Dylan Schaffer
US History I Honors
Category New England Colonies
Labor Force Small family farms and little African slave
labor…not many indentured servants
(largely voluntary immigration/religious
dissenters as labor force)
Birth/death High birth/reproduction, less rate of adult
death—due to better longevity
rate
Life Very high-approximately 71/70 years (M-
F) …approximately 10 years above that of
expectancy Europe, 25 years above Southern colonies
—possibly due to climate
Gender ratio Less than ¾ population male—eventually
decreased to 60% male and leveled out
after 1700 to slightly more females than
males
Marriage Married around 20/21—traditionally young
early marriages—more arrangement but
Patterns not compared to English marriage
patterns
Number of most likely to survive 6-8—many lived to
mature age due to longevity
children
Role of In theory, women were equal in eyes of
church, in reality, men held all power in
women church and thus in society—little
importance other than childbearing
Family Childbearing for women—male authority—
birth of grandparents in New England—
patterns longevity provided three generations of
living people—tradition lifestyles but
improvised from England (rooted deeply in
religion)
Slavery: Relatively small slave population—not
very important to way of life or economy;
Where approximately 16,000 by 1763
Extent
Acquisition
Numbers
Middle Colonies
Indentured servitude, especially in 1670-
after 1700; headwright system used to
attract workers
higher mortality, but less than southern
regions
Overall, originally more male, similar to
New England and South, but evened out
by the end of the eighteenth century
medium amount of slaves by mid-1700s, a
few more than New England but far less
than in the South; Pennsylvania—very few
slaves/low percentage (didn’t believe in
slavery); moderated slave labor to lesser
extent in middle colonies—not as
economically important; approx. 29,000
September 28th, 2009
Period E
Southern Colonies
Large plantation style living arrangements
with large indentured servant population,
later switching to slave labor (esp. in
Chesapeake region)
1 in 4 children died during infancy/didn’t
live past the age of 20…very high death
rate—arduous labor, climate,
contamination, disease, etc. caused larger
death rates
Approx. 40 years—very low due to very
warm climate, difficult labor—women have
slightly less, in part due to mortality rates
during childbirth
Over ¾ population male—took longer to
decrease, but eventually leveled out in the
eighteenth century
Married around 18—younger than in North
—less traditional values (less religion in
lives), due to more variety in family
patterns—premarital sex common
8—but as many as 5 died before maturity;
many females died during childbirth,
having children on average every 2 years
Widows wielded much power in improved
social order—more power in families than
in New England
Childbearing biggest female priority—
improvised social structure provided for
complex families (step-children, half-
siblings, widows, widowers, etc.)
very heavily concentrated in Southern
colonies (slaves dominated population in
South Carolina and Chesapeake region
eventually—approx. 1 in 10 residents was
African by 1700 in all colonies, but
outnumbered Europeans in South areas;
many slaves born in Chesapeake region

Immigration English immigration declined by 1700
(due to new emigration laws/depopulation
patterns: in England)
Where from --not much other foreign immigration—
To which remained largely English settlers as
population increased domestically and
colonies naturally
Numbers
Impact
Major `some farming (still major economic
activity)—subsistence agriculture within
economic families—industry most evolved in New
activities England—metalwork and small businesses
in villages and towns emerged (formed
merchant middle class)
Major cities Boston, Newport (to an extent)
Elite or “Elect” Calvinists and religious/political
clergy made up elite—least separated
privileged from middle and lower classes
class
Stratification Not as stratified as South, but elite held
much political and religious power due to
theocratic structure of society
Characteristi Birth of the small towns and villages—
tight-knit communities
c social unit
Major Calvinist Puritanism—known as
Congregationalists…very strict in
religions Massachusetts—RI fostered toleration, and
to a lesser extent, Connecticut—small
minorities of Jews, Catholics, and other
Protestant denominations
Religious Very little in Massachusetts (least in all
by 1763
Many German/French protestants
emigrated, esp. to NY/PN (developed into
Penn. Dutch (German=Deutsch); Scots-
Irish settled in backcountry PN—biggest
group of immigrants in colonies; Scottish
Presbyterians and Catholics went to NJ/PN
—had major religious impact there
Better land—led to medium sized
agriculture, not like plantation economy—
wheat grown, especially in Pennsylvania
and New York
New York, Philadelphia
No distinct elite class—no sizeable African
population and blurred boundaries
Very little stratification—blurred lines and
less social classes
Not as isolated farming communities—less
African slavery but much diversity in
culture
Diverse religious background—more
toleration—(Calvinists, Quaker,
Congregationalist, Church of England,
Catholic minorities)
decent religious toleration due to diverse
(more males than females); death rates
among Africans high, esp. in high intensity
labor situations; at first slaves treated
similar to indentured servants, eventually
leading to slave codes that reduced their
rights; took a while for England to become
involved to due monopoly in Atlantic slave
trade
Swiss/Germans emigrated to places such
as NC; Scots-Irish relocated to
backcountry South after
religious/social/political restrictions in
Ulster colony—settled in outskirts of
VA/NC/MD with little regard for ownership
of land-biggest group to immigrate;
population greatly increased in all
colonies, especially after 1700
Agriculture major economic opportunity
(plantation economy)—used as cash crop
and only economic structure—three main
crops (VA-tobacco, SC and GA-rice/indigo,
later cotton)
Charles Town (never to extent of other
cities in Middle and South)
Wealthy planter class were privileged and
separated from much larger African slave
population and lower classes of
backcountry peoples
Most stratified—hierarchical social
structure of planter elite
Isolated farm communities—plantation
served as social organization unit—very
self-sufficient and scattered from each
other
Church of England (establish Church),
occasional Catholics (religion never the
most important factor in Southern colonies
not very much toleration, although religion
Toleration colonies) but great toleration in Rhode culture, religious, and social background, not as significant as in middle colonies
Island and, to a lesser extent, Connecticut esp. in Pennsylvania and New York and not nearly as important as New
and New Hampshire England
Educational Birth of public school system— more similar to South with tutoring system tutoring system—education mainly
Massachusetts; went during winter to in farming culture reserved for planter elite, reserving power
Opportunitie allow for planting seasons; mainly for for the elite class
s boys’ education—more important for girls
to maintain house/children; higher
education for religious purposes mainly
(i.e. Ivy League schools)
Literacy generally a bit over 50% for boys, and less see New England see New England
for girls due to educational differences
rates