The Colonial Family•Extended family included three generations and cousins

•Needed to rely on each other to survive and operate the farms

•Controlled by men

•Parent chose spouses for daughters

•Women cared for home and food

Colonial Social Classes•Gentry – Wealthy plantation owners, royal officers, landowners, lawyers, prosperous goldsmiths•Middle Class – Small planters, farmers, artisans, men could vote, some held office•Indentured Servants – Slightly above slaves, contracted for work, 4- 10 years, generally from England or Scotland.•Freed African Americans – Large portion of population

Colonial Social Classes•How people were judged. Most politicians were gentry.

•Middle class pushed westward exploration, looking for opportunity and land.

•People from different classes generally did not interact in social settings.

Slavery – The Middle Passage•The voyage from Africa to the Americas taken by slaves.

•Forced labor

•Conditions on Middle Passage ships were horrible

•Demonstrated how badly Americans wanted slaves – forced people into slavery.

•Slavery eventually contributed to the Civil War.

Slavery – The Middle Passage

Slavery – The Triangular Trade•Three way trade between the colonies, the Caribbean, Africa, and England.

•Trade items included rum, slaves, cotton, furs, guns, metal goods

•Provided needed goods to the colonists

•Provided markets for the colonists

•Brought slaves to America

•Took American goods to Britain

Slavery – The Triangular Trade

Slavery – Contributions of the slaves•Slaves taken from Africa to N. America

•Spoke native African languages

•Africans crafted arts

•Slaves expanded on American music

•Music became symbolic of America

•Slaves built southern plantations, economy.

Slavery – Contributions of the slavesThe Africans did many things that were influential to the American culture, such as folk tales, banjos, drums, and other types of music.

Some Americans used fine African items like quilts, furniture, and walking sticks.

New Ideas – Public Schools•A school supported by taxes.

•Some gentry would hire private tutors to teach their children. Public schools were supported by public and private money.

•These schools mainly taught religion but also taught the children to read and write.

New Ideas –Dame Schools•Schools opened by women, in their homes to teach boys and girls to read and write.

•The Bible was widely used to teach reading skills.

•Most colonies only had white children taught in some colonies though free African Americans taught their children and poorer whites.

The Great Awakening•Colonists considered religion and real lives•Jonathan Edwards’ sermons forced people to consider their religious lives.•Led to many churches being built.•1730s and 40s•Reinforced democratic ideals, separation of church and state. This led to freedom of religion.•Protests against the Church of England led the way for later political protests.

The Great Awakening•Protests against the Church of England led the way for later political protests.

Natural Rights vs. Divine Rights•Natural Rights belong to people at birth•Divine Right is the idea that monarchs derive their power from God.•Examples of natural rights include – Natural Life, Liberty, Property. Because government exists to protect the rights of the people, people may overthrow the monarch when monarch violates those rights.•Examples divine rights include – Protections extended to the people from the monarch

Natural Rights vs. Divine Rights•The ideas of Natural Rights eventually shaped the founding of the United States.

Natural Rights vs. Divine Rights