APUSH - Summer Reading Test - Specific to Summer HW Questions

1491 - 1783

How did North America become settled by humans?

• 35,000 years ago, sea levels dropped because glaciers around the world froze the oceans and as a result a strip of land called the Bering Strait was exposed.

• This land connected present day Russia and Alaska and 15-16 thousand years ago, groups of nomads crossed the land strip.

• They were the first people to arrive in the Americas and as time went on spread through America and settled. They adapted to diverse environments, developing various diverse cultures and societies.

What was Native American life like before contact with Europens?

• People formed trides that were diverse with a wide vareity of different cultures, religions, languages, etc.

• Around 54 million people living in the Americans by the time the Europeans arrived in 1492.

• Incans in Peru, Mayans in Central America, and Aztecs in Mexico.

• complex civilixation which were technoliclally advanced through agricultural and architecture. Could feed large populations.

• Various habitats with unique relgions.

• Canada: hunter-gathers, southeast: farming communtieis, mexico: corn cultivation which eventually spread. Rio grande Pueblos: irrigation for corn. North and eat of the pueblos: hunter-gathers instead of farming.

• Groups rose and fell before Europeans.

• Had political and militaty units (iroquios confederecy)

• Respected environment mostly.

three sister farming

efficeient way to farm beans, corn, and squash by planting them together, allowing each crop to support the others' growth and improve soil fertility.

What were the reasons for European exploration of the “New World"?

• Wanted trade routes and conquest.

• Gold, glory, and god.

• Wanted a cheaper and quicker way to get goods.

• then when ferdinand and isabella married, spain was united and wanted to weaken the portueguese by getting more money from the sea trade. So, they got columbus to find a sea route to asia, looking for discovery and colonization.

• 1492, columbus finds america, he thinks its japan and his crew thinks its India.

Define the Columbian Exchange?

• The exchange of goods, animlas, plants, and diseases between the old world and the new world.

• europeans took goods from the new world for the old world such as maize, tobacco, potatoes, and tomatoes. Transformed world economy while the population of the old world increases, leading to more people going to the new world.

• new world also spread syphilis to the old world.

• old world brought goods, crops, and animals to the new world such as the horse, allowing socieities to become more mobile.

• europeans also brought diseases like smallpox, yellow fever and malaria, hurting natives.

• sugar, cattle, wheat, and rye also a part of the exchange.

What were the effects of European contact on the native populations and Africans?

• disease: smallpox, malaria, and yellow fever.

• 90% of natvies dying (in waves over many years) from disease, slavery, and violence.

• complex cultures and lifestyles of native were destroyed, growing enraged.

• some efferts of native resistance failed.

Who were the Spanish Conquistadores?

• explores who conquered natives like aztecs and incans between 1519 and 1540 in the name of the spanish crown and god.

• some were nobles, sailors, peasants, and the middle class.

• wanted to help the spanish/spread christianity/gold.

• exploited native rivalireis to gain more power.

What was the encomienda system?

• agreement between the spanish govt and the conquistadores.

• govt. would “give” a group of natives (to do work) to the colonists and in exchange the conquerers would christitinize the natives.

• truly, it was the enslavement of natives which colonists had the right to do.

• de las casas (spanish missionary) protested the system, seeing how the christianizing was being used as a justification for the terrible enslavement and explotation of the natives.

What European nations colonized North America and what land did they claim?

• Spain, France, Britian, and the Dutch.

• Spain claimed land in central america and some of south america. Also cuba and the eastern side of hisponiola.

• french colonized central north america and a big portion of modern day canada.

• britian took the strip along the ocean in eastern north america.

• dutch colonized land in parts of north america near the delaware bay and NY bay.

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Why and how did the European colonies in North America differ?

• depending on the colonizing country and it’s goals, as well as the actual geography of the colony.

• each colony had diff natural resources and agriculture. In south+carabbean, there were lots of slaves due to sugar which thrived in the warmth. however, in NE, less agriculture → lesser defined class system than the south.

• each colonizing european country was diff.

• france treated natives less violently (made some alliances) than how spain did.

• spain had complete domiance by exploiting natural resourcesand conquering civiliizations.

• english thought natives were inferior.

Describe the early settlement at Jamestown.

• 1606: england grows interested in virginia so king james I sends virginia company to find land in new world with hopes of gold and a passage through amireca to the indies.

• first landed near chesapeake bay but were attacked by natives → went up to defenisve land on the james river.

• 1607, virginia company establishes the british colony of jamestown.

• struggled for years with mosquitos, starving people, diseases, people could not hunt, they only wanted gold.

• saved from complete destruction when John smitth takes over in 1608, imposing restrictions on colonists who did not contribure. he established relationships with natives, which got them some food, etc.

Define “cash crops” and state the crop that saved Jamestown.

• crops that were not consumed by the people who farmed them. the crops were sold in exchange for resources and money.

• crop that saved jamestown was tobacco cause it allowed them to be porfitable by traading with europe.

• 1612, europe has huge demand for tobaacccos so jamestown wanted more and more land to get tobacoo which causes issues with natives.

• tabocco also created the need for lots of labor which laid the groundwork for an increase in north amiercan slavery.

What was an indentured servant?

• poor people who labored for weathly farmers for 4-7 years in exchange fro passage to the new world.

• by 1634, maryland and virgina were thriving with tabocoo and needed this labor. same with cheasapeake bay where production increases while price decreases.

• people thought african slaves were too expenisve, so they liked indentured servants.

• incentive for people to take indentured servants was the headright system, which gave farmers 50 acres of land for each person they helped cross the atlantic.

• 1700, there were around 100,000 indentured in the cheaspaeke bay. they were hopeful, wanting to start a good life away from the bad situation in england.

• however, masters were harsher and after their term of work, servants would still struggle with little money.

Describe plantation life for both the rich, white owners and the enslaved people.

• rich: easy and quick way to make money. didn’t have to do labor, only managed the business.

• main plantation colonies of england with slave labor were maryland, virginia, north carolina, south carolina, and georgia.

• enslaved: difficult life, treated harshly, long hours, beaten and whipped, little to no food, no pay.

• in the west indies with sugar: terrible, people drowned themselves.

• 1700: enslvated outnumered whites, making lives worse especially with the barbados slave code of 1661 which took away almost all of their rights and allowed plantation owners to have complete control.

Who were the Puritans and Separatists/Pilgrims?

• puritians: english relgious group who believed in predestination and followed calvinism.

• thought god already determined who would be saved and the decision could not be changed. a few souls (the elect) were going to heaven while the others will live in torment forever.

• to know if you were a visible saint, puritans would have conversion ( a vision wher god shows them they were chosen)

• separatists: small group of puritans who wanted to break away from the church of england.

• they were upset cause they though only visible saints should be members of the church while the church allowed anyone to be a member so the damned were in the same church as the saints.

• james I wanted separatists out of land cause he was the leader of the state and church (1603-1625) and didn’t want people against him politically or spiratually.

• the pilgrims took the mayflower to plymouth bay (less than half were separatists, looking for a place to live and die as purified protestants)

Describe the development of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

• the pilgrims (small group) eventually combined with their larger negibor, the MA bay colony.

• MA BC was developed by non-separatist puritians who were worried about englands future.

• john winthrop was the first governer and helped the colony become a large outpost and a community.

• built of puritanism and did not have a democracy. wanted church and state seperate.

Who were Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson and what did they believe?

• religious dissenters who publicy disagreeded with purittanism.

• anne: outspoken and thought that as long as people were good, they would get into heaven. this was antinomianism which caused her to be banished to RI.

• roger: thought they should separte with church of england and gain relgious freedom, thinking govt. shouldn’t manage relgion.

• meant to be banished to england but with native help, he esacaped to RI in 1636. here, he created a baptist church and allowed for complete relgious freedom.

What was the relationship between the native populations and the Bay Colony?

• english continued getting native land → many native deaths with disease, etc

• natives also befrieneded some colonists but peace didn’t last long cause colonists took more land.

• this started the pequot war where the pequot tribe was destroyed by colonists in 1637. colonist tried to convert indians to christianity, but ultimately continuted fighting.

• natives formed a pan-indian alliance and in 1675, wampanog leader, metacom, known as king philip by the englsih, led attacks on the new england colonists.

• ultimately at the end of king philips was in 1676, metacom was feated and the natives were weakened.

Describe the Dutch colonies.

• leading colonial power with the dutch east india company and the dutch west india company.

• DEIC: essentally a state within a state that wanted more money. 1609, they employ english exploroer hentry hudson to go into the delaware bay and NY bay.

• DWIC: less powerfull, but still profitable, especailly in the caribbean. also had settlements in africa and brazil.

• 1623-23, DWIC, founded new netherland which was located near the hudson river.

• 1626, founded new amsterdam (late NYC), which eventually became a haven for minorities after years of oppression without free speech or religious toleration.

• 1655, dutch took over sweden as well

• 1664, dutch taken over by england, but still made big impacts

Who were the Quakers and what was life like in Pennsylvania?

• group of dissenters agaist the church of england and didnt pay taxes

• wanted religious freedom, believing they were all the children of god and practicted passive resistance

• persecuted by putiticans

• william penn, a quaker, wanted a safe place for them in the new world, so in 1681 penn got a grant of land from the kind due a debt the crown owed his father. this colony, called pennslyvania was highly advertised with its open minded people.

• penn founded philadelphia which was a very well planned city which influenced future cities.

• penn was fair to natives, buying land from them rather than taking it, which helped form good relations

• quakers were tolerant and allowed many people (even non quaker european immigrants) into the city. however these ppl didn’t treat natives well, getting ride of good relations.

• govt. was liveral with the church and state being seperate and relgious freedom for all.

• accepted immigrants and were against slavery.

• modern feel, grew economically.

Name the 4 Middle Colonies and state what similarities defined this region.

• NY, New jersey, delaware, and pennslyvania.

• high exports of grain with fetile soil and expansive lands

• lots of industry with rivers allowing for economic growth and major seaports in NY and philadelphia.

• population was ethnically mixed and there was some relgious toleration which made them more economically and socially democratic.

• england didnt get involved and the colonists determined their own way of life, realzing that, while being away from england, they were thriving

Explain the causes and effects of Bacon’s Rebellion.

• 1676, 1000 virginians revolted led by nathaniel bacon

• they were frontiersman who hated the governer william berkely because he was too acommofating to the natives and didn’t allow the rebels to take native land

• the direct cause was when berkely did not fight back against natives. in turn bacon and the rebels fought the native and chased berkely from jamestown, causing a lot of unrest

• bacon died of diseases during the rebellion and berkely crushed the rebels with harsh force

• the rebellion scared the authority in virginia and showed the probalems of indentured servitude which only increases the colonists use of african slaves

Explain the causes of the expansion of African slavery in America.

• in seventeenth centruy, wages and living conditions in england improved, causing less indentured servitude in america

• in turn it was also less risky for people to invest in slaves

• also there was a high demand for labor dueto new crops, but again peopel turned away from indnetured servitude as they were inconvient, as shown in bacon’s rebellion

• mid 1680s, slave labor was the most prominant form of labor in america due to a cheap price

• also, the number of imported slaves grew, especially with the 1698 royal african company which brought many slaves to america

What was the Middle Passage?

• the transatlantic sea voyage which took slaves from africa to the americas

• they were treated harshly and wereput into crowded and terrible conditions during the jouney

• there was a death rate of 20% and survivors would be put up for auction in new world ports such as south carolina, RI, etc.

• 1698, the royal african company lost its monopoly on slaves, the slave trade and number of slaves grew

What were the lifestyles of the enslaved people in the South?

• slavery in the south continued to spread and enslaved ppl were treated very harshly, being the lowest social class

• law even defined terms of slavery in 1662 with “slave codes”

• enslaved had no rights and were treated as property

• the codes even stated that slaves and their children were property of their masters for life

• slaves could not be tuaght to read or write and really had no way of becoming free

• by the end of the seventeenth century it was clear that slavery was built on racial discrimination, not just economic needs

• long hours, little food, whipped all led to high death rates

List and explain the similarities and differences between the southern/Chesapeake colonies and the Northern/New England colonies.

southern:

• focused on economy with clear social hierarchy.

• rich people who owned lots of slaves at the top while the oppressed, enslaved were at the bottom

• not many cities in the south, relied more on agriculture which meant there were more slaves

NE:

• economy focused on industry and trade with shipbuilding and military

• less slaves

• north didn’t face life ending diseasces cause of clean water and colder temps where the sourth had lots of diseases

• population was fertile cause they moved as familes

• family stablitiy

• towns formed in an organized way, while the south expanded in a random way

both involved in englands trade and economy

List the reasons for and the effects of the Salem Witch Trials.

• 1692, ministers created the half way covennat which allowed the children of the non elect to be baptized so more people joined the church

• in turn, there was more relgious participation rather than strict purity and more women were members

• 1692, a group of teenage girls accused older woman of being witchs in salem. as a result, 19 people were hung, one person was killed, and two dogs were hung

• victimans were normally women who owned property and accusers were typicalled farming families

• the unrest likely came from prejudices, problems with natives, and the changing religious and social state of their society

• finally ended in 1693, becoming a metaphor for people often looking for scapegoats in intense situations

What was the economic life in the colonies, 1700-1775?

• in NE, land was not very fertile, so there were no cash crops

• due to this and the extreme weather, devlopments to the economy was the focus

• in the south, they relied on alvery with their expansive agriculutre, but slavery was not as profittable on the smaller, northern land.

• colonists instead focused on building infrastruture, utilizing fishing, shipbuilding, and trade

• sourthern economy ran on plantations and cash crops

• most colonists weere farmers who harvested in the fall and lived more simple lives

Explain the Great Awakening and state its importance.

• 1730s-1740s, where liberal people questionedthe ideas of the church

• soecifically people were not predetmined to not be saved and it was possible for them to become saved if they carried out a good life

• this idea of people not needing to be chosen by the gods to reach salvation was from the teachings of jacobus arminius

• first started in north hampton when pastor jonathan edwards spoke about the importance of good works to reach slavation

• also george whitefield gave influential speechs during the revival

• new lights throught that this was a beneficial awakening in religion while orthodox old lights were undure of the emotion surrounding the revival

• as a result of the awakening, the older clergy was undermined and there was renewed interest in relgion in america which led to the founding of schools

• also, it created the idea that amcericans were united with their shared histroy as they worked to take down obstacles in the first spontaneouns mass movement of the people

Define Salutary Neglect.

• something put onto the american colonies by england which played a big role in the need for indepdence

• it intentionally put weake enforcment on king james II’s navigation laws

• they weakened the colonie’s economy because they stopped colonists from trading with countires other than britian

• cause of the harmful causes of the navigation laws, the colonists neglected them and continued to trade with other contires

What was the Albany Congress?

• a meeting that took place in 1754 between delegates from the colonies near the iroquois in albany

• the purpose of the meeting was to keep the iroguois loyal to britian during the french and indian war

• the long term purpose was to find colonial unity against the french which was lacking in previous wars

• benjamin franklin wanted this goal, further calling for colonial unity with his cartoon which said, “join, or die”

• however, colonists didn’t seem very unified with only 7/13 colonies showing up

• they all wanted independnece but when agrreeing about issues, they were weake and distracted

What were the causes and effects of the Seven Years War?

• competition for land in north america between britian, france, and spain through the years 1756 and 1763

• smaller conflicts before also contributed:

• king williams war and queen annes war created unrest between british colonists and french

• spain also eventually sided with frecnch

• war of jenkin’s ear and kind geroges’s war

• one of the main pieces of land that was being fought over was by britian and france was the Ohio valley as for the vritish, they needed to penetrate it while the french needed it to connect their other land

• the war truly started when in 1754, washington went to the ohio valley and began the fight with the french

• then two years late the seven years war began in an intense glabal conflicy across europe, africa, and the west indies, america, and the philipines

• the sides of the war were brtian and purssia against france, spain, austria, and russia

• france was weaeked in europen conflicts and british general edward braddock captured the french held fort duquesne, so the bristsh ultimately won

• also leader william pitt worked strongly against france and spain

• also the british gained control in canda after defeating france in the battle of quebec in 1759

• as a result of the war, france lost their land in north america to spain and britian so britian became a major power in north america

List the causes of the American Revolution.

• unhappy after french and indian war cause of the way in which britian managed it

• colonists wanted rights and privledeges

• america was unhappy when brititians proclamation of 1763 stoppted them from expanding settlements to the west

• a popular idea in america was republicanism which made the colonies want representation being against aristocracy and monarchy

• another cause was the politcal commentators called radical whigs who warned the colonists about corruption and threats to their rights

• also mercantilism cause it was a way for the british to justify their control over the colonists had to export goods and buy goods just to benefit britian

• also navigation laws of 1650 enforced mercantisliam and certain goods like tobacco could only go to britian

• the colonists saw how their welfare was sacrificed for britians commerical needs

• also taxes imposed on the colonies

• the boston massacre and the intolerable acts also brought the war

List and explain the many taxes that the British government put on the colonies.

• the sugar act of 1764 increases taxes on sugar and other goods from the west indies in the colinies for the crown

• it was seen as intolerable

• then there was the quartering act of 1765 which forced colonies to give food and quarters to british troops

• then in 1765, the british imposed a stamp tax which taxed all legal and commerial documents as well as other paper goods

• britian throught that this was fair, while the colonies were outraged, saying “no taxation without representation”

• finally in 1767, there were the townshend acts which imposed taxes on tea, as well as a few other goods from britian

Describe the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party.

• due to townshend acts, colonists were mad and started smuggling tea and other goods

• britian, wanting to enforce the law sent troops to boston in 1768, but these troops were taunted by colonists

• as a result, on march 5, 1770, more conflict occurred. the bostonians continued to antagonize the redcoats, with about 60 people thrwoing snowballs. in turn, the troops killed or wounded 11 people, becoming known as the boston massacre

• then in 1773, when the british east india company got a monopoly on the amiercan tea business, allowing them to seel their surplus tea cheaply , the colonists grew angry, seeing britian tricking them

• in boston, governer thomas hutchinson ordered the tea ship to not leave the harbor unitl they were unloaded

• as a result, on dec 16 1773, the boston tea party took place

• about 100 coloniss raided the british ship and dumped 342 chests of tea into the atlantic

• most colonists were happy, while britian only imposed more intolerable acts, agnty by the colonists actions

Who were the Patriots and who were the Loyalists?

patriots

• american rebels who wanted freedom from britian causing them to fight the british in violent and non violent ways

loyalists

• people who were loyal to the crown, wanting to stay a part of britian, causing them to fight the patriots

• however many colonists were neutral

• still, many militia were able to convince many to join the patriots , spreading the ideas of the unreliability of britian

• most patriots were younger while loyalists were older people who benefitted from the crown

• loyalists were sceen as tratiors

What were the Continental Congresses and the Olive Branch Petition?

• meetins between representatives from the colonies to address the problems with british rule and consider appeals to the british and other countries surrounding those problems

• during the first one in 1774, 12 of the 13 colonies met about the intolerable acts and started a declaration of rights

• also started war a boycott of british goods, called the assoication

• then in 1775, they wanted to stay loyal to the crown and stop future problems which was called the olive branch petion

• however, after bunker hill, king george III offically declared the colonies in rebellion

What was Common Sense, who wrote it, and why was it important?

• a 1776 political pamphely written by the influential thomas paine

• he argued for american independence from britian, stating that it was “common sense”

• it causes many colonists to become patriots

• it helped them realize that the smaller body of britian should not control the much larger america

• therefore, it was an essential doc concerning american independence and foreigh policy

• main idea was republicanism, meaning not only should the colonists be independent they should also from a republic where power comes from the people, not a king

Who wrote and what did the Declaration of Independence state?

• wrriten by thomas jefferson in 1776

• declared america’s independence from britian

• jefferson explained the naturla rights for all people and the king had disregared these rights, meaning it was justided for the colonists to revolt

• it listed all the wrong doings of king george III such as unfair taxes, trade cutoffs, a militaty dictatorship, and more

• one of the most important docs in the world and paved the way for furture revoultions

Why was The Battle of Saratoga a turning point in the war?

• 1777, was a turning point because it reviltalized the revolution by preventing a british offensive

• also, it caused france to join the war because through saratoga, they saw that america could win.

• in turn, france aided america, which helped them win independence.

What battle ended the war?

• the battle of yorktown in 1781

• americans, with french aid, defeated the large british force in the colonies to secure indepdence

• however, for over a year after yorktown, there was still some fighting with patriot-loyalist warfare

• washington helped to keep the states united during this time, which ultimately helped lead to a peace treaty

Describe the peace treaty that gave the American colonies their independence.

• peace negotiators from america were sent to paris with instructions to not make seperate peace and to always communicate with france during the negotionation

• but, the negotaitors saw how france was ageeing to terms with spain and america even through spain and amierca had conflicting interests

• john jay, one of the negotiators, worried that france would betray america to help spain

• in turn, he secreatly reached out to britain to make peace

• this led to the treaty of paris of 1783, which offically ended the war and gave the american colonies their independence

• it also granted the colonies more land, from mississipi to the great lakes to spainsih florida

• in reture, the colonies had to stop persecuting the oyalists, instruct the citizens to return stolen property of loyalists and allow britian to collect debts from america

• even though they contribued to the war, natives were left out