CHAPTER VII THE PROGRESS OF THE COLONIES 1700-1750 106. Population. During the first half of the eighteenth century the American colonies made considerable progress. Their general prosperity is fairly well indicated by the growth of their population. In spite of Indian attacks, disease, and the hardships of a pioneer life the colonists increased in numbers. Religious disputes and quarrels with the mother country over commerce also tended to check the growth of the colonies, but notwithstanding all of this the population continued to increase. steadily the The total population of the colonies in 1700 was about 253,000. In 1750 it had increased to 1,370,000. In 1700 New England had 105,000 people; in 1750 it had nearly Population 400,000. In 1700 the Middle Colonies had 59,000 increased inhabitants, and in 1750 they had about 355,000. during the The South had a population of 89,000 in 1700, and first half of by the middle of the century the number had in- eighteenth creased to about 620,000. Virginia was the most century. populous colony, having about 300,000 people in 1750. Many of these, however, were negro slaves. Massachusetts was second in size, and Pennsylvania third. Georgia, the youngest colony, was also the smallest and did not have more than 5000 inhabitants in 1750. Agriculture 107. Pursuits. Agriculture was the principal occupation, and the colonists depended for the most part upon their own farm products for a livelihood. In Vir- was the ginia tobacco was the leading crop, and large quan- principal tities of rice were raised in the swamps of South Carolina. Lumbering was carried on, tanneries and distilleries occupation. were built, and shipbuilding was an important industry. Much of the manufacturing was done in the homes of the people. Nails were made in this way, so also was the homespun cloth from which the clothing of the colonists was made. Fishing, particularly along the banks of Newfoundland, gave occupation to many, and others were engaged in a profitable commerce with the West Indies. able in the South than 108. Slavery. Slavery existed in all of the colonies, but was much more profitable in the South than in the North. Slaves could not be used to good advantage on the Slavery was more profit- small farms of New England, and slavery was dying out in that locality. In the South, on the other hand, in the North. slave labor was exceedingly profitable. The slave could be used to a good advantage on the large southern plantations, and he was particularly useful in the tobacco fields of Virginia and in the rice swamps of South Carolina. In the Middle Colonies the slaves were not numerous. In Pennsylvania the Quakers were opposed to slavery on moral grounds, and in New York the slaves constituted only about ten per cent of the population. In South Carolina they made up sixty per cent of the whole people, and new supplies were constantly coming from the wilds of Africa. In the malarial rice swamps of the South the average life of a slave was short, and new recruits were necessary. Many of these new slaves were savages from the jungles of Africa, and in some localities the people lived in constant dread of slave rebellions. Indented In many of the colonies — particularly in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia — there was a class of people known as indented servants. These were not slaves, but were servants. bound to service for a term of years. In many instances they had their passages paid to America, and agreed to work for a certain time to repay the money thus advanced. 109. Religion. The influence of religion was very strong in the colonies. The Congregational Church and the Church of England were the most powerful. In Maryland the Church of England was established by law and supported by the gov gational Church and ernment. All of the people, whether members of this church or not, were obliged to pay taxes for its support. In Virginia and the Carolinas the arrangement was about the same. The CongreThe Congregational Church bore about the same relation to New England that the Church of England did to the South. Religious toleration had not advanced very far. Roman Catholics were oppressed everywhere except in Pennsylvania. the Church of England were the most influ ential. not numer ous in colo 110. Education. There was a desire for education among the colonists, but their means to provide for it were scanty. Public schools were started at an early date, though Public many children were educated in private schools, or schools were by private teachers in the households. In all of the New England states, with the exception of Rhode Island, provisions were made for public schools. In these schools reading, writing, and arithmetic were the most important studies. In a few of the larger towns there were academies which prepared students to enter the colleges. These colleges were about equivalent to our high schools. nial times. In New York the public school seems to have been neglected at this time. There were some public schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but only a very few in Maryland. In Virginia there was none. The children of this colony were educated privately or sent to England for that purpose. 111. Witchcraft. There did not seem, however, to be education enough to banish the superstition of the time. People somehow thought that certain elderly women were possessed of evil spirits and thus caused whatever misfortune befell the colony. The people of Salem, Massachusetts, thought that certain women whom they called witches brought on the Indian attacks, smallpox, and various diseases, and should be put to death. They acted upon the command which they found in their Bibles, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," and before the witchcraft delusion disappeared a large number of unfortunate but innocent persons had lost their lives. 112. Attacks on the Charters. It is customary for histo rians to say that the first half of the eighteenth century was a prosy period in the history of the American colonies. There were not many dramatic scenes or picturesque events in that period, yet it is now plain that the struggle for American liberty had begun even then. The struggle between the the mother country be time. The New England colonies—and especially Rhode Island and Connecticut - had succeeded in obtaining very liberal charters from the kings of England. These favorable documents aroused the jealousy of the English Parcolonies and liament, and various attempts were made to annul the charters, and to set up the colonies as royal gan at this provinces. The colonies, however, had shrewd agents in London who succeeded in protecting their rights. When it was proposed, for example, in 1715, to unite Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire in one royal province, Jeremiah Dummer, the colonial agent from Connecticut, made a vigorous protest. He said that the colonies had an "undoubted right" to their charters, since they had been granted by the king for all time. He also said that the colonies had not forfeited their charters through misbehavior, since they were loyal to the mother country, and he expressed the opinion nists resist. that the repeal of the charters would check the prosperity of the colonies, and at the same time injure the commerce of England. This line of argument was successful, and the members of Parliament ceased their attacks for the time upon the New England charters. The colo 113. Boundary Disputes were Frequent. In addition to the quarrels with the mother country the colonies had numerous disputes concerning the location of boundary lines. The kings of England when granting tracts of land to companies and to individuals had been exceedingly careless about exact boundaries. They thought apparently that there was land enough for all, and they did not look forward to the time when the settlements would expand sufficiently to come into contact with each other. The boundary difficulties, however, were not all due to the carelessness of the kings. The fact is, that America |