Lecture+Notes+Working+in+America

**April 2013**: Click on the document link for the PDF to download the Notes from Mirla and "Freedom to Move" and "Connections to Working in America"
 * June 27, 2013**
 * [[file:Women's Labor, version 2.pptx|PowerPoint Presentation on Women's Labor Movement]]
 * [[file:Notes on Labor History.pdf|Notes on Labor]]
 * [[file:Key_Moments_in_American_Labor_History.pdf|Key Moments in American Labor History]]
 * Technology Presentation


 * Steve Schwartz's PowerPoint Presentation** "Immigration, Migration and Employment in U.S. History"


 * Click here for the April 15, 2015 Technology Presentation.**


 * Notes from the lectures by Professor John Demos**


 * Part I. Circles and Lines**

Professor Demos contends the English settlers in the Colonial period see the world in terms of circular patterns while we in the modern world see events as linear. He cites evidence in three areas: 1) Life is rooted in nature - daytime and night - sundials to tell time. Moonlighting - work after d"ark. A colonial document shows the year based on the lunar cycle of 28 days that tell what to do and not do on each day; when to plant, marry, let blood. Can test using records - Professor Demos says you could test the cycle theory by correlating the marriage records in New England to the specific days in the lunar months. 2) Rhythms of the cycle of the seasons - work routines changed, births ( late winter and early spring), mortality ( late summer) 3) Life cycle - ashes to ashes, dust to dust

Governance based on the past Native peoples same kind of circular mode Skeptical to newness Role of the Revolution - prior moving toward market economy, population growth. But thinking at outset were going to restore old, consider the word revolution itself (changed now means heading off in new direction) New world a fantasy screen where they project hopes and fears Life cycle colonial stages infancy - dangerously close to animal world - couldn't stand on 2 legs, not rational (to age 2) stretch them out, break their wills, dangerously close to Satan Childhood up to 6 - 7 now human, indulge in play Youth - formal operations, prolonged preparation for adulthood in late 20s. Didn't recognize middle age, for colonial era this period not named apex of powers - in property owned most at 50 then start to give it away. At 60 begin to withdraw - no concept of retirement Did not recognize either adolescence or middle age. Life expectancy - if got to 20 had a life expectancy of 70 in New England 1 out of 5 women would die in childbirth, if got to menopause chances are they live longer than men G. Stanley Hall psychologist book //Adolescence//. A bombshell published in 1900. Idea now on map.


 * Part II. Yeoman Farmers, Indentured Servants and Slaves**

In colonial era cotton was massive; it was a time of transition to market economy Factors: religion Venomous attitude of Protestants toward Catholics. Discussed a fireback to protect bricks and reflect heat into the room, and drew it on the board. It showed a simian type of creature/man and had this written around the edge "An ape will never be a man." 17th C. Object - figure is the Pope shown as an ape like creature. Professor Demos will not discuss Native People.

“Declaration of Remarkable Provinces of the My Life” by John Dain Was trained as a tailor. Parents opposed his going to the new world, he says he resorted to guidance from the Bible; then his parents accepted his departure from England. In the New World he became a farmer; he took an aisle of land to farm, traded with the Natives for seed, moved to another farm, hunted for a wild pig, suffered a house fire, kept sows. Thomas Minor's diary (an ordinary person) a farmer. Doesn't reflect in his diary, lists what he has accomplished. March was the first month of the year under their calendar, first day of the year was March 25th. Examples:
 * English Yeoman Farmers**


 * April 9th planted flax
 * May 22. We made hedge
 * June 4 had my horse shod
 * June 18th at the farm
 * July 22 we reaped the rye, oats, peas. etc.
 * August haying season, sowing wheat
 * November killed out swine. etc.

Two main parts of farming: animal husbandry and farm husbandry Goals and values of the colonists: “competency” - comfortable independence, not relying on any other man. If anything left over could participate in a market. Valued hierarchy -the way God had assigned human society - harmony, order. Individual farm expression of this.
 * Housing**: Houses were small with many people living inside including servants. Square hall everyday life/ parlor special room finest possessions/back kitchen behind the kitchen the yard - vegetable and herbs tended by the women, behind the yard was the barn and then fields (men worked the field - "breaking" - nature is unbroken). Women's work - improving the materials broken by the man, final stage "display" in the parlor. Process is from nature to culture - impose order. Lot of pressure on women to improve what men have broken. Average farm 10-15 acres.
 * Slaves**

The largest number of migrants to North America was comprised of slaves. 700-800,000 in the whole colonial period were European, Africans in the millions. Slaves were all over the colonies, but life different in New England than in the South.

Professor Demos recounted the story of Mona from West Indies in James Rogers household depicted in Allegra diBonniventura’s For Adam's Sake

Owned by Joseph Hempsted, Adam as a slave had considerable autonomy. Traveled on errands, hired out, closely integrated into the family. Inherited by Hempsted's son and freed toward end of life. Surrounded by white community.

Very different in South. Carolina rice culture taught by slaves. Slaves worked in gangs of 15-20 under an afro-American foreman who carried a whip. Work was hard and monotonous. The Overseer was the only white man on the plantation. He reports to the owner. The slaves live in the “Quarter” where they live a relatively unsupervised life, have own garden plots. Slaves had a community life of their own.


 * Indentured Servants**

2/3 of 700-800, 000 white migrants came as indentured servants. Labor to develop land biggest problem the Europeans had; thus so many bound servants. See George Wylly's. Indenture Professor Demos distributed. Interesting points:
 * The indenture was for 14 years
 * Had to be agreed to by the wife as well
 * George Wylly did not get land at end of indenture

Social order in the Colonies (Pyramid)

Nobility Gentry Yeomen (owned their own land) Husbandmen (didn't own land, worked for other farmers) Servants Slaves