Daily Life In Colonial America

Bell Ringer

Study for quiz over the First Great Awakening

Daily Life in Colonial AmericaESSENTIAL QUESTION: WHAT WAS DAY-TO-DAY LIFE LIKE IN COLONIAL AMERICA?

The Family The family was the basis of colonial

society. Families were connected to the land

they lived on because most people were farmers and the land provided all of their needs.

Most people married between the ages of 18-20, which was earlier than people in England.

Indentured servants were not allowed to marry until their contract expired.

Slaves were not allowed to legally marry.

The Father The father was the head of the

household. His responsibility was to keep his wife

and children fed, clothed, and sheltered.

If any member of the family committed a crime, it was the father's responsibility to pay the fine.

The father was in charge of discipline in the home.

Men would either work on the farm or in a skilled trade such as a blacksmith.

The Mother Women would typically have children

into their forties. A woman would have between 7-10

children, but it was not uncommon to have 12 or more. Childbirth was the leading cause of death for women in colonial America.

The mother was responsible for planting and tending the family garden, as well as preserving the vegetables for winter.

The mother was responsible for milking the cow and making butter.

Other duties: make soap, cook, clean, laundry.

Children One in ten children died before their

first birthday. Four in ten did not live to the age of six.

Until the age of four, children were dressed in gender-neutral gowns which signified their non-adult status.

At the age of five, they began to be dressed like their parents and were given chores to help with the family's needs.

Reasons children were put to work at an early age: need for labor, to keep them busy, and to build wok ethic.

Boys/Girls• Sons most often learned the

jobs of their fathers.• The eldest son inherited the

family farm/business.• Sometimes a father would

arrange for his son to become an apprentice. This means the boy would go to work for someone else to learn a new trade.

• Daughters would help the mother with her duties, including raising the younger children.

• Older daughters would sometimes go to work as a servant for a wealthy, respectable family.

Free time/Education There was very little free time

available. Played board games,

marbles, tree swings, jump rope, swimming, sledding, "rolling the hoop".

Kids would often make games out of chores.

Although girls were taught to read by their parents, only boys attended school.

Indentured Servants/Slaves The only education provided for

indentured servants was that of learning a trade.

The first laws prohibiting slave education were passed in South Carolina in 1740.

Slaves were prohibited from learning to write, but could learn to read.

This was because of the focus on religion brought about by the Great Awakening. Slaves must be able to read Scripture if they were to be converted to Christianity.

Schools Boys in New England were sent to

grammar school once they had learned how to read using the Bible. In school, they were taught Latin, math, and other subjects necessary to get into college.

New England villages established schools when the population reached 100 families.

In the Middle Colonies, most schools were private and run by a particular religious group. The only girls allowed to attend school were Quakers.

In the Southern colonies, children were educated at home by parents or private tutors.

Summarizer/Extension ActivityFacebook Post

Using what we learned in today's lesson, write an appropriate Facebook status for each of the following

colonial people: father, mother, son, daughter, indentured servant, and slave.