Men, Women, and Children
Colonists
In the first settlements in America near the Chesapeake region, men were the only citizens arriving. They were considered "gentlemen" and thought of themselves as 'too good to perform daily routines such as hunting'. The main reason these first settlers came to America was not to establish a permanent settlement, but to get rich quickly from natural resources in the land. As more and more women arrived, marriages and families were created almost instantaneously. In some areas, the average age a woman married was around 20, considerably lower than the average in England. Women also had more freedoms than in Europe. Since there were very few women and a high amount of men, the females were able to select who they wished to marry. High mortality rates also caused women to have a more flexible lifestyle. When the male, the head of the household, passed away and the female was still alive, she gained control of land and therefore, gained much economic power. In the New England region, the family structure was more stable and more traditional than those in the south near Chesapeake. Children in this area were also expected to live longer and healthier lives in the New England region. Due to the increase in living rates, women in the north had less freedoms than those in the south. Their economic role was to stay home and take care of the house and children; it was mainly a patriarchal society. Children in Colonial America were also raised different than previous years in Europe. Families were now created out of love instead of to create alliances. Each family had an average of six to eight kids. This caused children to become more important in family life. They helped around the house and many went to school in the later years of the 18th century. Parents looked to help improve their children with educational experiences and spend time with them. Colonial life in America was very different than the lives of others still living in Europe.
Slaves and Natives
Slavery in the colonies took hold mainly in the south. The large tobacco plantations called for a large labor force and they found that in the slave trade coming from Africa. The slaves were sold throughout the south, separating families and friends. This caused for the role of women, men, and children to be almost identical. Each of them were forced to work long hours in the blazing heat in the deep south. One difference was that women were sometimes wanted to produce children, or free slaves. These are the jobs the slaves in America faced every day.
The American colonists looked down upon and did not agree with the roles taken up by each member of the family. Unlike colonial women, the female population in indian tribes dealt with everything about the house. They built the houses, took care of the houses, and planted the crops. The men of the community fished, hunted, and brought home protien and other necessities for the tribe. This was very differnt from the colonists style where the man provided for the family. The work in the tribes was evenly distributed between the men and women. The children also helped and learned from their fellow tribe members to be productive when they reached a particular age. These were the roles of Indians during the colonial time period.
The American colonists looked down upon and did not agree with the roles taken up by each member of the family. Unlike colonial women, the female population in indian tribes dealt with everything about the house. They built the houses, took care of the houses, and planted the crops. The men of the community fished, hunted, and brought home protien and other necessities for the tribe. This was very differnt from the colonists style where the man provided for the family. The work in the tribes was evenly distributed between the men and women. The children also helped and learned from their fellow tribe members to be productive when they reached a particular age. These were the roles of Indians during the colonial time period.