To what extent did the thirteen American colonies share similar characteristics by 1760?
Religion - different
- DIFFERENCES - prominence of different churches - Congregationalist Puritan
dominance in New England (Massachusetts), more moderate religion in Mid-Atlantic
region, freedom or worship (Anglicans in NY), such as a number of German churches
(Pennsylvania), South dominated by Baptists and Anglicans (South Carolina),
Presbyterians in the Frontier
- C.A. all of the states saw significant anti-Catholic feeling against the pope’s control of
bishops and priests HOWEVER refuted with the fact that Maryland was the only Colony
with a significant Catholic minority (7,000 as 1760 approached) - initially founded as a
haven for persecuted Catholics
- SIMILARITIES - Predominance of Protestantism and church membership (74% of
people were church members)
- Rapid growth of Baptist church in both New England and the South
Economic - different
- DIFFERENCES - diversity of business interests and industry among colonies - New
England’s economy based on individual farms (cattle and grain), which were generally
prosperous, also a prosperous ship building industry and a rich supply of timber;
Mid-Atlantic region had agricultural trading in tobacco and more varied farms in terms of
methods and size, and seaports provided opportunities for trade; Southern economy
based on slave labor on large plantations
- Difference even between South (Middle colonies and Upper South such as Virginia
focused on tobacco, Lower South such as South Carolina on rice and indigo)
- Development - business and industry (rum production, RI) and iron works developed in
North, limited developments in middle colonies and South
- SIMILARITIES - Predominantly agrarian - lived in countryside - (80% of free Americans
were farmers), with high levels of land ownership (of which 70% farmed their own land) -
only 5% of Americans lived in towns
- British controlled trade in all colonies through mercantilism - Navigation Acts restricted
their exports and imports - sugar, tobacco and indigo etc. were enumerated commodities
meaning they had to be exported directly to England regardless of their eventual
destination
Social/Political - similar
- All the colonies shared a similar social hierarchy, each colony had a wealthy elite
including landowners and wealthy merchants at the top, then the professionals who were
property holders and held positions of public responsibility, next were the laborers, and
finally black slaves
Religion - different
- DIFFERENCES - prominence of different churches - Congregationalist Puritan
dominance in New England (Massachusetts), more moderate religion in Mid-Atlantic
region, freedom or worship (Anglicans in NY), such as a number of German churches
(Pennsylvania), South dominated by Baptists and Anglicans (South Carolina),
Presbyterians in the Frontier
- C.A. all of the states saw significant anti-Catholic feeling against the pope’s control of
bishops and priests HOWEVER refuted with the fact that Maryland was the only Colony
with a significant Catholic minority (7,000 as 1760 approached) - initially founded as a
haven for persecuted Catholics
- SIMILARITIES - Predominance of Protestantism and church membership (74% of
people were church members)
- Rapid growth of Baptist church in both New England and the South
Economic - different
- DIFFERENCES - diversity of business interests and industry among colonies - New
England’s economy based on individual farms (cattle and grain), which were generally
prosperous, also a prosperous ship building industry and a rich supply of timber;
Mid-Atlantic region had agricultural trading in tobacco and more varied farms in terms of
methods and size, and seaports provided opportunities for trade; Southern economy
based on slave labor on large plantations
- Difference even between South (Middle colonies and Upper South such as Virginia
focused on tobacco, Lower South such as South Carolina on rice and indigo)
- Development - business and industry (rum production, RI) and iron works developed in
North, limited developments in middle colonies and South
- SIMILARITIES - Predominantly agrarian - lived in countryside - (80% of free Americans
were farmers), with high levels of land ownership (of which 70% farmed their own land) -
only 5% of Americans lived in towns
- British controlled trade in all colonies through mercantilism - Navigation Acts restricted
their exports and imports - sugar, tobacco and indigo etc. were enumerated commodities
meaning they had to be exported directly to England regardless of their eventual
destination
Social/Political - similar
- All the colonies shared a similar social hierarchy, each colony had a wealthy elite
including landowners and wealthy merchants at the top, then the professionals who were
property holders and held positions of public responsibility, next were the laborers, and
finally black slaves
