Chapter in Perspective

A century of settlement produced a full-fledged, firmly rooted society on the mainland of British North America. But it was not a homogeneous society. Colonial society included a mixture of peoples, free and unfree, from different ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds and without a common national identity or a common culture. They possessed diverse interests and economic pursuits. Their political fate remained in question as well, as the English, French, and Indians vied for control over the continent. The developments after 1700 intensified both social diversity and political uncertainty, resulting in increasing conflict, both internal and international.