The foundation of colonies in North America led to a strict division of territories between four main countries such as Spain, the Netherlands, France, and England. Although English immigrants settled in America only in the beginning of the seventeenth century, these colonies grew very quickly1. The development of colonies resulted in close communication among diverse cultures and races, which highlighted their social, religious, and cultural differences. This aspect, as well as close trade connections with Great Britain, the development of slavery, and poor relationships with Indians, created specific socioeconomic factors in thirteen colonies and led to their rebellion and independence.
The attraction of new immigrants to America by giving them land and liberties resulted in the formation of a new type of society. The foundation of commercial colonies such as Virginia and Maryland was supported by English companies to develop tobacco plantations. Still, life at the colonies was very difficult due to constant fights with Indians and severe conditions, which led to attracting new settlers to come to work by giving them a certain number of acres. At the end of the seventeenth century, the restriction of economic independence of servants and workers at tobacco plantations led to Bacon’s rebellion, which was the first time when poor people of different races challenged the political and economic power of the governor2. Thus, it is possible to say that severe conditions of the first settlements brought about more privileges for the immigrants who presented the lower social layer of England.
The extreme conditions and hard work also resulted in the development of slavery, which separated black and white races at a social level. Black slaves were stronger than white workers, and their services were widely utilized, especially at cotton plantations in the Southern colonies. Bacon’s rebellion also assisted in the foundation of a system of racial slavery. The use of the labor of African slaves caused many black runaways who tried to found their colonies. Such runaways were hunted to return them to their master3. The laws were passed by the colonies to prohibit black people to bear weapons and punish those who escape or assault whites. Thus, slavery institution formed specific socioeconomic conditions in American colonies.
The settlers of New England were well known for their strong religious beliefs which caused the creation of puritan society. Many people in England wanted to reform the English church and tried to practice their religious beliefs after settling in American colonies. The Puritan leaders such as Jonathan Edwards proclaimed that those who did not follow God’s laws would be punished by heaven4. Thus, American colonies were greatly influenced by the ideas of Puritanism, which affected the values of society and separated it from the mother country.
The new type of society formed in New England was based on liberty and democracy values. White English immigrants had their cultural values and traditions5. Therefore, the restrictions and implementation of new taxes by Great Britain led to such protests as Edenton Tea Party6. The socioeconomic factors such as white Puritan society, the institution of slavery made American colonies significantly different from the mother country which resulted in rebellion and the declaration of independence.
Footnotes
- P. Scott Corbett et al., U.S. History (Houston, TX: OpenStax College, 2014), 56.
- Nathaniel Bacon, “Declaration of Nathaniel Bacon in the Name of the People of Virginia, July 30, 1676,” Massachusetts Historical Society Collections 9, no. 4 (1871): 184–87.
- “Runaway Notices from The South Carolina Gazette (1732 and 1737),” My History Lab, 2009, Web.
- Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Voices of Democracy: The U.S. Oratory Project, 2017, Web.
- Richard Veit and Paul R. Huey, “New Bottles Made with My Crest”: Colonial Bottle Seals from Eastern North America, a Gazetteer and Interpretation,” Northeast Historical Archaeology 43, no. 1 (2014): 4.
- Maggie Mitchell, Treasonous Tea: The Edenton Tea Party of 1774 (Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University, 2015), 2.