Events
What was the First Great Awakening?
A religious revival in the 1730s–1740s that spread across all colonies. Unifying event.
What did Thomas Paine’s Common Sense pamphlet state?
It was "Common Sense" to declare independence from UK.
Name the three colonial regions.
New England, Middle Colonies, Southern Colonies.
What does PERSIA stand for?
Political
Economic
Religious
Societal
Intellectual
Artistic
What happened at the Boston Massacre from the British perspective?
Angry colonists attacked soldiers with snowballs and rocks; soldiers defended themselves.
How did the French and Indian War change the relationship between Britain and the colonies?
Britain won but had huge debt, taxed colonies (Stamp Act, etc.), and tightened control → colonies resented it.
Which region relied on plantations and slavery the most?
Southern Colonies.
P: How was government different in New England vs. the Southern Colonies?
New England had town meetings and more local self-government; Southern Colonies had county governments controlled by wealthy planters.
What actually happened at the Boston Massacre?
Colonists taunted soldiers, there was confusion, shots fired, 5 colonists killed. Both sides used propaganda.
What happened at the Boston Massacre from the colonists’ perspective?
Innocent colonists were shot down by cruel British soldiers.
Which region had the “breadbasket colonies”?
Middle Colonies (wheat, grain farming).
E: Which region focused on shipbuilding and fishing?
New England Colonies.
Why did conflicts with Native Americans happen in each region?
Colonists expanded west and fought with tribes everywhere (Pequot War in New England, conflicts in the South & Middle frontiers).
Why did Thomas Paine’s Common Sense argue America should be independent?
Said America should be independent because Britain was holding it back, colonies didn’t need European control, and kings were unfair rulers.
Which region had the most diverse population?
Middle Colonies.
R: How did the First Great Awakening affect colonists’ ideas about equality and authority?
Encouraged people to question traditional leaders and think about equality before God.
When was "Common Sense" published?
January 10, 1776
What was the biggest battle of the French and Indian War?
Battle of Quebec
Name every region and state within the region:
New England colonies (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island)
Middle colonies (Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania)
Southern colonies (Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia)
How was British PERSIA different from colonial PERSIA?
Political
Britain: Strong monarchy with Parliament making laws; colonists had little voice.
Colonies: More local self-government (town meetings in New England, colonial assemblies).
Economic
Britain: Industrializing, wealthy, focused on trade, manufacturing, and global empire.
Colonies: Regional economies—New England (fishing/shipbuilding), Middle (farming & trade), South (plantations & slavery).
Religious
Britain: Official Church of England (Anglican), though other denominations existed.
Colonies: More diversity—Puritans (New England), Quakers (Middle), Anglicans & Baptists (South). The First Great Awakening spread new ideas.
Social
Britain: Rigid class system—nobility, gentry, middle class, poor. Hard to move up.
Colonies: More social mobility; wealth mattered, but people could rise through trade, land, or skill.
Intellectual
Britain: Enlightenment thinkers (Locke, Newton, etc.); universities like Oxford and Cambridge.
Colonies: Influenced by Enlightenment too, but focused on practical inventions, printing, and education (e.g., Benjamin Franklin).
Artistic
Britain: Rich traditions in literature, fine arts, theater, and music.
Colonies: Simpler—folk art, practical crafts, portraits, architecture based on survival needs, but slowly developing culture.