Early American Culture. Think about this: What are some rights in which you feel entitled to because you are American? How do you think people in Britain's.

Early American Culture

Think about this:What are some rights in which

you feel entitled to because you are American?

How do you think people in Britain's American colonies

saw themselves?

Land, Rights and Wealth

• Colony’s thriving---*England >5% owned land *New World land was

plentiful

• Political Rights- *White Male landowners *City dwellers-fee

• Social System- rank system

Colonial Social Ranks

High

*Large Landowners

*Church Officials

*Government Officials

*Wealthy Merchant

Upper Middle

*Small Farmers

*Trades people

Lower Middle

*Renters

*Unskilled Workers

Low

*Indentured Servants

*Slaves

Women/Young Children

• Farm wives-house chores• City women-business owners• Couldn’t vote, own land or hold office• Permission of the husband• Average family-5 to 8 children• 6yrs boys- ”breeched” work in the

fields• 11yrs boys- apprentices• 13-14yrs girls- learned specialized

skills

Schooling• School was valued• Children taught to

read and write• Bible/scripture

study• “Dame Schools”• Textbooks-religion• High literacy rates

– England 60%– New England 85%– Middle 65%– Southern 50%

Great Awakening

Religion declining• 1730-40-Religious

movement: “Great Awakening”

• Traveling ministers• Jonathan Edwards• George Whitefield• Results:

*Increased attendance in church*Helped new religions*Increase service* Ideas of equality “Sinners in the Hands of an

Angry God”-Jonathan Edwards

The Enlightenment• Reason and science

as the paths of knowledge.

• Europe: Natural laws• Benjamin Franklin• John Locke• Natural rights

*Life, liberty, and property*Creation of government*Right to change it

• Big influence on leaders

Questions:• How did land ownership affect a colonist’s

place in society?• What work did colonial women and young

children do?• What rights were denied women?• Why were most children taught to read?• What was the Great Awakening?• How did it change colonial culture?• How did the Enlightenment affect the colonies?• In what ways are they similar? And different?

http://www.iep.utm.edu/locke/