Individual Identities In Colonial America

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The Development of Individual Identities Within the Americas Colonial America, built by distinguished societies, became a powerful amalgamation of cultures that strengthened intercolonial relations. Considering the large demographic of immigrants, many colonists of the Americas were motivated to accentuate their European nationalism through establishment. Colonists did not identify themselves as separate entities from their distinguished European powers, but rather perceived themselves as extensions of them. Between indigenous relations, the transatlantic slave trade, and the indisputable factor of transcontinental distance, the colonies began to digress into identities separate from their European counterparts. Accelerated by access to the …show more content…
While elites in the Colonies perceived themselves as distinguished at the level of British authorities, they oftentimes were wearing outdated fashion trends. This practice exaggerated British luxury items to compensate for the American standards of living. Furthermore, the use of the double doors in Dutch colonies reflects the overcompensation of European cultures at work through the process of aculturation. The architectural element of the double door homes were not only intended for class and ethnic distinction but also a way to resort back to Dutch customs. Though this forced effort to resemble an obvious ethnic identity made the migrants in the colonies distinct from their European counterparts. The Dutch in Holland would build houses with double doors very sporadically. Dutch migrants to the colonies reclaimed this specific architectural feature and repossessed it, in turn re-defining it as a Dutch-American feature. This habit exemplifies the distinction of the Americas, where it resembled the exaggeration of European culture, creating a distinct …show more content…
As depicted in the graphic of South Carolina’s population, after 1730 there was a significant increase in the colony's population. By the 1740’s, it was apparent that the population was mostly dependent on the black population of laborers. While colonial participation in the African Slave trade was detrimental to population increases, it also greatly impacted the population dynamics through the process of creolization. Black slaves were imported and exported as part of the consumer revolution, as they were perceived as commodities. This indulgence was not unique to one colony, but rather many colonies participated in the trade. As depicted in correspondences between American colonies and the British crown, forced laborers were sourced from Africa, the coasts of Barbados and Jamaica. Forced laborers were not distinguished by the regions they were forced to migrate from. This encouraged the creolization of African cultures. What’s more, forced migrants originating from the African coasts originated from different nations and states with their own developed
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