Chapter 4 Colonial Society

Factors allowing colonist to buy more British goods 

  1. Improvements of manufacturing 

  2. Improvements in transportation 

  3. Availability in credits 

 

Commodity money 

  • Giving something and getting goods that are equivalent to the price 

 

Barbados exported more sugar in value than all other colonies produced together 

 

By 1775 Philadelphia was the largest city with 40,000 people 

 

By 1750 every colony was using slave labor 

 

It is not everyone’s fault for slavery 

 

Task system- slaves were given task to complete  

 

  • Politics and government split the colonist away from Great Britain 

 

Colonial governments regulated businesses, imposed taxes, and built infrastructure 

 

Most disagreements were between the people and the royal officials 

 

Three main categories of structure in the colonies: 

  1. Provincial- most tightly controlled by the crown 

  2. Proprietary- like provincial but had a top official (Lord Proprietor) that appointed the governor 

 

The council- like the governor’s cabinet 

The assembly- elected officials making sure that colonial law conformed to English law 

 -parliament had to choose 

 

First book was printed in new England in 1640 – the bay psalm book 

First bible was printed in 1660 

 

Benjamin franklin demanded everything to be printed 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WOMEN 

Start to play a role in society 

Have more authority 

No legal marriage for slaves 

White women had to go thru coverture- legal practice that meant women lot all their political and economic rights to their husbands 

Divorce rates are high 

Large families 

Newspapers spread gossip (divorce) 

 

SEVEN YEARS WAR 

-protestants feared French Catholicism 

-one conflict that stated the war was led by George Washington and they killed a French diplomat, the French revolted  

 

-ended with peace treaties of Paris and Hubertusburg in 1763 

-the American colonies believed they have won 

-the colonist was firmly anti-Catholic and rallied around Protestantism 

 

Pontiacs War- the most unified native force against the Europeans 

NEOLIN receives a vision from his religions main deity known as Master of Life 

PONTIAC- Ottawa tribe leader 

 

ROYAL PROCLOMATINON OF 1763 

NO BRITISH CITIZEN CAN SETTLE PASS THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS 

 

The Americans began thinking of themselves as separate from Britain