"The Character of Colonial Society" Study Notes.

Conquest by the Cradle The common term "thirteen colonies" is misleading. There were thirty-two colonies, but only thirteen of them unfurled the standard of revolt. White and black inhabitants of the thirteen colonies by 1760 numbered about 1.6 million; by 1775 they had pulled themselves up, largely by their birthrate bootstraps, to about 2.5 million. Marriage-especially early marriage-was encouraged. An unwed girl of twenty0one could be labeled "an antique virgin." The colonial birthrate was impressively high, especially in …

…But judged by modern standards, it was drab and tedious. Food was plentiful, though the diet could be coarse and monotonous. Americans probably ate more bountifully, especially of meat, than any people in the Old World. Basic comforts now taken for granted were lacking. Amusement was eagerly pursued where time and custom permitted. Winter sports were common in the North, while in the South card playing, horse racing, cockfighting, and fox hunting were favorite pastimes.