“The Transformation of European Society” by Gary B. Nash talks about the economic, social, and religious changes that took place in the British colonies in the eighteenth century in North America. The author discussed that the people of a once strict hierarchical society of Europe now had a more democratic and individualistic American view. The vast land, which distinguished America from Europe, allowed people to get rich fast and climb the social ladder. Unlike America, in Europe there was a large disparity between the rich and the poor. If you were born a blacksmith's son, you would die a blacksmith. However, the vast amount of land in America offered great opportunities for growth. Poor farmers could become rich businessmen in no time in the northern colonies, which helped to develop an …show more content…
The Europeans "accepted the naturalness of hierarchy in human affairs." They did not try to go above what they deliberated to be their economic and social status in life. In the beginning of the seventeenth century most living in the British colonies were middle class. However, due to the rising population in the 1800s, the differences between the poor and wealthy had grown in North America.This increase in wealth was seen in the poor. Nash stated, "after about 1750 poverty was no longer confined to the poor or physically depleted.” Many middle and lower class citizens felt that it was their right to have as much freedom as the rich and be treated equally, which was known as egalitarianism. Unfortunately, not everyone agreed with this idea. This idea contradicted the European view that it was alright to suppress the poor. Nash also discussed the Great Awakening, which he was not only a religious change, but a "profound cultural crisis" that contributed to "tensions in colonial society.” The Great Awakening was "a search for new sources of authority, new principles of action, a new foundation of
As the wealthy increased their assets in the cities, at the same time, a large class was “impoverished city dwellers.” A huge contrast between the wealthy and the poor were forming and becoming more apparent from the beginning of the eighteenth century in the colonies. The data that was collected on the people who were submitted into poor houses clearly with little “doubt that the third quarter of the eighteenth century was an era of severe economic and social dislocation in the cities, and that by the end of the colonial period a large number of urban dwellers were without property, without opportunity, and except for public aid, without the means of obtaining the necessities.” This evidence of poverty in the colonies is one that Nash tries to point out to support his argument that there was a sharp contrast in the distribution of wealth, and that the masses were at this time more focused on the economy’s downfall of the period than defending for constitutional rights and liberties. Protest sparked as the result of the enormous poverty in the colonies. Frustrated with their living conditions the middle and lower classes protested violently in the cities. During this time of frustration with the economic conditions, “rank had no privileges, as even the lieutenant-governor was shot” in Massachusetts. The wealthy were attacked
By the 1700’s, The northern and souther colonies had evolved into two distinct societies. This is so because the northern and southern colonies had different environments and also different reasons of settlement. The North was established for mainly religious freedom, while on the other hand, the south had been established for economic freedom. The climate also affected the different turnout of the north and the south. The north was much colder and so their soil was not beneficial for farming, so the people of the north found other jobs, while on the other side, the south had rich soil and the colonists there used that idea to set up huge plantations and farms.
During the mid 17th century two regions carved roots for England in North America. Coming from the same homeland one would assume their inner workings would closely mirror each other but this was not the case for the New England and Chesapeake colonies. Though faced with similar hardships, the ways they handled the difficulties starkly contrast one another.
During the 1700's, people in the American colonies lived in very distinctive societies. While some colonists led hard lives, others were healthy and prosperous. The two groups who showed these differences were the colonists of the New England and Chesapeake Bay areas. The differentiating characteristics among the Chesapeake and New England colonies developed due to economy, religion, and motives for colonial expansion. The colonists of the New England area possessed a very happy and healthy life. This high way of living was due in part to better farming, a healthier environment, and a high rate of production because of more
America was a place for dreams and new beginnings, until white people arrived in 1607. Three groups sailed over the treacherous Atlantic from their cruel lives in England to set up peaceful religious colonies. The only problem is that they attempted to settle in their own way and all failed dismally. The New England, Middle and Southern Colonies grew differently over the period 1619-1760.Examining the three sets of colonies will prove that they were all different: socially, economically, politically but not philosophically.
In conclusion, the origins and development of Britain’s North American colonies was sustained by the need to stay in economic power. Bacon’s Rebellion, a high demand for cash crops, and an easy purchase of slaves through trade overall introduced and developed slavery to the Americas all while increasing economic status for England and their
One of the reasons of the Great Awakening was because the 1600’s were full of poor conditions
Of the people of the English origin in 1700 the regions of their societies had developed into two distinct differences between each other. There were many differences of why the people that were all the same origin split apart and went their own ways. It all started around the 1600s when the people started to realize that there was all differences between them and that one day things were going to change by the “government” system they had set up to take in place and move many people around. One difference is the rich and poor, there was a conflict between these around that time period that made the rich the most powerful and if you didn’t have money you were owned by them and pretty much had no freedom to yourself at all.
America was the land of opportunity, and anyone who was willing to work could go from rags to riches. Class differences emerged as a small group of aristocrats had all the power, and the black slaves were the lowest on the social ladder. It was best to be a clergyman or a physician. However, physicians were not that well trained and not highly esteemed. The first medical school opened in 1765. Unfortunately, this didn’t prepare them for the plague, small pox. Also, if you were a lawyer, you were assumed to be nosey scumbags. Finally, in 1750, lawyers were recognized as useful, and they defended many high profile cases and played important parts in American history. However, being a farmer was a great thing because it was a stable job. Soon trade became very popular in New England. They created a
Between the years of 1607and 1763, the British North American colonies developed experience and the expectation of self government in the political such as the Mayflower Compact, religious dealing with the Puritans, economic with the establishment of tobacco, and social such as Indians, aspects of life.
While all of the above social, cultural and economic circumstances were playing out and laying the groundwork for the American Revolution, several important political developments came to fruition in the concluding half of the 18th century that sealed the certainty of the American Revolution and made it inevitable. These developments, namely, the relative strengths of the local and colonial governments at the time, the betrayal of the colonies by the British Crown after King George’s War, and the end of Salutary Neglect, proved to present insurmountable odds to the colonists.
1. The main contours of English Colonization in the 17th century were Protestant motives to strike Catholicism, along with solving England’s social crisis. With the rumors of the Spanish Empire’s atrocities reaching England, one motive to colonize the America’s was to strike the Catholics, and save the natives from captivity (Foner 51). This shows an interesting aspect of the English Colonization: the English allowed their people to go colonize just to strike the opposing religious country. Along with this, England sending emigrants over solved their social crisis. Because of England’s growing population and economy, the amount of peasants in cities grew. This is because of landlords using land for sheep, which kicked out peasants from their land (Foner 51-52). England hoped that some people of the lower classes would then go to America: to be out of the big cities where important people were, while still helping England in it’s economy.
In contrast to the well-defined and hereditary classes of England, the colonies developed a fluid class structure that enabled industrious individuals to rise on the social ladder. America was truly the land of opportunity for the hardworking. While the English social ladder was set in stone, with land-owning lords in control, America had no such nobility. Most white Americans were farmers, but land-owning farmers. The larger
Around the 1600’s, New England started to develop a drastic population growth. This growth caused several problems for the occupants including, high prices on food, land, and a shortage of work for many because of the aggressive competition. Immigrants from New England began to prepare for a voyage that would be beneficial for some travelling to Massachusetts and not so much those who were travelling to Virginia. Although the settlers from the Chesapeake Bay and New England came from the same country, these colonies established different societies because of varying elements such as religious freedoms, economy, government’s role in society and unity.
The economic affairs of the 16th to 17th century England – a period where England experienced extreme population growth – encouraged the migration of more than half of the English population west across the Atlantic . In addition to its population’s growth, England was amid a civil war and a revolution during 1642-1660, that consequently propagated waves of political and economic refugees, finding their way to the Caribbean, to escape from the nation’s civil conflicts . Taking note of the ways in which dominant European powers – Portugal and Spain – conducted forms of active exploration and exploitation of the New World. Distinctly, for the reasons of, accumulation of land, wealth, and political power through means of exploiting its colonies resources. Virtually, England sought to mimic the Spanish economic success in their own Caribbean exploits. In contrast to the ways in which the Spanish pursued their own economic goals. The English economic success, relied on private companies to carry out commercial and colonial efforts . To emphasize, this meant that private men and companies secured the right from the crown to claim and settle islands in the Caribbean. Notably, these private men and companies’ advantageous socio-economic status, consequently began to formulate the make-up of the social stratification in the English colonies. Where social stratification refers to the persistent patterns of social inequalities within a society. Essentially, the colonies operated on