Life in the English Colonies

Life in the English Colonies Life on a farm Life in the city Rights of colonists’ Crime and punishment Class differences Life for African Americans Religion Education Colonial Families Leisure Food

Notes on Life on a Farm • Nine out of 10 colonists lived on a farm • Most families produced everything they needed themselves • Farm families had to clear land of trees • Farm homes were simple, often one room houses • A fire was kept burning all the time for heat and cooking • Farm life involved many chores

Noteson Life in the City • One in 20 colonists lived in the city • The waterfront was the heart of the city • City features included marketplaces, taverns, and shops • Cities were noisy and smelly but much smaller than modern cities • Fire was a constant danger

Notes on Rights of Colonists • Colonists saw themselves as English Citizens and expected the same rights, including a voice in government • The Magna Carta first gave Englishmen the right to limit the power of the ruler. Even the King had to obey the law • Parliament was founded in 1265. It was made up of representatives from across England who had the power to approve laws and taxes proposed by the King • The Glorious Revolution forced James II off the throne when he tried to rule without Parliament. Colonists saw it as their victory too as they could once again choose the people who made their laws and set their taxes. • The Bill of Rights said the power to make laws belonged to the people’s elected representatives and included a list of rights which belonged to the people. Among these was the right to petition the King and a trial by jury

Notes on Crime and Punishment • Each colony had its own laws, but most laws were similar throughout the colonies • Murder, treason, and piracy were punished with death • Theft and forgery were punished with jail, whipping, or branding • Lesser crimes were punished with fines, short jail terms, or in time the stocks • Puritans were the strictest of the colonists and had many religious laws. They wrote was are known today as the Blue Laws

Notes on Class Differences • In England, a person’s class was determined by family background, title and wealth • In the colonies, wealth and success mattered more than family background • In the South, the Planter class was the upper class and the slaves were the lowest class. • In the New England and Middle colonies, merchants and lawyers were among the upper classes and indentured servants were among the lowest. Many craftsmen and tradesmen made up the middle class. • People’s clothes showed their social position, especially the fancy clothes of the upper class. • Girls on the Plantations had fancy party dresses and the boys shaved their heads and wore powdered wigs • Middle-class farmers and artisans owned their own land or business and many could vote • Lower class workers depended on others for their wages and often did not own enough property to vote

Notes on Life for African Americans • Slavery Existed throughout the colonies but grew much more rapidly in the Southern Colonies. Some of the largest plantations employed more than 200 slaves • For colonists in the Middle and New England colonies, owning slaves cost more than hiring servants • Ships sailed from the colonies to West Africa, where goods were traded for slaves. • The Middle passage was a horrible journey for Africans and many of them died • Slaves had little hope of achieving a better position in colonial society

Notes on Religion • Religion was an important part of colonial life but each colony had different religious practices and ideals • In New England, all Puritans were required to attend church, which was held in the meetinghouse and lasted for 5 hours • Puritans who fell asleep were awakened by a tickling rod, those who created a disturbance were punished with the stocks • The First Great Awakening spurred religious feeling and popularized the idea that all people were equal in the eyes of God. • The passion for equality aroused by the Great Awakening may have contributed to the colonists’ Revolutionary fervor

Notes on Education • Many colonial children received little formal education but many learned to read at home using the Bible • In the Southern colonies, families were too spread out to have public schools. • Wealthy colonists in the South paid for tutors and educated their children privately • In the Middle Colonies, religious differences slowed public education but Quakers started public schools • In New England, Puritans wanted their children to be able to read the Bible so they established public schools and made a law which stated communities of 50 families or more must pay for a school master • New England parents contributed what they could to the village school which had few supplies. • Boys received more education than girls. Only boys could go on to college.

Notes on Colonial Families • People generally married in their early 20s • There were more men than women so women could marry into higher social classes • Families had many children who were expected to help with family work. • Many children died before becoming adults. • People remarried quickly if a husband or wife died • Life focused around family and often included step children, aunts, cousins, and grandparents • A Married Woman’s life was often harder than an indentured servant’s • Women often took on the roles of Doctor, nurse and midwife • Husbands had to give permission for their wives to work outside their home

Notes on Leisure • “Bees,” “Frolics,” and house and barn raisings were enjoyable social ways to share work • Children had simple toys and played games • Adults played versions of lawn bowling, billiards and backgammon • In the Southern Colonies, people also took part in fox hunting, cockfighting, cards, horseracing and bull baiting. • Colonial fairs focused on competition and skill

Notes on Food • Corn was a major colonial food • Colonists learned about corn from the Native Americans • Meat was obtained from hunting or raising animals and had to be specially treated to keep it from going bad • Apples, berries, and grapes were common fruits. Peaches grew in Southern Colonies • Vegetables included squashes, beans, peas, sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, turnips and onions • Stew, the main meal, cooked all day to prevent spoiling

Life in the English Colonies