Culture In The Colonies

Culture was similar in all colonies in the aspect of their pride and patriotism. They all listened to a lot of the same music and studied the same literature. What was different was certain ways they handled life, such as the racism in the south, and how close they were to their society around them.

The Middle colonies had a very deep culture that involved a lot of music, theater, and philosophies. They listened to songs like "The Concord Hymn" and "My Country 'Tis of Thee." Residents of the middle colonies also spent a lot of time with literature, and education. The primary education of upper class children included reading, writing, simple math, poems, and prayers. The three most commonly used books were the Bible, a primer, and a hornbook. Dancing was also an important part of an upper class child's education. Dancing masters were hired to teach dance techniques and etiquette to prepare children for attendance at balls and parties.

The New England colonies environments evolved around a tight knit society. They strongly supported orderly fashion. Families were all very close on farms and/or small villages, and believed that it was their duty to improve the land by clearing woodlands, and building fences, roads, etc. New England residents were very big on education and patriotism. They read many of Walt Whitman and Emma Lazarus's literature.

Southern Colonists brought a lot of their culture from England. Their ways, unlike those of the Puritans and Protestants settling the northern colonies, were very feudalistic because of the society that they had left in England. The establishment of their customs in the New World affected every aspect of the society, including the economy, politics, and the social system. They were very into their farming and crops, and believed that wealth was the goal of life. Beliefs like these helped the start of slavery and indentured servitude. The Southern colonists'