JH-Chapter+4

__Chapter 4: Life in the Seventeenth Century__ I. The Unhealthy Chesapeake a. Disease (malaria, typhoid, and dysentery) ravaged the people and made the life expectancy very low. b. This severely weakened families and family structure. c. Finally, by the end of the 1600s, the birthrate was rising. II. The Tobacco Economy a. Tobacco was the primary concern of most colonists in Chesapeake. b. The ever-increasing need for laborers brought over more English who would “indenture” themselves. c. Soon these “white slaves” outnumbered “free” men three to one. d. Freedom was not as glorious as it sounded, however. III. Frustrated Freemen and Bacon’s Rebellion a. In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon led 1,000 disgruntled Virginian freemen to depose the governor, attack the Indians (some of whom were in league with the governor), and begin civil warfare. b. William Berkeley, the governor of Virginia, quickly and violently ended the turmoil after Bacon died. IV. Colonial Slavery a. Africans had been brought to the Americas almost since their discovery, although it was awhile before they were sent to New England. b. This changed in the 1680s. c. Soon black slaves outnumbered the white slaves and even the whole white population in many areas. d. Most of these black slaves came from Africa’s west coast. V. Africans in America a. Black slaves in the north had it easier than their brothers in the South. b. Soon, a distinct “African-American” culture began emerging. c. This was seen especially in the language (a unique Gullah dialect) and music (which was the origins of jazz). VI. Southern Society a. By the Revolutionary War, almost three-quarters of Virginian leaders came from the “first families of Virginia” (i.e. families who had been there before 1690). b. They were not aristocrats as much as businessmen. c. “Small farmers” made up the largest social group. VII. The New England Family a. By the 1600s, the New World life expectancy began increasing. b. Families of the time were characterized by early marriages, ceaseless childbearing, and life expectancy of about seventy. c. Family life was structured, stable, and peaceful. d. Divorce was rare and only allowed in very specific cases. VIII. Life in New England Towns a. Schools, churches, and town counsels all began appearing by the end of the 17th century. IX. The Half-Way Covenant and the Salem Witch Trials a. The Half-Way Covenant (1662 and on) allowed for a person to be baptized while they still were not allowed communion. b. In 1692, twenty people were executed for witchcraft after being condemned in the Salem Witch Trials. X. The New England Way of Life a. The soil was especially hard to use for the New Englanders. b. They also introduced new livestock, such as pigs, cattle, sheep, and horses. XI. The Early Settlers’ Days and Ways a. Most colonists were farmers, and were therefore somewhat governed by the climate and seasons.