Part 1, Chapter 4 Summary and Analysis

Hierarchical societies produce diffuse and delicate webs of paternalistic obligation in which each link is personal, relative, reciprocal and complementary. Most often the "connections" or "interests" are euphemistically called "friendships," Relationships are more important in far-flung America than in Britain, because there are no other institutions for social organization. Even Philadelphia, by far the largest colonial city, is, by English standards, just an overgrown village. Manufacturing, which is burgeoning in England, is non-existent in America. Over half of Britons have left the farm, while 95% of colonials work the land.

In small-scale society, privacy is unknown. Living quarters are crowded, and everyone is everyone else's keeper, reporting adultery, wife beating, and other violations of accepted norms. Personal reputations matter greatly. Slander and defamation are never trivial matters, but can result in criminal or civil prosecution. People are expected to know...