Essay prompts

Compare and contrast the economic, social, and/or political structures of the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies in 17th and 18th century America and analyze how these differences shaped the identities of each region. 

• 3 Different regions: NE, Middle and Southern colonies that were all founded under English rule, but developed different political, economic and social structures influenced by geo, religion, and settlement. This shaped regional identities. 

• Economically - Geography and climate

  • NE - had rocky soil and long winters 

    • Agricultural difficult 

    • Relied on shipbuilding, fishing, trade

    • Commercial economy and Self sufficiency

  • Middle - Fertile social, moderate climates

    • “Breadbasket” ; agriculture and trade

    • Diverse, mixed economy - recruiting others becoming diverse

  • Southern - fertile soil and warm climate

    • Cash crop, planation and agricultural 

    • Relied on enslaved African people

    • Built on economic inequality and division

• Social Differences 

  • NE: Puritans

    • Community, moral displine, education

    • Towns centered around churches 

  • Middle

    • Ethnically and religiously diverse: Quakers, Dutch, Germans who wanted tolerance and opportunity 

    • Tolerant social structure

• Southern 

  • Wealthy planters dominated S+P 

  • Created hierarchy and society based on land and status 

• POltically 

  • NE - town meetings self government in religious principles

    • Moral

  • Middle - representative assemblies promoting religious diversity

    • Representation

  • Southern - governments favoring planters

    • Elite rule

• Groundwork

  • NE: communal, religious 

  • Middle: diversity and tolerance

  • Southern: planation and hierarchy

How has European expansion, and then the expansion of the United States, impacted Native Americans? Analyze the relationships between English settlers and Native American tribes during the 17th century by examining the Pequot War, King Philip's War, and/or Bacon's Rebellion. In your response, discuss how these events reflect the dynamics of conflict, land disputes, and social divisions within colonial society. 

• Settlers created conflict over land, resources and power

• Violence, dispossession and social division

• Pequot War: Competition over trade and land between puritans and pequot tribe

  • Killed hundreds of Pequot and ended their power for expansion 

  • Obstacles, not allies

• King Phillip War

  • Triggered by settlers land expansion and attempts to control Native life

  • Pop loss, enslavement 

  • Racial divisions

• Bacon Rebellion 

  • bacon attacked friendly tribes to get land

  • class tensions and racial hospitality 

• Land disputes - colonial greed and racism 

Examine the factors that led to the Salem witch trials of 1692 and discuss their impact on the development of democratic ideals (seeds of democracy) in colonial America.

1. Analyze how social, political, OR religious elements contributed to the trials 

2. Evaluate how the outcomes influenced the emergence of principles such as due process, individual rights, and the separation of church and state

• Salem witch trials came from social,political, religious tensions 

• Aftermath: justice, individual rights, separation from church and state

• Causes: 

  • Religious reasons: devil presence, fear of witchcraft, no room for difference

  • Social reasons: accusers were powen, accused independent women

  • Political: Mass charter revoked and reinstated under royal gov - weak gov

• Consequences

  • Separation of church and state

  • Individuals rights must be protected; justice and liberty 

  • Hard core concrete evidence 

• Salem witch - abuse power encouraging secular and rational

How did American colonial governments adopt and change European systems to promote self-governance? What key principles stand out the most? (choose at least 2) and elaborate

1. Key principles include but not limited too:  representative government, colonial assemblies,  majority rule, participation, rule of law, limited government

2. Historical examples include but not limited too:  House of Burgesses, Mayflower Compact, Town Meetings, Fundamental Orders of CT, William Penn’s “holy experiment” and open door policy

• Colonists adapted European traditions and then created more democratic insitutions

• Rep government - local assemblies. gov based on consent of governed

• rule of law: fundamental order of ct limited governor power, town meetings, individual rights

Trace the origins and evolution of slavery in Colonial America. 

1. Things to include can be the triangle trade, the institution of slavery in Jamestown, origins of race-based slavery, African slavery culture, tradition, and resistance.

• Africans first treated as indentured servants, labor demand led to permenant.

• Economic: fueled plantations, brought wealth to new England, salvery essential to economy

• racism justification, denied legal rights, create social divisions

• africans perserved culture and had resistance

• Economic growth, but liberty issues