Expert: Michael Troy - 8/29/2009

Question
What was the society like in colonial delaware? Like what was the family
structure and the men and womens role. I looked everywhere but i cant find
anything. :(

Answer
Hello,

Firstly, if you lived in Delaware in the 1700's you were likely to be an Indian.  The total population of European descent was under 2500 people in 1700.  The Lenni Lenape Indians survived primarily by fishing the Delaware River and hunting small game.  They lived in extended family groups in longhouses.  Although they did not move around, they were primarily hunter-gatherers who lived a subsistence life.

The European colonists were not much different.  The area was first settled by the Swedes and Dutch.  They formed small farming communities and relied on fishing as well.  Most communities were along the coast of the Delaware River.  Eventually the area came under British control.  Some English and German settlers arrived.  But even by the end of the 1700's the colony only had about 50,000 non-Indian inhabitants.

Like the Indians, most colonists made a living through hunting or fishing, but also added Eurpean style farms.  There was also some trade with Europe which usually came through Philadelphia.

Work was hard as almost everything had to be built or grown by hand.  People tended to live together in extended families, with several generations living in a single home.  They were religious people, with churches built in the areas with a significant population.  They tended to have traditional households where the man was considered the head, responsible for caring for the family by farming or some other trade.  Women traditionally cared for the home, often maintained a vegetable garden and cared for the children.   Most families were large, and any exact division of labor could, of course, vary from family to family.

I hope this helps!
- Mike