How Had Colonial Society Developed By 1740

Question 1

What was the colonial societal structure ?

Answer 1

differed from Britain heavily

The elite colonists
- hard working capitalists made money from commercial exploitation of their estate

Below this were three main groups
- professionals: property holding farms and plantation owners
- labourers: worked for others or rented land with up to 20% of population being labourers
- slaves: Africa Americans most in the south working on plantations or farms however some were domestic slaves

Question 2

However the professionals seen ?

Answer 2

Pillars of the local community often holding position of public responsibility
This also included doctors
Many had land but not mases

Question 3

How did the colonial middle class grow ?

Answer 3

• Many Historians argue that the growth and influence of the middle class was far greater than in Britain with the poor and the aristocracy being undeveloped
• this is down to 5x more availability of land in the Northern colonies
• however, there is little evidence that colonial society could allow for a class shift and it was very heirarchical with the south being very rigid

Question 4

What were the religious developments within the colonies ?

Answer 4

• many settlers had gone to avoid religious persecution in stark contrast to France which lead to fear of French rule
• there was toleration in British colonies but it was confined to Protestant groups and there was an anti catholic feeling

Question 5

What was the Great Awakening ?

Answer 5

Start of the 1700s
- led by Methodists and Bapistis
- emphasise personal relationship with god and it could be argued it encouraged an egalitarian and democratic spirit
- later fired the spirit for revolution as it caused friction with the nature of British rule

Question 6

What were the educational development ?

Answer 6

• important role in creating a receptive society later encouraging ideas to challenge rule
• literacy rates in colonies 75% of adult males compared to 15% in Britain in 1763
• encouraged growth of printing presses and bookshops with enlightened ideas influenced an ever increasing number of people causing them to consider the nature of their society