Chapter 4: American Life in the 17th Century

Indentured Servants

Due to the gender ratio and cost of African slave, these people emerged voluntarily to work on farms for masters for ‘freedom dues’ (Land, clothes, food)

Headright System

promoted servant workers to the Americas. The master or whomever is paying the worker granted the worker a right to 50 acres of land

Gender ratio in the South

Due to the diseases like malaria, dysentery, and typhoid that emerged in Chesapeake, most english immigrants perished and had to compete for a mate with women, resulting in a low birth rate with a 6-1 ratio between men and women.

Bacon’s rebellion

A 1676 uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor William Berkeley over conflicts with Native Americans, frontier policies, and the colony’s government.

Slave Trade/Middle Passage

The forced trade/migration of Africans to the Americas to be used as slaves. The middle passage was the horrible voyage from Africa to America

African Contributions to America

African’s contributed a means of labor, AAVE, music such as jazz using the banjo and bongo, voodoo, food (okra, goobers, etc)

Characteristic of the New England Family

Reproduced constantly, large number of people in families because of low fertility rate, women were practically giving birth until their death

Half-way Covenant 1651

A Puritan agreement that allowed the children of church members to become partial members of the church even if they had not experienced a conversion experience.

Salem Witch Trails (1692)

the lynching of adolescent girls who were claimed to be bewitched.