APUSH Chapter 4: American Life in the 17th Century

Tobacco cash crop economy in South created a demand for a reliable workforce
  * African slaves were too expensive, high mortality rates because of Middle Passage
  * Natives died too quickly on contact with whites because of disease
  * Whites couldn't work themselves because of the low birthrate
Solution → indentured servants: poor whites from England who paid for transatlantic passage to the colonies in exchange for working 4-7 years under a master.
masters also benefited from the headright system, which encouraged them to import indentured servants for 50 acres of land.

Bacon's Rebellion: led by Nathaniel Bacon, disgruntled freed indentured servants were forced to move westward in search of work to no avail. Conflict w/ natives ensued no protection from Governor William Berkeley. Led to a SHIFT in labor from indentured servants to slavery.
aided Royal African Company losing their monopoly on the slave trade. Middle passage continued to have high mortality rates. but not as high as before.
harsh slave codes created distinctly different statuses for servants and slaves; slaves and children would be property for life. Not allowed to be educated, blatantly racist motives

Congregational Church: democratic Puritan churches without hierarchy characteristic of Anglican churches
Waning religious zeal led to more lenient rules for church membership - more inclusive
Jeremiad: a form of sermon that warned parishioners of their impending doom due to their loss of religious passion.
Half-Way covenant: church gave partial membership rights to those who didn't consistently come to church. Soon, anyone could come to church, blurring lines between evervone and the "elect few "

Salem Witch Trials: women accused of witchcraft were killed. Often came from families famous in Salem's growing market economy; accusers often associated with the poorer subsistence farmers shows widening wealth gap and fear that commercialism would eclipse religion in importance (women were the scapegoat).
Leisler's Rebellion: conflict between aspiring merchants and New York elite. One of the many uprisings that occurred as some of the elite tried to replicate European hierarchy in the colonies-shows class tensions between rich and poor

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A few things about the Northern way of life

People came to the North as families, not just individuals
MANY children (as many as 27) → North had a greater population over the South
constantly changing weather allowed for a diversification of income (not just an agrarian society)

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