American Life in 17th Century

1
American Life in 17th Century

• Goes with chapter 4 Readings

2
Frustration in the Virginia Country

• Challenge to Virginia Authority 1676
• Planters in the countryside disliked Jamestown
  officials
• Royal Governor, Sir William Berkeley and the
  Green Spring Faction
• Ruled Virginia for 30 years.

3
Frustration in the Virginia Country

• Green Springers viewed the western planters as
  crude and vulgar lot
• The western planters asked Berkeley to authorize
  expedition against the Indians to take their land
• He refused

4
Bacons Rebellion

• Bacon raised an army of 500 and led an attack
  against the Indians
• Declared a traitor by Berkeley
• Bacon killed peaceful Indians and forced Berkeley
  to legitimize his authority
• Headed West and killed more Indians
• In September Bacon burned
• Jamestown to the ground and
• plundered plantations

5
Outcome of Bacons Rebellion

• On the surface, the uprising changed nothing
• BUT, nothing was ever the same again
• The common interests of all was foundBoth wanted
  cheap labor
• In the quarter-century following Bacons
  Rebellion the
• Chesapeake region thus
• became committed to black
• slavery

6
Outcome of Bacons Rebellion

• Bacons Rebellion sealed an implicit contract
  between the inhabitants of the great houses and
  those who lived in more modest lodgings Southern
  whites might differ greatly in wealth and
  influence, but they stood as one and forever
  behind the principle
• that blacks must have neither

7
Slavery

• By 1680, black slaves outnumbered white servants
  among the plantation colonies new arrivals
• By 1750, Blacks accounted for nearly ½ of
  Virginian population
• Some of the earliest Black slaves gained their
  freedom and some became slaveholders themselves.

8
Blacks Owning Blacks in America a look ahead in
time

• Keep this in mind as we continue on our road to
  Americas Dividing War
• The free brown and black artisans, craftsmen, and
  tradesmen in 1860 could be divided into three
  economic groups - the first paid taxes on
  property ranging in value from 1,000 to 5,000
  and had an average of .54 slaves each. The second
  paid taxes on property ranging in value from
  5,000 to 10,000 and owned what averages out to
  3¼ slaves each. The final group - the very
  wealthiest
• paid taxes on property valued at 10,000 to
• over 40,000 and owned an average of six
• slaves each. One individual in this class
• owned as many as 14 slaves.

9
Blacks Owning Blacks in America a look ahead in
time

• Where did these slaves owned by other blacks come
  from? and why? Some authors have remarked that
  black proprietors, shop owners, and craftsmen
  were little different from their white
  counterparts and, when help was needed, they
  turned to the most available labor supply -
  African-American slaves. While some purchased
  family members or friends in order to protect
  them from the terror of slavery, not all were
  motivated by humanitarian interests.
• Fitchett observed that the behavior of at
• least the brown elite "was a replica of that
• class in white society which they aspired to
• be like."

10
Blacks Owning Blacks in America a look ahead in
time

• The practice of the elite free blacks owning
  slaves increased the social distance between the
  two groups and greatly increased slave suspicions
  of the free group. This was reinforced by the
  difference in skin colors - while slaves were
  largely a black group, the free black ranks were
  dominated by mulattoes. These factors made
• it much more difficult for the elite free
• persons of color and freed black slaves
• to forge a united front after the Civil War.

11
Back to Colonial Times

• How did the slaves get here?
• After the video, ask me where the Southern Accent
  comes from.

12
Africans in America

• Slave life was VERY tough. Rice growing was much
  harder than tobacco growing
• A few slaves became skilled artisans, but most
  were relegated to sweaty work
• Did revolts occur? Of course they did!

13
Southern Society

• Social gaps
• Virginia clans dominated government and owned
  most of the land the first families of Virginia
• Drinking a huge problem in Virginia
• Farmers made up the largest group
• Few cities and few schools and churches

14
Southern Society

• Women had more power! Yes, I said it! Southern
  women tended to have more power and they still
  do (
• In the South men had absolute rule over their
  wives, but they died young and women inherited
  the money and could live independent lives if
  they wanted.

15
The New England Area

• Women married in Early 20s and had children every
  2 years until menopause
• Average woman raised 8 children and gave birth to
  about 10
• Many women died in childbirth
• Men didnt have absolute power over their wives,
  but they did have lots of power.
• Women didnt inherit the money!

16
The Half-Way Covenant and Salem Witch Trials
17
Half-Way Covenant

• Puritans began to worry about the way their
  children were growing up
• Preachers began to scold parishioners
• In 1662 a new formula for church membership was
  announced
• Jeremiads (strong sermons) continued
• Anyone could come even if they were not converts

18
Salem Witch Trials

• In 1690s a group of girls claimed to have been
  bewitched by certain older women

19
Salem Witch Trials

• This caused major hysteria in already trying times

20
Salem Witch Trials
21
Salem Witch Trials
22
Salem Witch Trials

• What followed was a hysterical witch-hunt that
  led to the executions of 20 people (19 were hung)
  and two dogs!

23
Salem Witch Trials

• Witchcraft hysteria eventually ended in 1693