Podcast
Questions and Answers
Capital punishment was only reserved for murder during Colonial America.
Capital punishment was only reserved for murder during Colonial America.
False
Puritans in New England added many crimes based on biblical law including denial of the true God.
Puritans in New England added many crimes based on biblical law including denial of the true God.
True
Breaking the Sabbath was considered a major crime in Colonial America.
Breaking the Sabbath was considered a major crime in Colonial America.
False
The Salem Witch Trials resulted from a widespread fear of witchcraft and accusations by young girls.
The Salem Witch Trials resulted from a widespread fear of witchcraft and accusations by young girls.
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The Puritans allowed leisure activities on Sundays as part of their beliefs.
The Puritans allowed leisure activities on Sundays as part of their beliefs.
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Titles such as 'duke' and 'baron' were common and significant in colonial America.
Titles such as 'duke' and 'baron' were common and significant in colonial America.
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The upper class in colonial America primarily consisted of successful planters, merchants, or lawyers.
The upper class in colonial America primarily consisted of successful planters, merchants, or lawyers.
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The middle class in colonial America largely consisted of unskilled laborers.
The middle class in colonial America largely consisted of unskilled laborers.
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Indentured servants made up a significant portion of the settlers in certain colonies and were better off than most African Americans.
Indentured servants made up a significant portion of the settlers in certain colonies and were better off than most African Americans.
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Clothing was a less important indicator of social status in colonial America.
Clothing was a less important indicator of social status in colonial America.
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Farmhands and other labourers were classified as part of the upper class in colonial society.
Farmhands and other labourers were classified as part of the upper class in colonial society.
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The lower class in colonial America could vote if they met property requirements.
The lower class in colonial America could vote if they met property requirements.
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The visual representation discussed illustrates the class divisions of colonial America with wealthy individuals depicted in higher positions.
The visual representation discussed illustrates the class divisions of colonial America with wealthy individuals depicted in higher positions.
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Enslaved Africans were brought exclusively to the Southern colonies.
Enslaved Africans were brought exclusively to the Southern colonies.
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The Atlantic Slave Trade involved the exchange of enslaved Africans for goods such as cloth and guns.
The Atlantic Slave Trade involved the exchange of enslaved Africans for goods such as cloth and guns.
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The Middle Passage was a safe and comfortable journey for enslaved Africans.
The Middle Passage was a safe and comfortable journey for enslaved Africans.
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Enslaved Africans in the colonies had opportunities to improve their lives through their labor.
Enslaved Africans in the colonies had opportunities to improve their lives through their labor.
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Some enslaved Africans adapted to their circumstances while others attempted to escape or revolt.
Some enslaved Africans adapted to their circumstances while others attempted to escape or revolt.
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Study Notes
Major Crimes in Colonial America
- Murder, treason, and piracy were punishable by death
- Puritans in New England added more crimes based on their interpretation of biblical law, including "denying the true God" or striking or cursing one's parents
Lesser Crimes in Colonial America
- Theft, forgery, and highway robbery resulted in harsh punishments like jail time, whippings, or branding with hot irons in all colonies
- Breaking the Sabbath (working or traveling on Sunday) and drunkenness were lesser crimes punished with fines, short jail terms, or public humiliation
Puritan Beliefs and Practices
- Puritans strictly enforced Sunday as a day of rest, forbidding work or play
- Puritan laws regarding Sundays were written in books with blue paper bindings, leading to the term "blue laws"
- Puritans were wary of signs of Satan and believed that Satan could act through witches
- Fear of witchcraft led to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, where several young girls accused their neighbors of witchcraft, resulting in the deaths of twenty accused witches
Class Differences in Colonial America
- Class is a part of society defined by wealth, occupation, and inherited titles or honors
- In colonial America, class distinctions were largely determined by family background and wealth
- Wealthy individuals, such as planters, merchants, or lawyers, were often at the top of colonial society
- Farmers and skilled craftspeople constituted the middle class
- Farmhands and other laborers mostly depended on others for wages and lacked significant property of their own
- Indentured servants and slaves were at the bottom of the social ladder, with some former servants saving up to join the middle class
- Clothing was a key indicator of social status, with the upper class wearing gold, silver, colored lace, buttons, boots, and wigs
Life for African Americans
- Slavery first came to Virginia and spread to other colonies over the 1700s
- Enslaved Africans were living in every colony, including those owned by prominent figures like Benjamin Franklin
- In the Southern colonies, slavery expanded rapidly, leading to the reliance on slaves to work plantations, raising cash crops like tobacco, rice, and indigo
The Atlantic Slave Trade
- Enslaved people came from West Africa
- Slave ships transported goods like cloth, guns, and rum from the colonies to West Africa in exchange for Africans
- The ships then returned across the ocean to the Americas full of human cargo, a brutal and dangerous journey known as the Middle Passage, fraught with disease and overcrowded conditions
Labor and Resistance
- Colonial masters demanded hard work from enslaved Africans
- Enslaved Africans worked in fields, as nurses, carpenters, blacksmiths, drivers, servants, and midwives
- Some enslaved people tried to escape or revolt against unlivable situations to fight against their dehumanizing treatment
- Most enslaved people adapted to their unfortunate lives
Conclusion
- Enslaved Africans developed their own unique way of life in colonies, creating a new African American way of life in difficult times
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Description
Explore the major and lesser crimes in Colonial America, including the strict punishments imposed by Puritan laws. This quiz delves into the harsh realities of law enforcement during this era and the beliefs of the Puritan community. Test your knowledge on this fascinating period of American history.
