Study Guide: Colonial America

Why did the Separatists refer to themselves as Pilgrims?

A pilgrim is someone who undertakes a religious journey. Pilgrims were Separatists who were mistreated because of their beliefs in England and wanted to set up their own church in America.

Why was Georgia founded?

A place where debtors could work off their debts and get out of jail.

What is a Quaker?

A religious group of Pacifists that had good relationships with the natives. William Penn founded Pennsylvania and saw the colony as a "holy experiment" for Quakers.

What type of farming did the Middle and Southern Colonies have in common?

Both regions practiced cash crop farming which is the practice of growing crops (such as tobacco, cotton, rice, etc.) to be sold for a profit.

What caused the demand for slave labor in the Southern colonies?

Cash crop farming which required a lot of labor.

What was the name of the new colony formed from the southern Pennsylvania colonies?

Delaware

What was the Great Migration?

During the 1630s, more than 15,000 Puritans journeyed to Massachusetts to escape religious persecution and economic hard times in England.

Who provided labor for the Southern rice fields?

Enslaved Africans

Name of the first written constitution in America.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

Which was the last and the southernmost British colony set up in America?

Georgia

What economic service opened as a result of the fertile soil of the middle colonies?

Grain mills and cattle farming

Why did Roger Williams clash with Massachusetts Puritans?

He believed that the government should not force people to worship in a certain way. He also believed it was wrong for settlers to take land away from the Native Americans.

What was the significance of the Mayflower Compact?

It was the first governing document of the Plymouth Colony.

Who was the founder of Georgia?

James Oglethorpe

The Act of Toleration provided religious freedom to both Protestants and Catholics in which colony?

Maryland

What term used for second leg of the route known as the triangular trade, which carried enslaved Africans to the Americas?

Middle Passage

Which region was considered the center of the North American shipping trade?

New England

What is a pacifist?

People opposed to the use of war or violence to settle disputes

The Pilgrims set up the first colony founded for the purpose religious freedom. Where was this colony located?

Plymouth

Describe subsistence farming which was the type of farming practiced in the New England colonies.

Producing just enough crops and livestock to meet the immediate needs of the family with little left over to sell or trade.

What was the major industry of the New England colonies?

Shipbuilding and fishing

From who and where did the British also hoped the colony of Georgia would block attacks from?

Spanish Florida

What European country did the settlers in southern Pennsylvania come from?

Sweden

What was the difference between the Puritans and Separatists?

The Protestants who wished to reform (improve) the Anglican Church were called Puritans. Those who sought to set up their own churches were known as Separatists.

What was the difference between the Puritans and the Quakers?

The Puritans were seeking religious freedom, but they didn't understand the idea of toleration. They came to America to find religious freedom—but only for themselves. They had little tolerance for other religions and Native American groups. The Quakers wanted religion for themselves but also welcomed other religious groups.

When and where did the first enslaved Africans arrive in Virginia?

The first group of 20 Africans arrived at Jamestown in 1619 aboard a Dutch trading vessel.

What did the New England Colonies have in common?

The majority of the colonies were founded for religious reasons by the Puritans.

Describe the climate and environment of the Middle Colonies.

This region enjoyed more fertile soil and a slightly milder climate than New England

Why was Maryland founded?

To create a colony where Catholics could worship freely.

Who founded the colony of Pennsylvania as a "holy experiment" and wrote its first constitution?

William Penn

How did most settlers in the Southern Colonies make their living?

farming

Describe the climate and environment of New England.

long winters and thin, rocky soil

Which region (New England, Middle, or Southern) had the most diverse population?

middle

Describe the climate and environment of the Southern Colonies.

rich soil, warm climate, long summers

What crop was important in making Jamestown and early Virginia an economic success?

tobacco

What is the pattern of trade that developed in colonial times along the Americas, Africa, and Europe?

triangular trade