History 1 module 2

American Exceptionalism

The belief, originating from Winthrop's "City upon a Hill" sermon, that America has a special mission to serve as a model for the rest of the world

Roger Williams

A Puritan minister banished for questioning the taking of Native land and advocating for a complete separation of the Church of England; he later founded Rhode Island

Quakers (Society of Friends)

A Protestant denomination that stressed pacifism, social equality, and the presence of an "inner light" in every person

Great Treaty

The covenant of friendship Pen formed with the Lenni Lenape (Delaware) tribe, where he established peace by buying land for a fair price

William Berkeley

The royal governor of Virginia who clashed with Bacon over frontier policy and native treaties

Royal African Company chartered (1672)

The English crown granted this company a monopoly over the transport of enslaved Africans to the English colonies, leading to the shipment of roughly 350,000 people over four decades

First Great Awakening

An 18th-century movement of Protestant revivalism in the British Atlantic that emphasized fervent, emotional religiosity over traditional, formal modes of worship

Navigation Acts

A series of laws (1651-1696) designed to restrict colonial trade to English ships and ports to ensure imperial profit

What three characteristics shaped the English settlements in North America?

1. High Emigration: The English encouraged emigration far more than their Spanish, French, or Dutch rivals, sending "swarms of immigrants" to populate the land

2. Population Pressure: A dramatic rise in population in 16th century England made the colonies a welcoming refuge for those facing overcrowding and grinding poverty at home

3. Specific Motives: Settlements were driven by a mix of commercial orientation (seeking profit) and religious goals (spreading Protestantism)

What challenges did the Jamestown colonists face during the early months of the settlement's existence?

- The colonists suffered from "cruel diseases" such as "Swellings, Fluxes, and Burning Fevers".

- They also faced "mere famine" and extreme hunger, drinking salty and filthy water from the river.

- Additionally, they dealt with hostile relationships and "wars" with local native groups

Explain the importance of tobacco to the survival and development of Jamestown.

Tobacco provided the economic stability that saved the colony from ruin, with exports beginning in 1614 earning a sizable profit.

However, it was extremely labor-intensive, requiring a steady workforce to clear land and care for plants, which led to the heavy reliance on indentured servants and eventually enslaved people

What was the structure and significance of the Virginia House of Burgesses?

Established in 1619, its structure included a governor, a council, and a representative burgesses.

Its significance was that it provided the fledgling colony with a degree of political stability and established the precedent for representative government in the English colonies

What four elements did it seem that a country that was to be successful in colonizing North America must possess?

Based on the English example of outpacing their rivals, these elements included:

1. Encouraging high levels of emigration to populate the land

2. Possessing clear commericial motives (turning profit)

3. Possessing religious motives (spreading the specific faith)

4. Finding a stable means of profit, such as a lucrative cash crop like tobacco

Virginia Company of London

An English joint-stock company in which investors provided capital and assumed the risk to establish the Jamestown colony for profit

Jamestown

Founded in 1607, it was the first permanent English settlement in North America

Tobacco

A lucrative cash crop that saved the Virginia colony from economic ruin; it required extensive labor and specialized drying barns

Indentured Servants

Impoverished individuals who signed labor contracts (usually 5-7 years) in exchange for passage to America, food, and shelter; they received "freedom dues" upon completion

Virginia House of Burgesses

The first representative assembly in the American colonies, established in 1619 to provide political leadership

Chief Powhatan

The leader of a powerful Algonquian confederacy of thirty native groups (roughly 22,000 people) that controlled the area around Jamestown

Captain John Smith

A member of the colony who took control of Jamestown and exercised "near-dictatorial powers" to stabilize the squabbling settlers

Pocahontas

Daughter of Chief Powhatan; she was captured by settlers, converted to Christianity (taking the name Rebecca), and married John Rolfe, which helped quell the first Angelo-Powhatan war

John Rolfe

An Englishman whose marriage to Pocahontas helped bring a temporary peace; he was also central to the development of the tobacco economy

Opechancanough

Chief Powhatan's brother and successor who led the major 1622 and 1644 uprisings against the English

Africans

First brought to Virginia in 1619; while they initially worked as servants and could sometimes acquire land, their status transitioned to permanent, race-based slavery by the end of the 17th century

Founding of Jamestown (1607)

The arrival of 144 men and boys sent by the Virginia Company to establish a settlement on the James River

"The Starving Time" (1609-1610)

A brutal winter during which famine nearly destroyed the colony; settlers resorted to eating "vermin" (dogs, cats, and rats) and even dead corpses

First Africans arrive (1619)

The arrival of the first group of Africans in the Chesapeake; at this time, slavery was not yet a legally defined institution in the colony

Anglo-Powhatan Wars (1609-1646)

A series of three major conflicts caused by English intrusion on native land and cultural insults; the third war ended with the Powhatan's ultimate defeat and forced recognition of the English King's sovereignty

Explain the Puritans' objections to the Anglican Church

Puritans believed the Anglican Church (Church of England) remained too "Catholic" in its institutions and practices

They objected to what they considered un-scriptural elements and were frustrated by the church's demand for strict conformity, which view dissenting puritan ministers as national security threats

How did the Puritans hope to reform society?

They dreamed of creating communities of reformed Protestantism where the perceived corruption of England would be eliminated

Their goal was to establish a "New English Israel" or a "city upon a hill" that would serve as a model for the rest of the Christian world

This reform included undermining "festive culture" (such as pastimes on Sundays) and prioritizing the Bible over traditional monarchs

What is the significance of the Mayflower Compact?

Signed in 1620, the Mayflower Compact was significant as the first American governing document to present a religious rather than economic rationale for colonization

It expressed a cooperative community ideal, where 41 men voluntarily agreed to combine into a "civil body politic" to enact laws for the general good

Why did the English colonists in New England have a higher survival rate than the English colonists who settled Jamestown?

Unlike the young, single males who went to the Chesapeake, New England was settled by families with children

Furthermore, New England utilized a disciplined "homegrown" workforce- where every family member including children, worked- rather than relying on outside laborers or indentured servants

This social stability allowed them to build towns focused on the church and sustainable maritime-based economies

Reformation

The 16th-century religious movement initiated by reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin that led to the creation of Protestantism and the Puritan desire to "purify" the church

Anglican Church

The Church of England, established in the 1530s; it was the state church that Puritans felt was too Catholic and un-scriptural

Plymouth Colony

Founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims, it was the first English settlement in New England

Mayflower Compact

A 1620 agreement signed by adult men on the Mayflower to live together in a "civil body politic" under just and equal laws

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Established in 1630 by a much larger contingent of Puritans seeking to escape the "noose of conformity" in England

Puritan villages

Communities built around a central church where congregation decided its own affairs

Congregationalism

A church system where each independent congregation determined its own best interests; it was the direct result of the Puritan enterprise in America

Puritan culture (church, education)

A culture that placed a massive emphasis on literacy so that all people could read the Bible, leading to the establishment of the first printing press in English America in 1636

American Exceptionalism

The belief, rooted in Winthrop's "City upon a Hill" sermon, that America has a special mission to serve as a model for the world

Martin Luther

A primary leader of the Protestant Reformation who preached the doctrine of predestination

King Henry VIII

The English monarch who established the Church of England in the 1530s

Queen Elizabeth I

Known as the "virgin queen", for whom the Virginia colony was named

King James I

The monarch who commissioned the King James Version of the Bible in 1611 to emphasize the majesty of kings and stifle Puritan reliance on the Geneva Bible

Pilgrims

A specific group of Puritans, also known as Separatists, who insisted on a complete break from the Church of England

William Bradford

The Separatist governor of the Plymouth Colony who was a proponent of complete separation from the state church

Puritans

Religious reformers who followed John Calvin and sought to "purify" the Church of England of Catholic elements

John Winthrop

The first governor the Massachusetts Bay Colony and a member of the English gentry who envisioned the colony as a "city upon a hill"

Thanksgiving

An event implicitly linked to the 1621 peace treaty concluded between the Wampanoag, led by Massasoit, and the Pilgrims of Plymouth

Great Migration

The exodus of 25,000 Puritans to New England between 1630 and 1640 to escape religious persecution and social conformity

What is the significance of the Laws and Liberties issued by the Massachusetts Bay Colony's governement?

Colony's governance. The colony's aim was to be "religiously, peaceablie, and civilly governed". Using laws to ensure "good Life and orderlie Conversacon"

Explain how some of Puritans' views about the Sabbath (Sunday) are still evident in American culture

Puritans strictly observed the Sabbath, denouncing "festive culture" and traditional pastimes like bear-baiting or theater, especially on Sundays

This legacy is reflected in the historical American emphasis on Sunday as a day of restricted commercial or secular activity

Explain the Puritans' perspective on religious freedom

Puritans did not come to establish religious freedom for all; they can to practice their own religion without persecution

They were highly intolerant of dissent, banishing those like Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson who challenged their religious orthodoxy or authority of their ministers

In what ways is American culture and life influenced by the Puritans today?

Puritan influence remains in the American emphasis on widespread literacy (orignially intended so all could read the Bible), the concept of American Exceptionalism rooted in the "City upon a Hill" ideal, and the "American Dream" of social mobility

The Bible State/Convenant Community

A society focused entirely on the church and living in strict accordance with the demands of the Bible

Puritan government

A system where the charter's goal was religious and civil order, often restricting church membership to the "elect" who could provide a conversion narrative

Laws and Liberties

The governing legal code of the Massachusetts Bay Colony intended to ensure a religiously and civilly ordered society

Puritan morality

A code of conduct based on Calvinist principles and predestination, emphasizing introspection, scriptural study, and the rejection of worldly decadence

Puritan views of the Sabbath

The belief that Sunday should be reserved solely for worship, leading to the prohibition of secular leisure and "festive culture"

Puritans and leisure

The viewed popular pastimes and playhouses as "places of decadence" and called for an end to the theater

Tithing Men

These were officials appointed to monitor the behavior of families in their neighborhood for moral infractions

John Winthrop

The first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and a member of the English gentry who envisioned the colony as a "City upon a Hill"

Anne Hutchinson

A literate woman excommunicated and banished for criticizing ministers, teaching a "covenant of grace" over a "covenant of works" and claiming to receive direct religious revelation

King Phillip's War (Metacom's War)

A massive regional conflict (1675-1676) sparked by aggressive Puritan expansion

Led by the Wampanoag leader Metacom, native forces destroyed half of the frontier Puritan towns before the English prevailed, forever altering English perceptions of Native Americans as "bloodthirsty savages"

What were the Quakers' fundamental beliefs and religious practices?

Quakers, members of the Society of Friends, believed that every individual possessed an "inner light" or spark of divinity

They practiced a radical form of social equality, rejecting worldly rank and addressing everyone- even the elite- as equals using "thee" and "thou"

Their religious practices were characterized by pacifism and rejection of formal church hierarchies and the doctrine of predestination

Why did King Charles II agree to grant land to William Penn?

Charles II granted the land to settle a large debt the English crown owed to William Penn's father, Admiral William Penn, who had served the crown by helping take Jamaica from the Spanish

What aspirations did William Penn have for his colony?

Penn aspired to create a colony defined by religious tolerance and peace

He sought to establish a haven for Quakers and other persecuted groups, promising land to those who migrated

Additionally, he aimed for friendly relationships with Native Americans, emphasizing fair land purchases rather than conquest

What is the significance of Pennsylvania's First Frame of Government?

The significance of Pennsylvania's governance lay in its unprecedented religious tolerance

Unlike New England, Pennsylvania did not establish an official state church, allowing residents to practice their religion in peace, a degree pf freedom found nowhere else in English America at the time

Proprietary Colonies

Colonies granted by the King to a trusted individual, family, or group to be managed as private property

New Netherland/New Amsterdam

A Dutch fur-trading colony and city that English forces seized in 1664 and renamed New York

New Jersey

Part of the former Dutch territory given by Charles II to his brother, the Duke of York, following the English takeover

Pennsylvania

Meaning "Penn's Woods", it was the largest proprietary colony in the Americas, granted to William Penn in 1681

Mason-Dixon Line

The historic boundary separating Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia. It was surveyed in the 1760s to settle colonial land disputes. Symbolically, it is best known as the cultural divide between the Northern and Southern United States, particularly during the era of slavery.

Philadephia

A rapidly growing port city in Pennsylvania that became an important center for trade and a destination for hundreds of thousands of immigrants

First Frame of Government

The governing framework of Pennsylvania that was notable for refusing to establish a colonial church, thereby ensuring religious diversity

King Charles II

The monarch who presided over the Restoration and granted the proprietary charter for New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania

George Fox

The founder of the Society of Friends (Quakers) in England during the late 1640s

William Penn

The Quaker proprietor of Pennsylvania who envisioned the colony as a tolerant and pacifist society

James, Duke of York

The brother of Charles II (Later King James II) who received the proprietary grant for New York after the English captured it from the Dutch

The Restoration (1660)

This event in which the English monarchy was resumed with Charles II ascending to the throne after a decade of rule without a king following the English Civil War

What conditions led to the growth of the English colonies' population?

The English encouraged emigration far more than their Spanish, French, or Dutch rivals, sending "swarms of immigrants" to the Americas

This was driven by a dramatic population rise in 16th-century England, which made the colonies a refuge for those facing overcrowding and grinding poverty at home

Additionally, the high demand for labor to work tobacco and sugar fields drew thousands of young, often impoverished migrants

What is the significance to American history of the southern colonies' reliance on slave labor?

To meet the "crushing demand" for labor to grow cash crops like tobacco, rice, and indigo, the colonies transitioned to a permanent, race-based slavery system

This shift was significant because it created a legal caste of racially defined laborers whose status was heritable (passed from mother to child), distinguishing it from any bondage system that had come before

It also helped alleviate class tensions between rich and poor whites by allowing them to unite as members of a "superior" racial group

Explain the Middle Passage and its impact on Africans brought to the North American Colonies

The Middle Passage was the hellish transatlantic crossing that lasted one to two months

Thousands of captured Africans perished during the voyage to due brutal conditions

Those who survived were sold into shockingly brutal slave societies where they faced a lifetime of grueling labor, such as harvesting and processing tobacco in the Chesapeake

Explain why slavery is considered the "central paradox" of American History

By 1700, the American continent had become a place of stark contrasts where personal freedom and "English liberty'' were expanding for some, at the same time, lifelong, heritable slavery was being institutionalized for others

This created a society divided between the "haves" (free) and the "have-nots" (enslaved)

Triangular Trade

The transatlantic routes used to trade enslaved people for European textiles, alcohol, guns, and tobacco

Mercantilism

An economic system that sought to create wealth for the empire; it demanded a permanent, identifiable, and plentiful labor supply to produce lucrative commodities like tobacco and sugar

Imperialism

The policy of extending an empire's power through the establishment of colonies and wars for territorial control, such as the series of conflicts between Britain and France

Middle Passage

The horrific transatlantic voyage for captured Africans, characterized by high mortality rates and dehumanizing conditions

Chattel Slavery

A system of labor that legally defined Africans as property rather than people, allowing them to be brought and sold as commodities

Maroon Communities

Groups of escaped enslaved people who resisted recapture and lived off the land, often adhering to traditional ways and spiritual leadership

Olaudah Equiano

He was a prominent African who wrote a famous autobiography about his experience in the Middle Passage

Nathaniel Bacon

A young wealthy Englishman who arrived in Virginia in 1674 and led a civil war (Bacon's Rebellion) against the colonial government after being excluded from the governors inner circle

Robert Beverley

A wealthy Jamestown planter and enslaver whose 1705 history of Virginia illustrated the legal and social distinctions between white servants and enslaved Black people

Bartolomé de Las Casas

A Spanish defender of Native Americans who, after seeing their near extinction, initially suggested using Black and White laborers instead, contributing to the growth of the African slave trade

Bacon's Rebellion (1676)

An uprising of white and black servants that catalyzed the transition to racial slavery in the Chesapeake; wealthy whites used racial divisions to diminish the risk of future multiracial alliances

First Africans arrive in Virginia (1619)

The arrival of the first group of Africans in the Chesapeake; at this time, they often worked as servants who could sometimes acquire land before the institution of slavery was fully encoded into law

Why is it appropriate to characterize the Great Awakening as the "Great Reshuffling"?

The movement saw the rise of several new Protestant denominations, such as Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists, which competed for converts with established groups

As a result, the influence of older Protestant groups, particularly the New England Congregationalists, declined as people shifted their religious affiliations

How were the "awakeners" different from preachers who had come before them?

Unlike traditional preachers who emphasized a doctrine of predestination and book learning, "awakeners" promoted a vigorous emotional religiosity and a personal, experimental faith

They rejected what they viewed as "sterile, formal modes of worship" in favor of a message that individuals could bring about their own salvation by accepting Christ

What were the problematic effects of the Great Awakening?

The movement caused a bitter split between the "New Lights," who followed the evangelical message, and the "Old Lights," elite ministers who censured the revivalism as chaos. In some instances, the fervor led to extremes, such as when minister James Davenport urged his followers to burn their books and clothes as signs of casting off sinful worldly trappings