Neolocality and household structure in Early America

Abstract

This article examines household organization and living arrangements in Early America using a unique population enumeration collected in 1776 in the British North American colony of Maryland. Confounding expectations, Early American populations did not demonstrate key demographic or economic pre-conditions of the ‘northwest European’ model. High sex ratios in New England, the Chesapeake, and New Spain led to extremely low ages at marriage. Likewise, evidence of ‘life-cycle’ service in British North America was almost non-existent as dependence on indentured servitude and chattel slavery translated into diminished economic opportunities for single adult males. Despite the differences, British North American populations still adhered to the rule of ‘neolocality’ when it came to household organization. Inheritance practices in British North America seem to have reinforced the practice of neolocality for older sons and the simultaneous formation of both simple and extended households. Parental bequest patterns reinforced the independence of the older retired generation and the first-born children at the expense of the younger children. First-born children who left the parental estate never returned to take over the home plantation or to care for their parents. This obligation was fulfilled by the younger, unmarried sons, who deferred their own marriages as a result.