
The Great Awakening
- Several religious problems in the early 18th Century
- As a result a rousing religious revival exploded in the 1730's and 1740's led by "New Light" ministers: Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield
- Characterized by emotional sermons
- Effects listed on p. 66
Schools and Colleges
- Education was most important in New England
- Emphasis was placed on religion/classical languages
- Early colonial colleges: chart on p. 67
Colonial Culture
- Materialistic atmosphere was not favorable to artistic endeavor
- Portrait artists had to go to England
- Architecture was imported from Europe
- Colonial literature was undistinguished except for the poetry of Philips Wheatley and the writings of Benjamin Franklin
Colonial Presses
- 50 public libraries by 1776
- 40 newspapers by 1776: Aired colonial grievances
- Peter Zenger libel case in New York (1734-35) which led to freedom of the press
Political Situation in 1775
- 8 of the colonies had royal governors who were appointed by the king but controlled by the colonial legislatures who controlled taxes and expenditures that paid the governors' salaries
- Every colony had a two-house legislature
- Self-taxation through representation
- All colonies required religious or property qualifications for voting/holding office
- Far more democratic than England and Europe
Colonial Folkways
- Everyday life was difficult
- Amusements/sports are listed on p. 71
- Most popular holiday: Thanksgiving
*By 1775 the American colonists were a remarkable people: restless, energetic, ambitious, resourceful, ingenious, and independent-minded.