EXPLORATION
Why did Europeans explore the North American coast?
To find new lands, resources, trade opportunities, and a route to Asia.
Why did the French, Dutch, and English colonize North America?
They wanted land, resources, wealth, trade opportunities, and greater power.
What is representative government?
A system of government in which people elect representatives to make decisions for them.
How did Native peoples interact with their environment?
They used plants, animals, water, and land for food, shelter, clothing, tools, and other needs.
What was the Northwest Passage?
A hoped-for water route through North America to Asia.
This term describes an agreement between groups to cooperate with or help one another.
What is an alliance?
What was the Northwest Passage?
A hoped-for water route through North America that Europeans believed would lead to Asia.
Which European country became especially involved in the fur trade in North America?
France
What was the House of Burgesses?
An elected assembly in colonial Virginia that made laws for the colony.
How did European colonists change the environment?
They cleared land, built settlements, farmed, hunted, and introduced new plants and animals.
Who were the coureurs de bois?
French fur traders who traveled through the forests and traded with Native peoples.
These French traders traveled through North America looking for furs and trading with Native peoples.
Who were the coureurs de bois?
Why were Europeans interested in finding a route to Asia?
A shorter route could make trade faster, easier, and more profitable.
Why did the Dutch establish colonies in North America?
They wanted to expand trade and gain valuable resources, especially furs.
How did Virginia begin a tradition of representative government?
Colonists elected representatives to help make laws for the colony.
How did the fur trade affect the environment?
It increased hunting of animals and changed how people used natural resources.
What are alliances?
Agreements between groups to cooperate or help one another.
This official document could give people permission to establish a colony.
What is a charter?
What are two things Europeans hoped to gain through exploration?
Land, wealth, resources, trade opportunities, or power.
Why did European countries compete with one another for colonies?
Colonies could provide land, resources, wealth, trade, and political power.
Why was the House of Burgesses important?
It helped establish an early tradition of elected representative government in the English colonies.
Why did many Native American groups and European colonists settle near rivers and coasts?
Rivers and coasts provided food, transportation, water, trade routes, and access to resources.
What is a charter?
An official document giving permission or rights to establish a colony or organization.
This type of government allows people to elect others to make decisions for them.
What is representative government?
Why would European countries explore areas they knew very little about?
They hoped to gain wealth, land, resources, trade advantages, and power.
How could having colonies make a European country more powerful?
Colonies could increase a country's wealth, territory, resources, trade, and influence.
In a representative government, why are elections important?
Elections allow people to choose representatives who will make decisions for them.
How might Native Americans and European colonists have used the same environment differently?
Native Americans might have used an area for hunting and gathering, while colonists might have cleared land for farms and settlements.
What was a burgess?
An elected representative in colonial Virginia's government.
This elected Virginia assembly helped establish an early tradition of representative government.
What is the House of Burgesses?