The colonies “all wanted to copy the familiar patriarchal system of family from England. However, outside variables changed the ways in which families were structured and thus diversified the colonies.” (Quote from Amanda and Sam’s presentation) The Northern colonies, especially the Massachusetts Bay colony, which was specifically geared for families, succeeded in this regard, as they were quite patriarchal societies. In many ways, the North’s equally proportionate amounts of women and men, as well as its lack of disease and abundance of clean air, made it the ideal environment in which to raise a family. However, due to a lack of space, people in the North married at an older age so that they could inherit their father’s land, which was mandated by their society. Children had to be very respectful of their parents, in part, for this reason. In addition, though a much more religious society, divorce, which was highly discouraged in the South, was permitted in the North.
The Chesapeake and Southern colonies had a disproportionately small number of women, which resulted in fewer marriages, and thus a much less patriarchal society. In the Chesapeake, women could keep their husband’s land; there was no patriarch to inherit it because it simply was not possible, unlike in the North, where almost under no set of circumstances would a woman inherit land. In addition, marriage in the Chesapeake colonies was for love, unlike in the North, where it was generally for financial purposes. Scarcity of land in the North effectively mandated this, whereas the great availability of land in the Chesapeake and South made marriage for love a feasible option. Finally, the basic familial structure was much different in the Southern colonies than in the North. Unlike in the North, in which a household was comprised of two parents and their children, families in the South were much more extended because of more remarriage after the death of a spouse, (which happened much more frequently in the South than in the North), and the plantation lifestyle. It was quite common for cousins, aunts, and uncles to live together.
Differences in methodology regarding punishment and discipline in the North South, and Chesapeake regions were often the result of the different goals that the disciplinary measures were supposed to achieve. While the North, a much more religious society, focused on moral transgressions, the South, a society of large plantations and agriculture, focused on property crimes, deciding that they “no longer accepted the burden of serving as the arbiter of public morality.” (Purvis, 307) Thus, these societies delegated severe punishments for different types of crimes, as some were of greater relevance in their cultures. The colonies of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, in which the Quakers had the predominant influence, were completely different from both the Southern and the Northern colonies. Unlike these colonies, which stressed punishment for transgressions, the Quaker colonies emphasized reform; accordingly, “punishments” in these colonies were significantly less violent.
Though the Northern, Southern, and Chesapeake societies were all based largely around agriculture, differences in climate as well as in the ethnic diversity within a population led to the development of completely different systems of trade and labor among the colonies. In the North, where there was a short growing season, farmers primarily grew corn and raised horses. Those in the Chesapeake region grew corn and hemp, and in the South, where the growing season was quite long, farmers focused on tobacco. There was great variation in the amount of labor necessary for the upkeep of these different crops. As a result, different systems of labor developed in each of the three regions. In the beginning, indentured servitude was the most popular way for farmers in all regions to obtain laborers. However, unlike corn, which did not require much labor to grow, hemp, and especially tobacco, required constant work. Thus, the need for slaves, as opposed to indentured servants, became much greater in the Southern and Chesapeake colonies than in the North. “Reasons for this shift in labor included [the South’s] reputation as a death trap for whites, better job prospects in England, the opening of new colonies in America that needed labor, and the increasing availability and decreasing cost of slaves.” (Quote from Holly and Andrew’s presentation) In fact, according to a survey done in 1770, while slaves were a very small percentage of the population in the North, in the Chesapeake and South, they comprised 38 and 45 percent of the population, respectively.
Not only was there substantial variation in the importance and impact of slavery as a means of supplying labor among the colonies, but the colonies’ additional uses of slaves also varied considerably. Whereas in the North, slaves were used only as so-called “free servants”, household help that was not paid, in the Chesapeake and Southern colonies, slaves were used as both “free servants” and as laborers on the plantations. Slaves also became a much more significant part of Southern society and economy than in other regions. Due to the periodic influxes in the numbers of surplus slaves, the slave trade made the southern economy more prosperous. Thus, slaves became a symbol of status and power: slaves equated to wealth and therefore a greater role in Southern economy and society.
Though each of the colonies had its own ideas and beliefs, the way in which they were run with regard to internal affairs was quite similar. Indeed, “amidst the differing foundations and establishments of government among the colonies, there was a sense of consistency in the way each colony conducted internal business.” (Will and Sam’s presentation) Simply put, “the role of these governmental entities may have differed from colony to colony, but essentially the functions of each were very similar.” (Kross, 215) However, the effect of the similarities of internal governmental structure amongst the colonies, on the society and everyday life of each colony’s inhabitants, is minimal when compared to that of the dissimilarities in religion, familial structure, methods of punishment, and trade. Although the governments of the colonies were founded on similar bases, it was these other factors that caused completely different societies to develop. The differences among the colonies are of greater significance than the similarities.
