Borderlands, Middle Grounds, and the British Empire
T/F: Colonists became worried about slave revolts in the 1660s.
True
Define indentured servitude
Indentured servants typically were contracted to provide a fixed term of labor (usually 4-5 years) in exchange for passage from Europe to America, and food and shelter for the duration of their contract. Most indentured servants were lower- and middle-class white Europeans, with the great majority being men.
T/F: The northern economy was based on agriculture.
False, it was a diverse economy that relied on many industries.
What was the primary, original purpose of colonial cities?
Cities served as trading centers, primarily for farmers.
Which was the most commonly persecuted religious denomination in the American colonies?
Catholics were broadly persecuted in the colonies, particularly following the Glorious Revolution and accompanying anti-Catholic sentiment. Quakers, Jews, and other religious groups also faced intense persecution in certain places.
What was the middle passage?
The middle passage refers to the journey undertaken by African slaves to the Americas under brutal conditions, within the "triangle trade" system.
How did tobacco affect the Chesapeake region?
Tobacco was an incredibly important crop that the region's economy relied on. The first major burst in the tobacco economy occurred in 1640, and the boom- and-burst pattern continued throughout the colonial period and beyond. Growing more tobacco only made the production problem worse, but Chesapeake farmers never understood that. Those planters that could afford to do so expanded their landholdings, enlarged their fields, and acquired additional laborers. After 1700, tobacco plantations employing several dozen slaves or more were common.
T/F: Higher class men and women were called "good women" and "good men" while lower class men and women were called "ladies" and "gentlemen" and had a greater voice in colonial society.
False -- the "ladies" and "gentlemen" typically described the elites, who also had a greater role in many aspects of colonial society.
Name two demographic groups for whom the Great Awakening was particularly appealing.
Women and non-eldest sons. Women benefited from a greater role in religious and civic life as a result of more individualistic interpretations of religion. Younger sons who stood to gain little inheritance were often motivated to realize their individual potential and strike out on their own in new businesses and endeavors.
At its height, Spain's empire in North America included which modern-day U.S. states?
Primarily California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Florida, and portions of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Kansas, and Louisiana
What was the cause of a sharp increase in African slaves in the Americas in the late 18th century?
Increasing European population and territorial expansion fueled a steadily increasing demand for slave labor, and slave prices fell after the Royal African Monopoly was broken, leading more slave traders to enter the market.
Compare and contrast the southern and northern economies.
The Northern economy was mostly based on trade and industry.
Focused on: Fishing, Shipbuilding, Lumber, Small Farms, and Trade
The Southern economy was based on agriculture.
Main Cash Crops: Indigo, Tobacco, and Rice
Both the Southern and Northern economies traded the things they have made
What was the English system of primogeniture, and what were the consequences of its application in colonial America?
What was Poor Richard's Almanack?
This was a popular publication, created by Benjamin Franklin under a pseudonym, which combined advice, humor, and enlightenment ideas to educate and entertain readers.
What were the ramifications of King James II's effort to restore Catholicism to England, in England and in the colonies?
Many English Protestants opposed James II's Catholicism, as well as his efforts to subdue Parliament, and in 1688 Parliament voted to remove James II. This bloodless coup became known as the "Glorious Revolution" with James II fleeing to France and his Protestant daughter Mary II, and her Dutch husband William of Orange, took the English throne together.
Learning of the Glorious Revolution, Bostonians abolished the Dominion of New England and restored separate colonial governments, which somewhat strengthened colonial self-rule.
Describe the factors impacting infant and maternal mortality during the colonial period.
Physicians had little to no understanding of infection, sterilization, and sanitation, and many infants and new mothers died from infections from childbirth and/or related surgeries. Poor garbage handling and unclean water were common causes of infection for the broader population.
Where did the largest colonial cities appear in the late 1700s?
The largest colonial cities appeared in the Northern Colonies, like Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Describe the events of the Stono Rebellion.
In one of the major slave revolts of the colonial period, in 1739 about 100 slaves gathered at the Stono River near Charles Town, South Carolina, and killed several planter families. The slaves were then surrounded by a white militia, captured, and executed, with new laws put in place to discourage future revolts (which nonetheless occurred consistently).
What was the Great Awakening and what were the social and economic reasons for its development in the colonies?
The Great Awakening was a religious revival movement sweeping the colonies int he 1730s-1740s, as a response to growing secularism resulting from commercial prosperity and the anxieties of landless young men with limited prospects. Preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield tapped into society's frustration and concern by preaching that anyone, regardless of wealth or status, could have a direct, renewed relationship with God.
What were the primary goals of establishing the Dominion of New England in 1686?
In part to enforce the Navigation Acts and strengthen English mercantilism, England sought to increase control over Massachusetts, which it considered particularly independent and defiant of England. The Dominion of New England intended to minimize the power of individual colonial governments by establishing a single governor, loyal to England, to rule all of modern-day New England, New York, and New Jersey.
How did the Edict of Nantes impact immigration of French Huguenots to the colonies?
The Edict of Nantes had originally been established in 1598 and allowed French Huguenots to become a state within Catholic France. In 1685, France revoked the edict, which drove many Protestants to leave France for the British American colonies.
What was the staple crop of economies in South Carolina and Georgia? How did this affect their economies?
Rice. Farmers were able to create rice paddies that could be flooded and then drained. Rice cultivation was a lot of work because people had to stand knee deep in mud of malaria swamps under the sun surrounded by insects. White laborers generally refused to do it, this caused them to become more dependent on African slaves because they had greater resistance to malaria and were better at doing the job.
Describe the Salem witch trials. What did the events represent about gender relations in colonial America?
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, in which a range of women were accused of practicing witchcraft. Several were convicted and executed despite questionable evidence and legal processes. The episode reflected deep social tensions within the Puritan community, particularly with respect to the role of women in Puritan society. The majority of the accused "witches" were middle-aged single women with few or no children, and low social position.
How did the legal system in England differ from that in the colonies?
Lacking formal legal authority and with relatively few trained lawyers, Americans simplified many legal cases and concepts. They generally applied relatively lenient punishments, as there was incentive to maintain as much of a working population as possible. Americans were more skeptical that the law represented the legitimate expression of the English king or Parliament's power, and were more inclined to associate the law with divine will or natural order.
England did not impose its common law broadly across the colonies, and over time the law and legal culture of the two places deviated significantly.