Colonization Basics
Define "colonization" in one sentence and give one reason a nation would establish colonies
Colonization: establishing settlements in new lands to control resources/trade; reason: to gain resources, power, or new markets.
What does the phrase "God, Gold, and Glory" summarize about European motives for exploration?
"God, Gold, and Glory": seeking to spread Christianity, gain wealth, and increase national prestige.
Name one economic activity common in the New England colonies.
Example: shipbuilding, fishing, small-scale farming, trade.
What was the Columbian Exchange in one sentence?
Columbian Exchange: the transfer of plants, animals, people, and diseases between the Americas and Afro-Eurasia after 1492.
What was the purpose of the Mayflower Compact
Purpose: to establish a government and agree to rules for the good of the colony (consent of the governed)
What was mercantilism and how did it influence how European countries treated their colonies?
Mercantilism: economic policy where colonies supply raw materials and buy finished goods to increase mother country's wealth; led to trade restrictions, navigation laws.
Name two goods or resources Europeans sought in North America that would increase a nation's wealth.
Examples: fur, timber, fish, gold, tobacco.
What made the Middle Colonies more religiously and ethnically diverse than New England?
Middle Colonies had fertile land attracting diverse European settlers and policies of greater religious tolerance.
Name two major negative effects of European contact on Native American populations
Major negatives: diseases (smallpox) causing high death rates; loss of land; warfare and displacement.
Who were the Puritans and how did their beliefs influence New England communities?
Puritans: English Protestants seeking to "purify" the Church of England; they created tightly organized, religiously centered communities with strict moral codes
Explain the difference between a charter colony, a proprietary colony, and a royal colony
Charter colony: governed by company charter with colonists' rights; Proprietary: land granted to proprietors who appointed governors; Royal: directly controlled by the crown with royal governors
Explain how searching for new trade routes could lead to colonization rather than just trade.
New trade routes sometimes turned into settled trade hubs, which grew into colonies to secure resources, control trade, and protect routes.
Identify two cash crops grown in the Southern Colonies and explain why plantations developed there.
Cash crops: tobacco, rice, indigo; plantations developed because warm climate, long growing seasons, and fertile soil supported large-scale agriculture.
Explain how alliances with French traders differed from Spanish mission systems in their effects on Native Americans
missions aimed at converting and settling Native populations, often imposing Spanish culture and labor systems.
Describe the role of indentured servants and how their labor differed from enslaved labor in the colonies
Indentured servants worked for a set number of years for passage and then gained freedom; enslaved people were forced into lifelong, hereditary servitude without legal rights.
What was the House of Burgesses and why was it important to colonial government?
House of Burgesses: first elected representative assembly in Virginia (1619); important as an early example of self-government.
How did religion both motivate exploration and affect settlement patterns (give one example)?
Religion motivated settlers (e.g., Puritans seeking religious freedom) and shaped communities (church-centered governance); Spain used missions to convert Native Americans.
Explain how geography (climate and soil) helped create different economies in New England, the Middle, and the South.
New England's rocky soil and cold climate led to small farms and trade; Middle's fertile soil allowed grains and mixed farming; South's warm climate and fertile plains favored plantations and export crops.
Describe how the arrival of Europeans led to both cultural exchange and conflict; give one specific example of each
Cultural exchange example: introduction of new crops (corn, potatoes to Europe); conflict example: wars over land and resources like King Philip's War.
Explain the Triangular Trade and the role of the Middle Passage within it.
Triangular Trade: trade network among Europe, Africa, and the Americas exchanging manufactured goods, enslaved people, and raw materials; Middle Passage: the transport of enslaved Africans to the Americas, marked by horrific conditions and high death rates.
Describe the Mayflower Compact and explain how it contributed to ideas about self-government in the colonies.
Mayflower Compact: 1620 agreement by Pilgrims to form a self-governing community and follow majority rules; helped create tradition of consensual government.
Compare how Spain’s motives and England’s motives for colonizing North America were similar and one way they differed.
Different: Spain prioritized gold/conquest and missions; England often sought permanent settlements for economic opportunity and religious freedom.
Describe how social structures differed between the Southern plantation regions and New England towns (consider labor, family, and community roles).
southern plantation society was hierarchical, with wealthy planters, enslaved labor, and less town life; New England had more small farms, towns, and community institutions like churches and schools.
Analyze how the spread of European diseases and the loss of Native land together changed Native American societies.
Cultural exchange example: introduction of new crops (corn, potatoes to Europe); conflict example: wars over land and resources like King Philip's War.
Discuss how colonial assemblies (like the House of Burgesses) and local practices helped develop a colonial identity that led toward independence.
Colonial assemblies allowed local representatives to make laws and taxes; these institutions, combined with local practices like town meetings and self-rule, fostered political ideas that eventually contributed to independence movements.