Colonial Families

Chesapeake

Chesapeake•Women marrying younger

Chesapeake•Women marrying younger

•Having more children

Chesapeake•Women marrying younger

•Having more children

•Raising larger families

Chesapeake•Women marrying younger

•Having more children

•Raising larger families

•Men and women living longer

Chesapeake•Women marrying younger

•Having more children

•Raising larger families

•Men and women living longer

•Cities emerging

Chesapeake•Women marrying younger

•Having more children

•Raising larger families

•Men and women living longer

•Cities emerging

•New towns in hinterlands

Chesapeake•Women marrying younger

•Having more children

•Raising larger families

•Men and women living longer

•Cities emerging

•New towns in hinterlands

•Colonial aristocracy emerging

Chesapeake•Women marrying younger

•Having more children

•Raising larger families

•Men and women living longer

•Cities emerging

•New towns in hinterlands

•Colonial aristocracy emerging

•Settlements moving to new frontier

1.Life expectancy lower than northeast

1.Life expectancy lower than northeast

2.More arable land

1.Life expectancy lower than northeast

2.More arable landAll sons inherited land

1.Life expectancy lower than northeast

2.More arable land

All sons inherited land

Wealthy planter elite

1.Life expectancy lower than northeast

2.More arable land

All sons inherited land

Wealthy planter elite

Intermarriage encouraged

1.Life expectancy lower than northeast

2.More arable land

3.Built great estates

Mount Vernon

Monticello

Family Life of the Gentry

a)Emotional displays discouraged

a)Emotional displays discouraged

b)Mask emotions

a)Emotional displays discouraged

b)Mask emotions

c)Public emotions avoided

a)Emotional displays discouraged

b)Mask emotions

c)Public emotions avoided

d) family quarrels common

a)Emotional displays discouraged

b)Mask emotions

c)Public emotions avoided

d) family quarrels common

e)Sexual indiscretion

•Society more native born

•Society more native born

•Choose marriage partners

•Society more native born

•Choose marriage partners

•Focus on immediate family

•Society more native born

•Choose marriage partners

•Focus on immediate family

•Family affection- mothers

Puritans

Within 40 years…..

Within 40 years…..

•Families disintegrating

Within 40 years…..

•Families disintegrating

•Parents irresponsible

Within 40 years…..

•Families disintegrating

•Parents irresponsible

•Kids loosing respect for authority

Jeremiads

declension

a)Rapid population growth

a)Rapid population growth

b)More land

a)Rapid population growth

b)More land

c)Shortage of labor

1.Diminished parental control

1.Diminished parental control

2.Different family patterns across social classes

1.Diminished parental control

2.Different family patterns across social classes

3.New concept of childhood

1.Land less important

1.Land less important

2.Less land

1.Land less important

2.Less land

3.Subdivided land

1.Land less important

2.Less land

3.Subdivided land

4.Primogeniture

1.Land less important

2.Less land

3.Subdivided land

4.Primogeniture

5.People moved

17th C

>10%

Illegitimacy rates

17th C

>10%

Illegitimacy rates

<40%

After period of decline

Children

•Parental authority declined

•Parental authority declined

•Parental emotions changed

•Parental authority declined

•Parental emotions changed

•Respect and love

•Parental authority declined

•Parental emotions changed

•Respect and love

•Informal address

Cities

Cities•Almshouses

Cities•Almshouses

•Schools

Cities•Almshouses

•Schools

•Workshops

Native Americans

Algonquians Iroquois Muskegon

850,000- 2 million

850,000- 2 million240 tribes

Woodland Indians

Iroquois

•Communal housing

•Communal housing

•Men separated

•Communal housing

•Men separated

•Premarital sex

•Communal housing

•Men separated

•Premarital sex

•Polygamy

•Communal housing

•Men separated

•Premarital sex

•Polygamy

•Kinship ties

Kinship

Kinship

•Patrilineal

Kinship

•Patrilineal

•Matrilineal

Kinship

•Patrilineal

•Matrilineal

•Siblings and cousins

Families

Families•High infant and child mortality

Families•High infant and child mortality

•Nursed for 2 or more years

First contact

First contact•Population decline

First contact•Population decline

Old-world diseases

First contact•Population decline

Old-world diseases

1670s only 10% survived

First contact•Population decline

Old-world diseases

1670s only 10% survived

50 tribes extinct

First contact•Population decline

•European technology

First contact•Population decline

•European technology

Horses

Firearms

Metal knives

First contact•Population decline

•European technology

•Disrupted kinship patterns

Handsome Lake