Social
Before the American Revolution colonists had ordinary lives which included men in predominant roles in society and tough slavery on blacks and Native Americans for the production of cash crops.
Before the American Revolution men had a predominant role in society and women were typically in charge of taking care of children and doing house chores. It took centuries for women to finally have the same rights as men. Native American and African women were often times abused by colonists in charge of them and were in the lowest of social structures. In the middle of the 1700s colonies often had diverse ethnic groups. There were mixes between whites, Native Americans, and Africans in the colonies. Often times white men forced sexual relations with African and Native American women and caused an expansion of diversity in the colonies. Native Americans were most commonly forced into slavery and beaten and worked to death. The same would occur with African Americans. It was common for colonists to buy items on a ship which included African American slaves and food in the same purchase. An example of this could be seen in the document of a “Receipt for receiving an estate of 635 pounds and a negro girl” in the Gilder Lehram collection which shows how the colonists treated and bought slaves like they would with any other product. The document also shows how common it was for a slave to be purchased by a colonist. The government and society were dominated by wealthy landowners and merchants. There were prominent colonists who gained some wealth from smuggling goods. Below them were slaves. All of the colonists had a respect for individual businesses, had common values, and grew a sense to become independent from Britain. As could be seen life before the American Revolution mostly consisted of men in prominent roles in society and as show in the receipt it was also common to have slavery and poor women rights throughout the thirteen colonies.
Before the American Revolution men had a predominant role in society and women were typically in charge of taking care of children and doing house chores. It took centuries for women to finally have the same rights as men. Native American and African women were often times abused by colonists in charge of them and were in the lowest of social structures. In the middle of the 1700s colonies often had diverse ethnic groups. There were mixes between whites, Native Americans, and Africans in the colonies. Often times white men forced sexual relations with African and Native American women and caused an expansion of diversity in the colonies. Native Americans were most commonly forced into slavery and beaten and worked to death. The same would occur with African Americans. It was common for colonists to buy items on a ship which included African American slaves and food in the same purchase. An example of this could be seen in the document of a “Receipt for receiving an estate of 635 pounds and a negro girl” in the Gilder Lehram collection which shows how the colonists treated and bought slaves like they would with any other product. The document also shows how common it was for a slave to be purchased by a colonist. The government and society were dominated by wealthy landowners and merchants. There were prominent colonists who gained some wealth from smuggling goods. Below them were slaves. All of the colonists had a respect for individual businesses, had common values, and grew a sense to become independent from Britain. As could be seen life before the American Revolution mostly consisted of men in prominent roles in society and as show in the receipt it was also common to have slavery and poor women rights throughout the thirteen colonies.
Maier, Pauline. "The American Revolution, 1763-1783." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Gilder Lehrman, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.