Question 1

Summarize the activity of the following countries in the Americas from 1607 to 1754: Spain, Great Britain, The Netherlands, and France.

Accepted Answer

Spain: the Spanish focused on the extraction of precious metals and other resources from Central and South America

France: the French focused on fur trading and the development of settlements along the Mississippi and St. Lawrence Rivers

Netherlands: The Dutch established trading posts in the northeastern regions of the continent

Great Britain: the British established colonies along the Atlantic coast, with a focus on the development of tobacco and other cash crops

Question 2

Competition for resources between European rivals and American Indians

Accepted Answer

Led to increased industry and trade, as well as conflicts over land and resources. This competition also had a major impact on the development of the colonies, as European nations sought to gain control of key resources and strategic locations. This competition and conflict would eventually lead to the Seven Years War which would significantly impact the balance of power in North America and pave the way for the British dominance on the continent.

Question 3

British Colonization

Accepted Answer

The commercial, religious, philosophical, and political exchanges that took place between the colonies and Britain, as well as between the colonies themselves, led to a growing sense of interconnectedness among the colonists. This led to the development of a unique American identity over time, as well as a growing sense of dissatisfaction with British rule. Slavery was also a pivotal part of the colonial system in British North America, as it was in other European empires in the Americas. The use of enslaved Africans was crucial to the development of cash crops like tobacco and rice, which were the main economic drivers of the colonies.

Question 4

Spanish Colonization

Accepted Answer

The Spanish were driven by a desire for gold, God, and glory. They laid claim to lands in the southwestern and western parts of North America, including the conquest of Florida. Their expansion continued in Latin America, where they established the encomienda system of forced labor, which primarily targeted native peoples. Due to the lack of women among the Spanish colonizers, they intermarried with the local indigenous populations, resulting in a mixed-race population known as mestizos.

Question 5

Popé's Rebellion

Accepted Answer

The Spanish treatment of the native populations was often brutal, as seen in their interactions with the Pueblo people of the Southwest. In 1609, they established the colony of New Mexico in Santa Fe and set up Catholic missions, imposing Christianity on the Pueblo people. The Pueblo people would eventually resist this forced conversion and colonization in the form of Popé's Rebellion in 1680. They killed Spanish priests and hundreds of settlers, successfully driving the Spanish out for the next 50 years. However, the Spanish would eventually reclaim the colony, reasserting their control over the Pueblo people and the region.

Question 6

French Colonization

Accepted Answer

Under the rule of King Louis XIV, France had solidified its position as a major world power. In an effort to expand its empire, France established a permanent settlement in Quebec in 1608, as well as other parts of northeastern North America, which would become known as New France or Canada. The French explorer Samuel de Champlain played a key role in the colonization of New France, creating an alliance with the local Huron Indians and helping them defeat their Iroquois enemies. The French also aimed to control the strategically important Ohio River Valley, which would link their northern holdings in Canada with their southern holdings in the lower Mississippi Valley. However, this goal would bring them into conflict with the Iroquois, who had allied themselves with the British. The French and British would engage in numerous battles for control of the Ohio River Valley, as the French sought to maintain their grip on the region and the British sought to expand their own empire. These battles would have a significant impact on the outcome of the larger struggle between France and Britain for control of North America.

Question 7

What were joint stock companies?

Accepted Answer

During Elizabeth’s reign, the major obstacle to the colonization of the New World was raising money. No single person could underwrite the cost of an expedition. The solution was a joint-stock company, which was a business organization in which a group of people could invest without the fear of bankruptcy. A merchant or landowner could purchase a share of stock at a stated price, and in several years, the investor could anticipate recovering the initial amount plus a portion of whatever profits the company had made. Rather than one investor risking everything, many investors could split the risk, thereby increasing the number of new businesses.

Question 8

What were benefits of joint stock companies?

Accepted Answer

Access to capital rose and allowed businesses to finance expansion, development, and larger ventures through selling shares of stock to investors.

Limited liability for individual shareholders reduced investment risk, meaning that shareholders were only responsible for the amount of money they personally invested rather than potential debt or obligations to the company.

Shares of stock in a joint stock company could be bought and sold on the open market, making it easier for businesses to transfer ownership or raise capital.

Joint-stock companies could attract and retain talented employees by offering them a share of the company's profits through stock options or other forms of equity.

Question 9

Jamestown

Accepted Answer

Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World, was chartered in 1606 by King James I of England. The charter granted the Virginia Company of London, a joint-stock company, the right to establish a colony in present-day North Carolina to the Hudson and to govern the colony according to English law; they were also tasked with turning a profit and promoting Christianity. The charter granted the company the right to govern the colony, appoint officials, establish courts and laws, and regulate trade and commerce. The company was also given the right to import and export goods, collect taxes and duties, and administer justice in the colony.

Question 10

Misfortunes of Jamestown

Accepted Answer

Lack of planning and preparation: The Virginia Company of London did not provide the colonists with enough food, supplies, or skilled labor

Death and disease: Jamestown colonists suffered from starvation. The contaminated water around the settlement was dirty and salty, leading to poor farming and drinking water. Marshy conditions provided the perfect environment for mosquitoes, which infected colonists with diseases like malaria.

Hostile relations with Indigenous people: The colonists at Jamestown faced hostility and conflict with the Indigenous people of the region. The colonists often encroached on Indigenous lands, and they clashed with the Indigenous people over resources and territory.

Poor leadership and internal strife: The leadership of Jamestown was often ineffective and corrupt, and the colonists were divided and prone to infighting.

Question 11

John Smith

Accepted Answer

Virginia might have gone the way of Roanoke had it not been for John Smith. Smith quickly became a leader in Jamestown. He traded with the local natives for food, established a stronger system of government, motivated the early colonists, and mapped the Chesapeake Bay.

In 1608, he seized control of the ruling council and instituted military discipline. The colony became very successful as all members were expected to pull their weight in maintaining the settlement. However, after severe injury from a gunpowder explosion and John Smith's return to England, the colony again lacked capable authority. The winter of 1609-1610 was called the “starving time.” Some colonists were driven to cannibalism. In England, Smith heard that one colonist had killed his wife, salted her, and eaten part of her before being discovered and executed.

Question 12

The Powhatan in Jamestown

Accepted Answer

Colonists in Jamestown were living in an area controlled by the most powerful Native American confederation east of the Mississippi River: the Powhatan. The Powhatan confederacy was made up of over 30 tribes, and it was led by the powerful chief, Powhatan. Beyond skilled craftsmanship of baskets, pottery, and jewelry, they were known for their agricultural skills. The Powhatans cultivated a variety of crops, including corn, beans, and tobacco. Once tobacco was brought to Jamestown, courtesy of the Powhatans, the cash crop became a valuable export for the colonists to make money.

Question 13

Jamestown's Successes

Accepted Answer

Jamestown later established an elective representative assembly called the House of Burgesses to make the colony more attractive to wealthy speculators. Colonists who covered their own transportation cost to America were guaranteed a headright, a 50-acre lot for which they paid only a small annual rent. Adventurers were granted additional headrights for each servant they brought to the colony. A record number of people started to come to Jamestown. English colonization efforts attracted a variety of migrants, all of whom sought social mobility, economic prosperity, religious freedom, and improved living conditions.

Question 14

Colonial Efforts by the French and Dutch

Accepted Answer

Colonial efforts by the French and the Dutch involved relatively few Europeans. Instead, these powers relied on trade alliances and intermarriage with Native Americans to build economic and diplomatic relationships and acquire furs and other products for export to Europe.

In particular, the French fur trade was driven by the demand for beaver pelts, which were used to make high-quality hats in Europe. The beaver was a valuable commodity, and the demand for beaver pelts fueled the expansion of the fur trade in the Americas. Trade was established and maintained by French traders and explorers, who built trading posts, forts, and trade networks.

Question 15

Who settled New England?

Accepted Answer

New England was settled by disgruntled Puritans from Europe who disliked the Church of England. The Pilgrim Separatists, who were extreme Puritans, used the Mayflower to land in Plymouth Bay in 1620.

Question 16

Who settled the Massachusets bay colony and why?

Accepted Answer

The Massachusetts Bay Colony was chartered in 1629 and settled by about eleven thousand Puritans under the guidance of Governor John Winthrop.  Winthrop declared that “we shall be as a city upon a hill,” in which the Puritans of the Bay Colony would build a model religious community based on Puritan beliefs and values. These Puritan beliefs were based on the idea that people were predestined for heaven or hell and that only male church members could vote.

Question 17

What were the characteristics of New Englanders?

Accepted Answer

Politically, New England valued the democratic town meeting. Economically, the Puritans were into shipbuilding, fishing, whaling, lumbering, and iron-making. They came to America in large families and enjoyed a lengthy lifespan, despite the cold winters.

Question 18

Who was Roger Williams?

Accepted Answer

Rhode Island was settled by Roger Williams, who was banned from the Bay Colony because of his religious views. Williams’ emphasis on religious diversity and tolerance would be trademarks of Rhode Island.

Question 19

Who was Anne Hutchinson?

Accepted Answer

Anne Hutchinson questioned Puritan authorities. She believed in the idea that faith alone, not deeds, was necessary for salvation. She and her followers were banished and founded the colony of Portsmouth, which would later be incorporated into Rhode Island.

Question 20

Who founded the colony of Connecticut, and what were they famous for doing first?

Accepted Answer

A group that broke off from the Puritans founded the colony of Connecticut. They drew up the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, which became the first written constitution in American history

Question 21

Which colonies made up New England?

Accepted Answer

Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island

Question 22

Which Colonies made up the middle colonies?

Accepted Answer

New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware

Question 23

What were the characteristics of the middle colonies?

Accepted Answer

They all had good farmland and produced grains for bread, ships, lumber, and furs. These colonies came to be referred to as the breadbasket colonies. However, Philadelphia and New York City also served as two major port cities.

Question 24

Who settled New York?

Accepted Answer

New York was initially settled by the Dutch in 1623 after English explorer Henry Hudson sailed up the Hudson River and claimed New Amsterdam (New York City) for the Dutch. Yet England assumed control of the region in 1664.

Question 25

Who founded Pennsylvania and why?

Accepted Answer

William Penn, a Quaker, founded Pennsylvania in 1681 in what was known as "Penn's Holy Experiment." The Quakers were a peaceful religious group of dissenters from England. They believed in taking no oaths, refused military service, and were accepting of the Native Americans. Consequently, Pennsylvania became a liberal colony that was also ethnically diverse and accepting of most religions.

Question 26

Which were the Chesapeake colonies?

Accepted Answer

Maryland and Virginia

Question 27

What were the characteristics of the Jamestown colony in Virginia?

Accepted Answer

Jamestown, Virginia, was the first English settlement in the colonies in 1607. The initial Jamestown settlers and many other Chesapeake residents died at an early age from disease. Life expectancy was much shorter than in the clean air of New England. Chesapeake families were not common due to the disproportionate number of men who immigrated to this area to make money. However, tobacco production required a massive number of white indentured servants from Europe.

Question 28

Who founded Maryland and why?

Accepted Answer

Maryland was founded by Lord Baltimore in 1634. His motives for settling Maryland were money and finding a peaceful haven for Catholics who were being persecuted in England. Tensions between Catholics and Protestants in this tobacco colony caused the passage of the Act of Toleration in 1649, which promised toleration to all Christians but not other religions.

Question 29

Which were the southern colonies?

Accepted Answer

North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia

Question 30

What was the economic situation of most southern colonies?

Accepted Answer

Long growing seasons in the south led to the development of plantation economies based on the export of stable cash crops. These agricultural institutions depended on the labor of enslaved Africans, which made up the majority of the southern colonial population.

Question 31

Describe the characteristics of the Carolinas

Accepted Answer

England wanted South Carolina to provide food to its wealthy sugar islands in the West Indies. Rice became the main export, as slaves worked long hours in the isolated, swampy rice fields of South Carolina for this crop.

A large number of migrants from aristocratic Virginia settled North Carolina. Many of these early settlers did not like Virginia and the Church of England. As a result, the Carolinians became religious and political dissenters from Virginian authority and developed a sense of rugged individualism and democracy while being small tobacco farmers.

Question 32

Describe the characteristics of Georgia

Accepted Answer

Georgia emerged as the last colony of the original thirteen colonies. England wanted it to serve as a defensive buffer against Spanish Florida and French Louisiana. Philanthropists, such as leader James Oglethorpe, helped those in debt and made progress in reforming debtor prisons.

Question 33

What was mercantalism?

Accepted Answer

Mercantilism was an economic theory used by most European countries from c. 1500-1750. Mercantilists believed that wealth (gold and silver) equated to power and that accumulating the most gold granted the most power. To get gold, a country had to export more than it imported. In essence, mercantilist countries tried to export (sell) as much as possible while importing (buying) as little as possible, thus building up their gold reserves. Mercantilism served as European justification for colonization.

Question 34

What were the navigation laws and salutary neglect

Accepted Answer

Any hope that the colonists had for economic independence was crushed by the British policy of forbidding colonial trade with other countries under the Navigation Laws started in 1650. However, some colonists continued to smuggle products, and "salutary neglect" by Britain lasted until 1763 when the British were compelled to enforce laws for money to pay off the debt of the French and Indian War.

Question 35

What was triangular trade?

Accepted Answer

Triangular trade emerged as a result of mercantilism. In this international system, the Americas would send raw materials to Europe and Africa, Europe supplied Africa and America with finished goods, and Africa captured and transported slaves to the Americas.

Question 36

What were some opinions of colonists about British mercantilism?

Accepted Answer

There were some advantages to mercantilism for the colonists. Colonists who produced shipping parts and tobacco for Britain had a permanent, lucrative British customer who demanded these products. Overall, mercantilism had a trickle-down effect on the prosperity of the colonies.

However, most colonists despised mercantilism based on principle because it did not allow them economic freedom to produce what they wanted and to sell it to other countries. The South produced rice, cotton, and tobacco—all cash crops. Yet Southerners despised that Britain controlled prices and the products that the southerners had to purchase

Question 37

Describe relations between the Puritans and the local Wampanoag Indians in New England. Describe the circumstances of the first Thanksgiving, Metacom, and King Phillips's war. Describe the causes and effects of King Phillips's war.

Accepted Answer

Relations between the Puritans and the local Wampanoag Indians in the early 1600’s were friendly. Chief Massasoit signed a peace treaty with the Pilgrims in 1621, which led to the first Thanksgiving celebration and exchanges of food.
However, English expansion and their settlements led Massasoit’s son, Metacom, also called King Philip by the English, to forge an Indian alliance to counter this white encroachment upon native lands. King Philip’s War (1675-1677) would devastate both the New England frontier and Indian-European relations.
The conflict was sparked by a number of issues, including English expansion into Native American lands and the English refusal to respect Native American sovereignty. These tensions eventually erupted into open warfare, and the conflict quickly spread throughout the region, involving a number of different Native American groups and English colonies.
The Native Americans lost this war with many casualties. Numerous New England towns were destroyed. King Philip was beheaded while his wife and son were sold as slaves. This was the last Indian threat to New England colonists.

Question 38

Describe the relationship between the English and the pequot indians in the Connecticut valley.

Accepted Answer

The Connecticut Valley also witnessed confrontation between English settlers and the local Pequot Indians. 
One of the main sources of tension between the Pequot and the English was over control of land and resources. The Pequot had traditionally occupied and used the land in the Connecticut Valley, and they resisted English efforts to claim it for themselves. This led to a series of confrontations between the two groups, as the English sought to expand their settlements and the Pequot sought to defend their lands.
The conflict eventually escalated into open warfare, and the English launched a major military campaign against the Pequot in 1637. The war was marked by brutal fighting and widespread destruction, and the English emerged victorious. The English and their Narragansett Indian allies torched Pequot villages and decimated the Pequot population.

Question 39

Describe the Iroquois Confederacy

Accepted Answer

The Iroquois Confederacy was one of the largest native nations on the continent. They had an organized government, were armed with European guns, and trapped beaver furs and other pelts in upstate New York and Pennsylvania. They allied themselves with the British against the French and their native allies, the Huron.

Question 40

Describe the Beaver Wars of the 1640's.What did the Iroquois achieve, and who were they allied with?

Accepted Answer

The Beaver Wars of the 1640’s saw the Iroquois fight the French and the Hurons over beaver pelts and hunting land rights in the Ohio Valley. The Iroquois wanted to control the beaver trade, which was a lucrative source of income for Native American groups in the region.
The Beaver Wars began in the 1640s and continued for over a century. They were characterized by a series of raids, ambushes, and battles between the Iroquois and their enemies. The Iroquois were aided by their allies, the Dutch and the British, who provided them with weapons and other forms of support.
During the Beaver Wars, the Iroquois were able to expand their territory and establish dominance over other Native American groups in the region. The Iroquois defeated numerous other Native American tribes during this time and chased them out of their lands. They also became a major power in the beaver trade, which allowed them to acquire wealth and influence.
The Iroquois were able to maintain their dominance over other Native American groups in the region, but they also faced increasing pressure from European colonizers, who were expanding westward and encroaching on Iroquois territory.

Question 41

Describe relationships between Native Americans and settlers in Pennsylvania.

Accepted Answer

In Pennsylvania, Native American and European relations were much friendlier, thanks to founder William Penn. Penn was a Quaker and believed in treating Native Americans with respect and fairness. He formed a close relationship with the Lenni Lenape, the local Native American group, and worked to establish a peaceful coexistence between the two groups.
Penn purchased land from the Lenni Lenape and established treaties with them that recognized their sovereignty and granted them certain rights. He also established a policy of non-violent conflict resolution and encouraged his fellow colonists to adopt a similar approach. Penn and the Quakers established peaceful relations with many local tribes, even though these tribes were controlled by the Iroquois. 
However, the Scots-Irish and other Europeans would expand westward and create conflict with the natives. By 1740, relations soured and many tribes were decimated. As the Scots-Irish moved into the Appalachian region, they came into conflict with Native American groups such as the Cherokee, who resisted their expansion. These conflicts often involved violent clashes and resulted in significant losses for Native American groups.

Question 42

Describe the relationship between settlers in Virginia and Powhatans in the region.

Accepted Answer

When the English settled Jamestown in 1607 in Virginia, they met Chief Powhatan and the numerous local tribes that were part of Powhatan’s Confederacy. As with many initial Native American-European encounters, relations began amicably but soured quickly. Food was scarce in the Chesapeake and colonists began raiding Powhatan food supplies.

A series of wars broke out between the Anglos and Powhatans from 1610-1646. The Governor of Virginia, Lord De La Warr (yes, Delaware got its name from this English noble) imposed harsh tactics against the Powhatans. His soldiers torched cornfields and Powhatan houses while systematically eliminating the Powhatans.

Disease and the English desire to wipe out these Indians from Virginia caused the extinction of the Powhatans.  Also, the fact that these natives could not be used as laborers in the tobacco fields made them disposable. As a result, the peace treaty of 1646 created a distinctive white settlement in Virginia.

Question 43

Describe relations between settlers in the Carolinas and native groups

Accepted Answer

The Savannah Indians of the coastal Carolinas were crushed by white settlers by 1710. The Tuscaroras of Newbern, North Carolina were also defeated by white settlers by 1711, with many being sold as slaves.  Those remaining would become part of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Cherokee and Creeks would remain in the interior for another fifty years.

Question 44

What was the Pueblo Revolt

Accepted Answer

The Pueblo Revolt was a major uprising that took place in the Southwest region of North America in 1680. It was led by a coalition of Native American groups, including the Pueblo, Zuni, and Hopi, who were fed up with the harsh treatment they had received at the hands of Spanish colonial authorities.

The rebellion was triggered by a number of factors, including the forced conversion of Native Americans to Catholicism, the imposition of heavy taxes and labor demands, and the interference of Spanish officials in American Indian politics. The revolt was successful in driving the Spanish out of the region for a period of time, and led to a period of relative autonomy for the Native American groups involved.

The Pueblo Revolt had significant implications for the history of the Southwest region, as it marked a turning point in the relationship between Native American groups and European colonizers. It also had broader implications for the development of North American colonialism, as it demonstrated the potential for American Indian resistance to European expansion and the need for European powers to adopt more accommodative policies in order to maintain their presence in the region.

Question 45

How did Bacon's rebellion lead to increased slavery in the colonies?

Accepted Answer

By 1700, black African slaves would be sent to the Americas against their will. This racial change was the result of Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676, where many poor white farmers staged a violent uprising against the government and wealthy tobacco planters of Virginia. The fear of a large, poor, resentful white population led the wealthy Virginia planters to look for a new labor force in Africa.

Question 46

Describe the effects of Triangular Trade on the Americas and Africa, and describe which good were being transported where.

Accepted Answer

The Triangular Trade was a system of trade that involved the exchange of goods and people between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It is named for the triangular shape formed by the routes of trade, which connected the three regions.

The Triangular Trade was a key part of the global economy during the era of European colonization and was a major source of wealth and power for European nations. At its core, the Triangular Trade involved the exchange of European goods, such as textiles, weapons, and alcohol, for African slaves, who were then transported to the Americas and sold to work on plantations and mines. Raw materials and goods such as sugar, tobacco, and coffee were then sent from the Americas to Europe.

The Triangular Trade had a profound impact on the history and development of the Americas, as it played a significant role in the transatlantic slave trade and the growth of slavery in the region. The Triangular Trade also had a profound impact on Africa, as it contributed to the destabilization of many African societies and the loss of millions of people to the slave trade.

Question 47

Describe slavery in Northern colonies. Describe the legality of slavery, how many slaves there were in different environments, and developments that led to increased demand for slavery.

Accepted Answer

The northern colonies of New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey had legalized slavery in the 17th and 18th centuries but their smaller farms and limited soil would make the demand for slaves less than the southern colonies. All northern colonies would free most of their slaves legally by the early 19th century.

New England’s slave population was only about 3% but this number drastically increased to 25% in port cities such as Boston. Philadelphia and New York also had a significant number of slaves. Most northern slaves were domestic servants, dockworkers, sailors, and craft workers. Some would be hired out by their owners and were declared property.

In the decades before the Civil War, many slaves were freed. However, after the 1793 invention of the cotton gin, cotton and other southern products were linked to northern banking and shipping. These important economic sectors of the North had a vested interest in the agricultural production by slaves of the South.

Question 48

Describe slavery in Southern colonies. Identify the causes of slavery and popular crops on plantations.

Accepted Answer

The large agricultural plantations of the South and their single cash crop economies led to a high demand for slaves. Tobacco in the Chesapeake and rice and indigo in the South were all labor intensive crops. Cotton would become the major crop in the Deep South only after the invention of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin in 1793.

Tobacco, a crop that exhausted the soil and caused farmers to expand westward for more land, was harvested in Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina. Rice plantations and indigo were harvested in South Carolina and Georgia. Initially, James Oglethorpe and his followers in Georgia banned slavery, but other southerners moved into the “peach state” and brought slaves with them as Georgia legalized slavery in 1750.

Question 49

Identify and describe means of slave resistance

Accepted Answer

Black slaves did resist the institution of slavery by murdering their owners, destroying machinery and other property, escaping, and committing suicide. Some escapees formed maroon groups in swamps or in the mountains and would menace plantations for food and other products. Rebellions were not frequent, but they did happen. As part of the Stono Rebellion in South Carolina in 1739, slaves seized arms, burnt houses, and killed 25 whites.

Most of the slave revolts occurred in areas where there were a large number of slaves, such as the American South. More violent revolts happened in Jamaica, Haiti, and the Caribbean because African slaves outnumbered whites in many communities. The result of most revolts were the mass executions of black slaves. These types of overt resistance were often met with harsh punishment, but they were also a way for enslaved people to assert their dignity and to resist their oppression.

Slaves also engaged in covert resistance, in which enslaved people used subtle and covert methods to resist their oppression and maintain their dignity and sense of self. This could include acts of sabotage, such as slowing down work or damaging equipment, or using their skills and knowledge to their advantage, such as using medicinal plants to heal themselves and others.

Enslaved people also used their culture and religion as a means of resistance and as a way to maintain their sense of identity and community. They used traditional music, dance, and other cultural practices as a way to express their resistance and to keep their culture alive, and they used religion as a way to find solace and to express their belief in a higher power.

Question 50

What was the Barbados Code

Accepted Answer

The Barbados Code was a major law passed in 1661 in Barbados which meant that black slaves were chattel (property) and had no basic rights that they would have been entitled to under normal English common law. This law protected the white slave owners and allowed them to kill slaves without any legal consequences. Men from Barbados would move into the American colonies and bring these codes with them.

Question 51

What was Chattel slavery?

Accepted Answer

This system of chattel slavery, in which enslaved people were treated as property and had no legal rights, became the dominant labor system in many of the southern colonies in North America. It was based on a strict racial hierarchy that was codified into law and that prohibited interracial relationships and defined the descendants of African American mothers as black and enslaved in perpetuity.

Under this system, enslaved people were owned by their masters and were forced to work long hours on plantations, mines, and other labor-intensive ventures. They had no rights or freedoms, and they were subject to harsh and inhumane treatment, including corporal punishment and sexual abuse.

The system of chattel slavery was deeply entrenched in the southern colonies, and it played a central role in the economy and society of the region. It was supported by a network of laws and institutions that enforced the racial hierarchy and maintained the system of slavery.

Question 52

Describe the First Great Awakening. Describe the growing religious diversity, the details of the Great Awakening movement, and the effect of the Enlightenment on the colonies.

Accepted Answer

While America became more ethnically diverse by 1750, it also displayed religious diversity. Protestantism was the predominant religion in America while other religious groups like Jews (New York/New Jersey) and Catholics (Maryland) practiced their beliefs. The Puritans formed the tax-supported Congregational Church, found mostly in New England, while the South had the tax-supported Church of England, also known as the Anglican Church.

The Great Awakening movement of the 1700s rekindled the religious spirit of an America that was growing tired of the strict codes of Calvinist Puritans and becoming less interested in church. Dynamic preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield scared their followers into being better souls. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, a famous sermon delivered by Edwards, converted sinners into saints as he declared that hell was “paved with the skulls of unbaptized children.”

While the Great Awakening was spreading throughout the colonies, so was religious diversity. The Great Awakening created more religious denominations because of some of its new methods of preaching. New branches, such as Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Evangelicals, split within Protestantism because of differences in how to make sense of the new tactics and beliefs associated with the Great Awakening.

Culturally, the European ideas of the Enlightenment in the 1700s also had an effect on the colonies. The Enlightenment emphasized ideas such as a belief in science and reason over religion, the equality of all people, the idea that individuals can control their own destiny, and the political ideas associated with democracy and republicanism.

Question 53

Describe the political environment of the colonies

Accepted Answer

Politically, the colonies created their government based on the British model. Most colonies had a governor, an upper house, and a lower house form of government that reflected the structure of the British king and his Parliament. Each colony had a representative in London to help both London and the colonies mediate potential problems.

English common law was used and colonists believed that they enjoyed the rights of European Englishmen, such as the right to liberty, equality, and to own private property. The colonial judicial system looked like the Old World with county courts and local judges administering justice. County government structures were found in the rural South and townships were used in New England.

Question 54

Describe the economic situation of the colonies as it related to Mercantilism

Accepted Answer

Economically, the colonies were at the mercy of the British mercantile system. Colonists could only trade with England and only English ships could be used to transport goods. As part of these Navigation Acts, ships bound for the colonies had to go through English ports.

Mercantilism directly affected what the colonists would produce and buy economically. Colonial raw products such as iron, ship parts, timber, flour, wheat, tobacco, rice, furs, and indigo would be sent to England while finished products like guns, tools, textiles, clothing, furniture, beads, tea, and spices were sent to the colonies from England.

These finished products from England created a material culture in the colonies that looked the same. Culturally, the people of the coastal urban areas of the colonies seemed to mimic the rich, gentrified aristocrats of old England. They would drink tea, go fox hunting, read the local newspaper, display proper etiquette, enjoy nice linens, and use fancy ceramic cups/saucers while smoking tobacco.

Question 55

Describe the social effects of Salutary neglect on the colonies

Accepted Answer

Throughout much of the 1600s and the early 1700s, Britain followed a policy of salutary neglect towards its administration of the colonies. London was inconsistent and lax in enforcing its laws, particularly the rules of mercantilism. By neglecting the colonies, the British thought that the colonists could make money from other regions, like the West Indies, while Britain could focus on more important matters at home. The money earned by the colonists could be spent on British manufactured goods.
Salutary neglect led to the American desire for self-rule and independence. Politically, the cherished town meetings of New England and the colonial legislations were good examples of the colonists doing their own thing and defying the Brits. King James I of England detested the colonial House of Burgesses in Virginia as too disloyal, which resulted in the king revoking the charter of Virginia and placing it under his control in 1624.

Question 56

Describe the effects of the English civil war on the colonies

Accepted Answer

The English Civil War of the 1640s allowed several colonies in New England to form their own New England Confederation in 1643. This confederation used its own resources to fight against the Indians and the French. However, in 1684, Charles II paid more attention to the colonies and punished rebellious Massachusetts by revoking its charter.

Question 57

Describe how mercantilism fostered a rebellious attitude among colonists

Accepted Answer

The most serious conflict between the colonists and the British was the restrictions of mercantilism. Colonists resented the rules that restricted their ability to trade with other countries. Many protested this rule by smuggling colonial products to the French West Indies, thus only starting a rebellious attitude.

Unit 2 – Colonial Society, 1607-1754, AP United States History Flashcards