Social Groups within American colonies by

Colonial Elites

mmat0059 — 2024-11-19 03:50:29 UTC

The New England merchants, southern planters, and royalists made up the colonial elite and, at first, generally cooperated with each other. After 1750, changes in tax and trade policies split the colonial elite, permitting the radical elements of colonial society to cause a revolution.

○Percentage of the population

○Role in society

○Their rights or lack thereof

○Position in the social hierarchy

○Literacy levels

slaves

2024-11-19 22:32:49 UTC

in 1790, 18% of the colonial population was enslaved, roughly 1 in 6 people.
slaves were 'owned' and 'sold' by masters of plantations and the like. they weren't seen as humans as such by their masters but rather an asset that worked the land as a lesser human.
slaves had little to no rights often being treated very poorly by their masters. they were often pushed to their limits being made to do hard labour on little food. many dying working on cotton fields and such
in most societies especially american colonies, slaves were the lowest class of people.
it is estimated that only 10% of slaves were literate .
zeke taydyn ryan matt connor

Women

2024-11-19 22:38:50 UTC

Women in colonial America were a distinct minority compared to the men, 33% of American colonists were women, equating to 530,000 women in 1760.

Women often married for social and economic purposes, rather than for the sake of romance. They became legal property of their husbands, and had no control over their finances, property, and could not be involved in politics, appear in court, and had limited voting rights. Women were responsible for maintaining the household and raising children. Some women were also able work jobs, such as working on plantations, running their own businesses, or as prostitutes to help support them of their families.

Most women had expected roles in society, like being good wives and mothers. However, their experiences varied based on factors like race, class, age, and geographic region.

48% of women had literacy skills, such as being able to read or write.

Colonial Elite

2024-11-19 22:42:36 UTC

The percentage of the colonial elite in the total population was minuscule as many people immigrated over after America was colonized.
Their role in society was to establish colonies in these new societies.
They claimed many natural and civil rights such as the right to life, liberty, property, and to defend themselves, as well as the right to claim and collect taxes from the population.
The elite colonialists had a high status in society as they had a type of self-proclaimed claim on the land over everyone else, and they had an abundance of wealth because of this.
As they are of high status they had the education to gain a high literary level, being able to read and write letters/notes/maps, as well as having a good English vocabulary in speech.

American Farmers

mmat0059 — 2024-11-19 22:46:14 UTC

In 1800 every 90 out of 100 people lived on a farm and produced fresh foods for themselves and others to eat. Their role in society was to make sure that people had all their necessities for their everyday life. From meat and vegetables to wool and leather, they produced it all. They had all the rights of every other person in the country, although their slaves, people who did majority of the work. had none and were owned. Even though farmers had slaves, they were still considered peasants and nearly at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Most farmers were farmers because they were unable to have access to education and had very low literacy levels.

Indentured Servants

mmat0059 — 2024-11-19 22:46:23 UTC

Indentured Servants are white people that took out loans but couldn't pay them back, so they had to work off their debt.

48% of European immigrants in 1775 were indentured.

Their role is society was working to pay off the money they owe. The jobs they normally did cooking, gardening, housekeeping, field work or general labour.

They had little rights but were still able to have the right to trail, an impartial injury, to call witnesses. They also had the right to access court and were entitled to own land. They didn't have the right to marry or sell them off to other masters.

On the hierarchy they are 2nd to the bottom above slaves. The only difference between slaves and indentured slaves are that slaves have to work their whole lives were indentured slaves once they work off their debt they can choose to stop work.

Their literary levels depend of the person itself. Some indentured slaves learnt literary as they were a kid.

American Farmers

2024-11-19 22:47:54 UTC

Around 90% of American colonists were farmers.
Colonial farmers were typically able to produce everything they needed for their survival including food, clothing, house furnishings, and farm implements.
Middle-class
probably like 90% literacy rates

Native Americans

2024-11-19 22:48:19 UTC

The University of Wisconsin estimates that the Native American Population was just under 6 million as of 1650 and continued to decrease to to foreign illness's brought by the European colonies and violence with the colonies.

The Native Americans traded goods and ideas with the Colonies that weren't raping and pillaging them, primarily trading extremely valuable furs for things such as guns, ammunition, tools, cloth, brass kettles ect.

The way different colonies treated and respected their new neighbours varied with some being approached and treated with respect whilst other where subject to violence, raids, rape and kidnapping.

Native American were not literate until the early 1800's

Charlie, Brodie, Kade