Colonial Life

1
Colonial Life
2
Part 1 - Governing

• English Parliament Review
• Magna Carta (1215) signed by King John
• Limited the monarchs right to levy taxes
• Originally only intended for nobles but extended
  to all citizens
• The Magna Carta formed Parliament a two-house
  lawmaking body
• House of Lords - nobles inherited power
• House of Commons members elected by rich men
  and landowners
• Parliaments Greatest power approving new taxes
• English Bill of Rights (1689) King William and
  Queen Mary
• Glorious Revolution removed King James from power
  and invited his daughter and her husband to rule
  since they were more open to expand Parliaments
  power

3
Critical Thinking

• Name two ideas or parts of English government
  that influenced our American government.

4
Part 1 - Governing

• Colonial Self-Government
• Colonists called for a voice in government and to
  rule themselves due to the influence of English
  laws.
• Colonial Legislatures
• 1619 Virginia Company allowed House of
  Burgesses to make laws for Jamestown Company (1st
  legislature in British North America).
• 1629 General Court set up in Massachusetts
  where colonists elected delegates
  (representatives)
• William Penn given ownership of Pennsylvania by
  the British
• As Royal Governor, only Penn and his council
  could make laws, not citizens.
• 1701 Colonists forced Penn to agree to let the
  General Assembly make laws that only the King
  could overturn.

5
Part 1 - Governing

• 1760 Every British colony in North America had
  some form of legislature (law making body).
• Legislatures clashed with the King of England and
  their own colonial governors who usually
  supported King.
• Right to Vote in the Colonies
• 50 to 75 of all white males could vote
• Much higher percentage than in England
• Africans, Native Americans, slaves, non-land
  owners, and women could not vote.

6
Questions

• Who was given ownership of Pennsylvania by the
  British?
• Who could vote in the American colonies?

7
Part 1 - Governing

• Regulating Trade
• Mercantilism colonies existed to serve the
  economic needs of England
• The colonies were sources of raw materials and
  sales opportunities for England
• Navigation Acts
• 1) Shipments from Europe to the colonies had to
  pass through England first.
• 2) Only ships built and owned by England were
  allowed to import goods to England from the
  colonies.
• 3) The colonists could sell certain key items
  (tobacco, sugar, etc) to England only.
• Benefited colonists because it ensured a market
  for their goods and encouraged ship building.
• Some colonists resented Acts because they felt
  they favored English merchants and restricted the
  amount of money they could make.

8
Critical Thinking

• How did the Navigation Acts benefit the colonies?
• Why would the Navigation Acts encourage smuggling
  in the colonies?

9
Part 2 - Society

• Families
• Very important, included extended family
• Farm Families most colonists lived on farms
• Large families an advantage
• Closely knit and self-sufficient
• Responsibilities given to each family member
• Examples Planting, cultivating, harvesting,
  housework
• Houses were not very comfortable
• Made out of wood, few rooms, crude utensils, cold
  during winter
• Town Families
• Few cities and towns
• Easier for single people
• Family still held in high regard
• Singles expected to live with family or board in
  someones home

10
Part 2 - Society

• Roles
• Men
• Controled income
• Managed property
• Commanded authority
• Represented household in public life
• Voting, officeholder
• Women
• Married men chosen by parent
• Based on property, religion, and family needs
• Many domestic responsibilities
• Cooking, laundry, gardening, farming
• Little or no public life

11
Part 2 - Society

• Young People
• Under seven years old
• Played jump rope, hopscotch, marbles, and
  homemade toys
• The wealthier the family, the better the toys
• Expected to work by seven years of age
• If they lived through infancy
• Girls Worked in the home
• Boys Worked in the fields or as apprentices
• Apprenticeship prepared boys to work in future
  professions
• Adults believed working prepared children for
  life as an adult

12
Questions

• Why were large families an advantage in Colonial
  America?
• What household person managed property and
  controlled income?

13
Part 2 - Society

• Social Classes
• In England, land ownership measured wealth.
• Land in American colonies was plentiful which
  made it appealing to Englishmen.
• Social status in England was determined by birth.
• American colonies had classes but were more
  socially equal than in England.

14
Part 2 - Society

• Gentry
• Upper class colonials
• Planters, merchants, ministers, officials,
  lawyers
• Few in number
• Most powerful people
• Gentry often held official jobs because there was
  no pay for those jobs
• Considered serving a duty and a right
• Middle Class
• Majority of colonists
• Planters, independent farmers, artisans
• Not rich, not poor
• Mainly white
• Continually growing
• Gave poor something to strive for

15
Part 2 - Society

• Indentured Servants
• Contracted workers doing 4 to 10 years work for
  person who paid for them to go to the colonies
• Just above slaves
• 1600s - most came from England
• 1700s growing numbers from Germany and Ireland
• Few, if any, rights
• Bound to obey master who could work them to death
  and add service time for disobeying or committing
  criminal activity
• At end of service, received a set of clothes,
  tools, and 50 acres of land
• Only 2/10 became prosperous
• Free African Americans
• 60,000 free in 1790 compared to 757,000 enslaved
• Allowed to own property and slaves
• Had restricted lives

16
Questions

• How do you feel about Africans in the colonies
  could own slaves? Explain.
• Would you have been an indentured servant in
  Colonial America? Why or why not?