What Was Life Like in America in 1776?

As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, let’s go back in time to see what life was like in the colonies in 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed. According to the U.S. Census, in 1776 the population of the 13 colonies was approximately 2.56 million, which included about 450,000 enslaved people. The colonies were overwhelmingly rural. More than 96 percent of Americans lived on farms, plantations, or small settlements. Urban America was...