chapter 4, section 5. ben franklin a leading citizens in philadelphia invited colonist to join a...
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Ben Franklin a leading citizens in Philadelphia invited colonist to join a society that promote useful knowledgeThe American Philosophical Society as born
Colonists enjoyed more social equality than people in England did.
However classes still existedGentry: wealthy planters, merchants, lawyers
and royal officialsMiddle class: farmers who worked their own
land, skilled crafts workers, and some trades people3/4of all white colonist belonged to the middle
class
Social Classes
Indentured servants: promised to work without wages for four to seven years for whoever would pay their ocean passage to the Americas
When their term was over they received “freedom dues,” set of clothes, tools and 50 acres of land
Social Classes
Took care the household, her husband, and familyCooked, milked cows, watched children, and
made clothingIn cities a young single women from a poor
family might work as a maid, a cook, or a nurse for a gentry
Women in the Colonies
Others worked as midwives or sewedWomen sometimes learned trades from her
father, brothers, or husbandShoemakers, silversmiths, and butchers
Women in the Colonies
Culture of Africans in the colonies varied greatly
Rice plantations in South Carolina slaves saw few whitesAfrican customs remained strong
African Cultural Influences
In port cities like Charleston more than half the population was black.Worked along the docks making ropes, barrels,
or helping to build shipsIn Virginia and Maryland African traditions
were weakerLess isolated from whites
The Southern colonies
Great Awakening: religious movement in the 1730s and 1740s
Jonathan Edwards: a New England preacher set off the Great AwakeningCalled on colonists to examine their lives
Warned listeners that unless they heeded the Bible’s teachings “they would be sinners in the hands of an angry God’
A Renewal of Faith
1739 George Whitefield, an English minister, arrived in the coloniesDrew huge crowdsHe spoke with passion and feeling as he called
on sinners to reform
A Renewal of Faith
Supports of the Great Awakening often split from churches and formed new ones
The growth of new churches forced people to become more tolerant of people with different religions
A Renewal of Faith
New Englanders were most concerned about education
Puritans believed people had a duty to study the Bible
So they need to learn how to read
Concern with Education
1647 Massachusetts assembly passes a law ordering all parents to teach their children to read and understand the principles of religionAll towns with 50 families to hire a school
teacherTowns with 100 families had to set up a
grammar school to prepare boys for college
Public Schools in New England
Public school: school supported by taxesMassachusetts set up the first public schoolsOn e room for all students of all agesParents paid the teacher with corn, peas, or
other foodEach child was expected to bring a share of
wood to burn in the stove
Public Schools in New England
Middle coloniesChurches and individual families set up
private schoolsPupils paid to attendOnly wealthy families could afford to educate their
children
Middle and Southern Colonies
Southern ColoniesFamilies lived to far apart to bring children
together in one buildingSome planters hired tutorsWealthiest planters sent their sons to school in
EnglandSlaves were denied education of any kind
Middle and Southern Colonies
Apprentice: worked for a master to learn a trade or craftEx. Glassmaker, papermaking, printing
Learning by doing
In New England some girls attended dame schools, or private school s, ran by women in their homes
Most school in the colonies accepted only boysGirls learned from their mothers
Education for girls
European scientist tried to use reason and logic to understand the worldDeveloped theories and performed experiments
to test themEx. Isaac Newton’s force of gravity
An Age of Reason
European thinkers tried to use the same principles to study society
They tried to discover natural laws to govern human behavior
This movement became known as the Enlightenment
An Age of Reason
Born the son of a poor soap and candle makerStrong believer in self improvement
Had only two years of schoolingUsed his spare time to study literature,
mathematics, and foreign languagesBecame an important colonial leader
Benjamin Franklin
In Philadelphia he started a successful printing business
Published poor Richards Almanac
Benjamin Franklin
Franklin proved that lightening was a form of electricity
Flew a kite during a thunderstormBolt of lightning struck wire fastened to the
kite and caused a spark
Benjamin Franklin