Unit 2
16. Who did the work on the tobacco plantations during the early years of Virginia and Maryland?
In the early years they found the workers in England. Because the economic situation in England was so poor at this time many Englishmen made the journey to America to be Indentured servants. Back then it was assumed that farming was a masculine activity meaning that most landowners preferred male workers opposed to females.
31. In the British colonies what key power did Local assemblies possess? Why might this be so important?
A key power that local assemblies possessed was the "power of the purse," or control over taxation and where that tax money went. By choosing where to put tax money you are setting off a string of events that are beneficial for some and harmful for others. For example, if the assembly chose to put more tax money towards education rather than feeding the poor, then the elite males of society would prosper because they were getting a better education while the poor would suffer because they didn't have enough food. This gave the assembly power to basically give money to those they supported and take it away from people they didn't. It also gave them a form of control over the governor, because they had power over their salary, so they might be able to persuade governors to attend to their agendas.
3.What did the tidewater tobacco planters do in response to higher taxes?
A lot of tidewater tobacco planters switched to producing wheat and other grains rather than tobacco now that the taxes had been raised.
36. What sparked the French and Indian War in 1754?
As more English colonists were coming to North America they started to go more westward towards the Ohio Valley. At the time French had plans to connect their settlements in Canada to Louisiana through a series of forts that passed throught the valley. So now you had two powerful enemies after the same land. This time the British mainland got involved early on sending mililia force to America to scout out the French. George Washington was sent to warn the French of the potential war, to which they responded with sarcasm. A number of battles were fought before an official declaration of war in 1756.
9. The notion of the emergence of the "Yankee" refers to the:
Bypassing of Puritan laws that ensured people were putting the growth of the community over personal growth. Sons were leaving home in search of their own fortune. Many were disappointed. They also created many schools for sons of elite New England and opportunity to further their education. Harvard was established in 1636 and Yale in 1701.
14. How were Catholics treated in Maryland?
Catholics in Maryland were treated very poorly. They faced anti-Catholic persecution, they then fought and lost a civil war, and later faced many unsucessful attempts at rebellion.
20. Who were the Paxton Boys? Why did it represent a problem for the established colonial authorities?
the frontier nature of the Paxton placed them in conflict with Native Peoples not slaves) When the government denied them more protection for their homes the Paxton Boys slaughtered the Peaceful people of Conestoga, and then marched on Philadelphia demanding that the government help them. This was a problem for the established colonial authorities because at the time the Pennsylvania Government was dominated by Quakers, who preferred a more diplomatic solution to dealing with the Indians. So the Paxton Boys worked in direct contrast to their ideas.
30. The Half-Way Covenant reflected:
It reflected people's "Religious zeal" going away. Now that they had won for a short period of time it may have seemed like their mission was over, and the new generation started to be involved in things like commerce and other things that may have required them to be members of the Church.
7. By 1610, the Jamestown settlement looked like a failure. What saved it?
It was tobacco that saved Jamestown. Tobacco was incredibly popular in England, that being said, the type of tobacco native to the Americas was considered too strong for English tastes. But John Rolfewas able to transplant a milder strain of West Indian tobacco to the colony. This brought a steady flow of profit as people in England enjoyed this "brown gold"
38. What were the results of The Albany Plan of Union?
It was ultimately unsuccessful. When plans were shown to individual colonial assemblies not one approved it. They looked to Britain to act, which they did.
20. Which of the following ended the Great Migration of Puritan settlers to the Massachusetts Bay colony in the first half of the seventeenth century?
It was when Oliver Cromwell's Puritan Army took over England the Great Migration stopped.
9. During the "starving time" in Virginia, John Smith established what policy to ensure survival of the colony?
John Smith established the "no work, no food" policy. It was used as a way to ensure survival of the colony because if people wanted food to live they needed to work for it.
25. John Winthrop believed Massachusetts Bay society should be
John Winthrop believed that Massachusetts Bay society should have a close relationship between church and state. The church had to be involved in your family life, you had to be part of the Church to have any political say. They enforced biblical law along with English civil and criminal law. He also believed that some people were meant to be poor and others rich, that some people were meant to have power and others nothing. Women didn't have a say in politics, and they were supposed to be quiet in church, not allowed to voice their opinions.
30. What were some of the consequences of unofficial British policy of salutary neglect?
Salutary neglect led to people breaking certain laws. The British government, as long as goods and money were flowing in from the colonies there wasn't much else to do. They looked the other way when it came to people breaking laws and rebellions. While it isn't directly stated, I can see this leading to a rise in crime, and not just failing to go through with proper trading standards. If you have a government who is continuously looking away and failing to enforce laws you are going to have a rise in people breaking these laws.
28. What threat did Anne Hutchinson pose to the Puritan authorities?
She posed a threat. Not only did she oppose their ideas and laws, she was a woman. A free thinking woman who spoke her ideas, something that was very rare at the time. People were also agreeing with her, male merchants and craftsmen who didn't have political rights. This wasn't a concept that the Puritan authorities could handle so they banished her.
19. Where did Slave revolts in colonial America take place?
Slave revolts happened throughout parts of the colonies where slaves were exploited, but I imagine they were more concentratedconsentrated in the south where there were more slaves in general. The Stono Rebellion in Charles Town was one of the most famous of these revolts in the south. But that being said slave revolts were not confined to the South. We know that in 1712, before the Stono Rebellion, there was a revolt in New York. Nine people were shot, stabbed, or beaten to death, another six were wounded. When white militia units were called many of the rebels realised the hopelessness of their situation, and 6 commited suicied. Those who were left were captured and the governor, Robert Hunter said, "some were burnt, others were hanged, one broke on the wheel, and one hung alive in chains in the town."
16. Describe slavery as it was practiced in the Middle Colonies.
Slavery wasn't widely practiced in the middle colonies, though merchants and shippers thought that they were useful on their docks and in domestic service in their homes.
6. What were the features/characteristics that the first settlers of Jamestown observed about the neighboring tribes?
Some of the first things observed by the settlers about the Natives were skin, face paints, their "relative nakedness," their religious ceremonies and their weapons. On their first interaction the prospect was that they would forge a peaceful and profitable relationship.
25.Describe/explain the key elements of John Locke's political essays.
Some of the key elements of John Locke's political essays were that every human had a right to own themselves, their labor, and the land in which they took care over. Life, liberty, and property. And it was a government's job to protect these rights in exchange for the people signing a social contract, or laws. If the government didn't protect these rights then the people could and should rebel.
26. What were the key messages of the Great Awakening preachers?
Some of the key messages of the Great Awakening preachers were how modern society relied a lot on material things or activities instead of peoples devotion to God. Things like dancing, gambling, drinking, the theater, and elegante clothing. They said that people were obsessed with profit and power and not being good people.
1. What prevented Sir Walter Raleigh from delivering badly needed supplies to his second colonial venture on the island of Roanoke?
THe colonists that had gone to Roanoke left in 1587 but by 1588 England was "locked" at naval warfare with Spain making it impossible for Sir Walter Raleigh to deliver the badly needed supplies to the colonists. By the time the supplies did arrive there was no sign of any of the settlers.
2. In which part of North America were the richest English colonies located ?
The Colonies in the West Indies were the richest colonies. They grew sugar, which was a luxury product. There were absentee planters who were Englishmen who owned plantations who lived in England while the slaves did the work.
8. Describe the dominant economic policy practiced by England during the 18th Century?
The Dominant economic policy practiced by England in the 18th Century was Mercantilism. In this system the government kept track of all trading being done with other countries to ensure as much "self sufficiency" within its borders as possible. They wanted to produce as many necessary goods, like food, clothing, and tools in England as they could so they wouldn't have to buy or rely on other countries. They also wanted people to produce products that other countries would want like wine, and spices. If a mercantile system was successful then there would be limited money flowing out of the country, and an abundance of money flowing in.
18. What were the causes and consequences of the Stono Rebellion of 1739?
The causes of the Stono Rebellion were abundante. To start there was the horrible treatment of the slaves, the amount of work being put on them, their living conditions, and then the blatant descrimination. After the Stono Rebellion, the number of men and frequency in partrols rose. Higher rewards were offered to people who hunted down slaves, alive or dead. The white people were scared and we can assume that this also led to harsher treatment of slaves in general.
33. The colonial wars in North America between 1688 and 1763 were all extensions of what process going on in other parts of the world?
The colonial wars in North America were all extensions of the European countries trying to balance power at home and abroad. All of these countries were ambitious each wanting to dominate both the New World and the Old World. So these wars were really just part of the process of finding out which country would come out on top and ultimately it was England.
35. Why did New Englanders respond enthusiastically in King George's War?
They saw it as a Protestant crusade with the intentions of wiping out Catholicism. New England at the time was swept up in the Great Awakening so many peoples ideas about religion were changing or growing so this war really hit them religiously at a time when that was a big deal.
34. William Penn and his father had little in common except
They were both loyal supporters of King Charles.
4. What English Puritans demand of the religious authorities of the Church of England?
To many of the Puritans, the Church of England had too many Catholic rituals when it was officially Protestant. They demanded the Crown "purify" the Church, and get rid of the catholic traditions. The Stuart dynasty saw this as a form of treason and heresy.
37. In the end, why did James Oglethorpe's philanthropic effort to turn the colony of Georgia into a refuge for debtors fail?
Ultimately he had a hard time finding people who met his original criteria, so the colony soon filled with middle class English settlers, who openly opposed restrictions and regulations in the charter. They started winning and in the end many of the trustees lost enthusiasm for their "reform project" so they gave it back to the king.
29. Who held the ultimate power or sovereignty with regard to British colonial policy in the Americas?
Ultimately the power of governing the colonies was split among several bureaucracies. They had control over laws set and how they were enforced, not that there was a lot of enforcing when it came to colonial policy.
40. What were the outcomes of the Great War for Empire for England?
Ultimately they were very successful. They gained almost all of Canada and captured Florida from Spain. Despite their gains in land they still faced huge amounts of debt and were questioning loyalties of their own colonies, because some continued trading with the enemy in the middle of the war, and the colonials were left with memories of the British troops arrogance towards the colonial soldiers. So even though they won the war, times were still very tense for England.
10. Virginia defined its customs on slavery in 1662 when it declared that:
Virginia declared "all children born in this country shall be hld bond or free according to the condition of the mother." This meant that children of slaves could be slaves, opposed to children of slaves being free, before the declaration.
8. How did the Virginia Company encourage settlers to move to the colony?
The Virginia Company used the HeadRight system to persuade people to come to Jamestown. The headright system granted each male colonist 50 acres of land for himself and whoever else's voyage they financed.
2. One fundamental difference in approach to colonization by the English government was:
A fundamental difference in the approach to colonization by the English government was that the crown or any of the churches would not financially support any people hopeful of settling in the New World. Instead they relied on private citizens to financially aid the colonists. This was very different from the approach used by Spain and France. Both Spanish and French crowns and churches supported the colonists.
13. What percentage of Africans perished during the infamous "middle passage" from Africa to the New World?
18% of Africans died during the "middle passage" usually due to disease, suicide and sometimes murder.
28. By 1700, what common characteristic did the English mainland colonies share?
By 1700 all colonies had a representative assembly. At first it was seen as a convenience by the british government but was soon seen as insubordination when the colonies started wanting a bigger say in local government, that they had a right to it since they were the ones living there.
5. What percentage of colonial imports were manufactured or provided from England? Why was this?
90% of colonial imports were manufactured or provided from England. This was to ensure that people weren't buying from competing countries and money wasn't flowing out of the country.
15. By 1770, the city of Philadelphia had ____ residents and was the second largest city in the British Empire.
By 1770, Philadelphia had forty thousand residents.
12. To convince settlers to come to Maryland, Cecilius Calvert
Adopted the head right system, the grant of 50 acres of land for each settler brought over, developed by the Virginia Company. It proved very helpful when it came to getting people to come.
37. What did King William's War, Queen Anne's War, and King George's War have in common?
All three wars involved Indian allies to their respective countries. They lost a great number of people and suffered a great deal. New England was also heavily involved in all three and like the Indians suffered greatly.
24. Both for Pilgrims and the neighboring Puritans, family was about:
Both Pilgrims and Puritans saw family as "a little commonwealth," or as the backbone of a society.
32. By 1690, what were the most persistent dangers to British colonial peace and safety ?
By 1690 the most persistent dangers to British colonial peace and safety was rivalries with other European nations. Between 1688 and 1763 France, Spain and England waged many wars, oftentimes bringing the colonies into them. Battles fought on American land between the colonies relied heavily on their alliances with other colonies and countries but also with their Native American allies. And at times like this where Europeans were desperate for land these alliances between the colonies and Native American groups could be unreliable.
29. One of the changes occurring in Massachusetts between 1630 and 1690 was that
During this time, on top of the resistance from their own people, the people of Massachusetts were now fighting with the Native Americans of New England. The war against the Pequots, battles against the Wampanoags and then the assination of the Narragansetts. The English won each time, but they lost a lot too, leading them to decide to try less aggressive tactics when it came to communicating with the Natives. But It was already too late for so many.
1. Briefly describes Eliza Lucas Pinckney's experiences. Why might this be considered unique?
Eliza Lucas Pinckney lived in a time when being an independent woman wasn't a good thing. Women were mostly seen as property of her father and later her husband. They were raised to be housewives. The difference between Eliza and many other women of her time is that she was taught how to use her voice, and how to be independent. She knew how to read and ran a plantation at the age of 16, on top of her traditional female tasks. As normal as it is now, it was being an independent woman that made her unique.
10. With the creation of the House of Burgesses in 1618, Virginia tobacco planters
Gained some control over local political matters.
11. Briefly describe the creation and characteristics of African American culture
In Chesapeake slaves often mixed English culture with their own. In more southern colonies like South Carolina slaves were often shipped straight from Africa and had little to no contact with the white people in the area, so they had better opportunities to develop a culture. They incorporated words from many of their own languages and English creating a language that was called Gullah.
12. How did the slave labor systems in the Lower South differed from those in the Chesapeake?
In Chesapeake they had a "gang labor" system. Their were only a few slaves on a property, working with the family. The isolation in these systems made it almost impossible for communities, and families to form. In the Lower South there were a lot more slaves on a property. First off this allowed for more of a community. The "task labor" system where slaves were given chores to do. This allowed slaves to have more control over what they did and how to use their free time.
11. The Good Friday massacre mounted by the Powhatan Indians in 1622 resulted in:
In a two year war that killed over half of the settlers in Jamestown. Even though the war ended, peace wasn't reached for almost a decade.
13. How was Maryland's able to prevent persecution of Catholic colonists?
In an attempt to avoid persecution of Catholic colonists Calvert offered religious tolerance to all colonists in the Toleration Act. this prevented Catholics from being "troubled or molested." But in the end this plan failed when parliament took Maryland away from the Calvert family.
34. What King William's War revealed about the English colonists position in North America?
King William's War revealed the vulnerable spot of New England. With French colonies and their Native American allies to the north, they were in a vulnerable position when it came to attacks from the North.
17. Many indentured servants in Virginia
Lived short lives. They were exposed to a number of diseases that were deadly, in addition to the back breaking labor that they were doing day in and day out. ALso Their food, clothing, and bedding wasn't enough to support the amount of work they were doing so many died either from these diseases or from malnutrition.
22.What did the clashes between backcountry regulators and colonial officials often revolve around?
Many of the clashes around backcountry regulators and colonial officials revolved around crime in the backcountry towns. The government didn't provide sheriffs for these towns and when they wouldn't respond to the protests from the backcountry farmers they took matters into their own hands and made the regulators. One example of them fightin is in North Carolina when there was a group of corrupt officials and the regulators wanted them removed but the government didn't respond they mounted a taxpayers' rebellion. When there was no more tax money the government sent an armed army to go meet them. The regulators were easily defeated.
17. What was the outcome of the growing situation of New England fathers who ran out of farmland to provide for their sons?
Many of their sons either moved to the cities in hopes of finding their own fortune, while others went west to find their own land to farm.
27. One of the contradictory elements of Puritan colonial settlement and society was the:
One of the contradictions of the Puritan settlement was the way in which they went about gaining land. The whole purpose of creating this settlement was to create a "godly" community, yet the way they go about getting land is often rooted in Jealousy and greed. They perform countless atrocities against the Native Americans in the area. This contradicts the elements of a "godly" community.
21. "Hiving off" referred to
People on the edge of a town or village going off and creating new communities because they were past that natural limit of the town. This was determined by the distance from the farm to the center of the village.
35. William Penn's political structure
Reflected his Quaker beliefs. Many of these beliefs were reflected in the egalitarianism and religious tolerance that defined his colony. He attracted colonists from all over Europe allowing them to practice their own religions and do business in their native language. He promoted buying land from the Indians and creating peaceful relationships with them opposed to taking their land forcefully and potentially creating a violent relationship. All male citizens had the right to vote and the legislature elected had full governing power.
36. By the 1720s, South Carolina had developed an economy based on
Rice production. It proved to bring in a lot of wealth for the farmers and they became some of the richest people in the colonies.
26. Roger Williams, banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, founded:
Roger Williams founded Rhode Island. He founded it on the ideals of religious tolerance, a separation between Church and state.
7. How was Colonial trade regulated through the Navigation Acts?
The Navigation Acts required that colonists use English or colonial made boats to ship products, they couldn't create or sell anything that would compete with English production, and they couldn't directly sell or buy from competing and enemy countries.
4. Unlike the colonies of the Middle Atlantic region or the Lower South, what was the economy of New England was dominated by?
The New England economy was dominated by carrying trade and shipbuilding. The colonists made large amounts of profit through carrying exports across the Atlantic and down the North American coast to the Caribbean. While this made a lot of money for the colonists it didn't do much for England, in fact it created almost a competition between the New England traders and the English traders.
32. The Salem witch trials reflected
The Salem witch trials may have reflected the unrest and anxieties about what was happening in England, and the growth of commercialism seemed like a "dangerous challenge" to their religious beliefs.
18. The Separatists from Scrooby Village differed from Puritans because they
The Separatists from Scrooby Village differed from Puritans because they chose to leave the Church all together. Puritans, while they didn't agree with the Church, they stayed opposed to the Separatists who chose to leave. James I declared it his intention to drive them out of England or worse. The Separatists fled to the Netherlands, later going to America.
6.What was the goal of the mercantile system?
The goal of the mercantile system was to keep money from flowing out of the country, while creating a flow of money into the country.
39. What was the English crown's hope for the role of Georgia colony?
The hope for the colony was to provide a buffer between the Spanish, who had control of Florida, and the rich Englishmen of South Carolina. King George put a clause in the charter saying that all men had to perform military service basically ensuring that South Carolina would be protected.
22. Describe the ideal of family life in colonial Massachusetts.
The ideal family life in colonial Massachusetts consisted of a respectful, tender and loving husband/ father, a devoted wife, and children who were to obey the parents. The husband would have a job to provide the family with an income, and they would be in charge of the resources of the family. The wives were to be "industrious economical managers of resources," they had to be skilled at spinning yarn, sewing,cooking, baking, butchering farm animals, curing meats, churning butter and setting cheeses.
5. Perhaps the most significant reason the Jamestown settlement failed to thrive was due to:
The lack of knowledge or motivation of the settlers. Many of them did not know things necessary to survive in this new and hostile environment. Many didn't know how to clear fields, plant crops, or build fortifications. Overall this group of men were poorly fit to be settlers in the New World.
31. Following the Glorious Revolution, William and Mary what changes occurred to the Massachusetts colony?
They didn't restore the Bay colony charter and instead became a royal colony. They removed the law saying that you had to be a member of the church to have political rights. Now all free males who met an english property requirement could vote.
14. The Middle Colonies were characterized by what type of social/economic organizations or communities?
The middle colonies had a more flexible social structure and economy. They had a familial based social structure and their economy was growing with merchants and craftsmen. Many young men took up apprenticeships of these craftsmen, and even women were becoming dressmakers or milliners. Their big cities were a huge part of what characterized the middle colonies. The lifestyle in these two cities was unlike what people had expected but still filled with opportunities for some.
38.Why did the Trustees of Georgia forbid the colonists to govern themselves or have political power?
The original plan was to fill the colony with men and women who had gone to prison over minor things and help make them a new life for himself, through owning and working a farm. At the time it was thought that poverty was a sign of weakness in someone's character so they didn't trust them to govern themselves. They didn't allow for alcohol and to make sure that they were working hard they banned slavery.
19. One feature of Massachusetts's villages was the physical design to enable:
The physical design of Massachusetts's villages allowed for natural borders. Beyond a certain point a family was considered outside the community.
23. Who were the Regulators? What was their role in the backcountry of the colonies?
The regulators were backcountry farmers who took the role of protection into their own hands. They played a pretty important role in the backcountry because there were a lot of thugs and without a formal police department there wasn't anyone to protect the people of the backcountry from these criminals.
33. In 1664, when New Amsterdam's governor Peter Stuyvesant called on local residents to resist the four heavily armed ships of the Duke of York
The residents said no. They thought that life under the English couldn't be worse than life under the dutch so PEter Stuyvesant was forced to surrender the colony.
39. What was the result of William Pitt's command over the direction of the war in 1756?
The result of William Pitt's command was a success for the British. He put almost all of their money towards the war effort creating the largest military force that North America had ever seen. The tables soon turned when the English captured the upper Ohio Valley, and the whole of New France.
3. What economic transformation in England led to the loss of farmland for families, resulting in a high homeless rate and unemployment?
The rise of the Woollen industry was an important factor in the loss of farmland for families. Because the woolen industry was rising many farms transformed into sheep farms. This transition left thousands of tenant farmers and their families homeless and without work. A lot of families started moving from the countryside to the cities in hope of work, but many ended up turning to crime or prostitution as a way to survive.
23. What can be said about the roles married women in colonial Massachusetts?
The role of the married woman in colonial Massachusetts was very important. While in present time the weight of the duties is split between the partners in a marriage, and it is expected that both parties help with the home stuff, there is no arguing how important it is. If you didn't have someone doing all of this stuff at home then that would mean that there wouldn't be as many people to work the farms and harvest the food, so there wouldn't be as much food, so they couldn't create a surplus. So the role these women played were very important.
27.What were some of the social consequences of The Great Awakening?
There were definitely some social consequences of The Great Awakening. The tensions between the rich and poor rose as the poor, often taking the side of the preachers, attacked the rich because of the lifestyle they lived, which were directly in line with what the preachers of the Great Awakening were against. The rich, very offended by what they were saying, took the other side. It also reminded people that protest and resistance were acceptable. This led to colonists arguing their right to have a say in local affairs to the government. The British government saw this as insubordination.
24. What were some of the beliefs of the Deists?
They believed that the universe operates according to logical, natural laws, and could function without divine intervention apart from the Creation.
15. Work on a tobacco plantation included all of the following:
Work on a tobacco plantation included Planting, tending, harvesting, and drying tobacco leaves. All of this work took up about 10 months of the year leaving very little time for anything else like other farm chores, repairs, or even courtships and marriages. The people worked hard in the two months off of tobacco farming to make sure these things happened.
