Colonial America: New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies

Comprehensive review flashcards covering Topic 2 (Lessons 3 to 6): the founding, geography, government, economy, and society of the New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies.

Why did the Separatists (Pilgrims) leave England for Holland before coming to America?

They wanted to separate from the Church of England (founded by King Henry VIII) because people who did not practice the King's religion in England were punished.

Why were the Separatists unhappy with living in Holland?

They felt like strangers and feared that their children would forget English traditions and grow up to be more Dutch than English.

Where was the Mayflower originally headed in 1620, and where did it actually land?

It was headed toward Virginia, but a storm blew the ship off course, leading the Pilgrims to arrive at Cape Cod in November 1620.

What was the purpose and key principle of the Mayflower Compact?

To establish rules and self-government outside Virginia by creating "just and equal laws for the common good," with decisions made by the majority.

Who was elected governor of the Plymouth Colony under the government set up by the Mayflower Compact?

William Bradford

Which Native Americans helped the Plymouth colonists survive by teaching them to hunt, fish, and farm?

Massasoit and Squanto

How did the religious goals of the Puritans differ from those of the Pilgrims (Separatists)?

The Puritans did not want to separate from the Church of England; instead, they wanted to reform or purify it.

Who was chosen as the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony?

John Winthrop

How did voting rights change over time in the Massachusetts Bay Colony?

Originally, only stockholders who invested money in the Massachusetts Bay Company could vote; later, the right was granted to all church members.

What was the Great Migration?

The movement between 1629 and 1650 in which 15,000 settlers traveled from England to the New World.

Why did Thomas Hooker leave Massachusetts to found Hartford, Connecticut in 1636?

He believed that the governor and other colonial officials held too much power.

What two key differences set the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut apart from Massachusetts governance?

It gave the right to vote to all male property owners (not just church members) and placed limits on the governor's power.

Why is the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639) historically significant?

It was the First Written Constitution in the New World.

Why did Roger Williams found Rhode Island, and what key principles did he establish there?

After being banished from Massachusetts, he established Rhode Island based on complete separation of church and state, religious tolerance, and good relations with Native Americans.

Why was Anne Hutchinson put on trial and banished from Massachusetts?

She hosted meetings in Boston to discuss sermons, and church elders declared that a woman did not have the right to explain God's law.

What caused King Philip's War in 1675, and who led the Native American resistance?

It was caused by English colonists repeatedly encroaching on Indian land, and was led by the Wampanoag chief Metacom (known to colonists as King Philip).

How many innocent men and women were executed during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692?

20

Which four colonies made up the Middle Colonies, ranked in order from largest to smallest land area?

New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

What was a patroon in the Dutch colony of New Netherland?

A wealthy owner of a huge estate who promised to settle at least 50 European farm families on the land and held the power to charge whatever rents they pleased.

Why were relations tense between England and the Dutch colony of New Netherland?

New Netherland geographically split England's northern and southern colonies, and its trade with English colonies violated British mercantile laws.

Why was Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant unable to defend New Amsterdam from the English in 1664?

He had very few weapons and little gunpowder, and the colonists refused to assist him because of his harsh rule and heavy taxes.

What is the difference between a proprietary colony and a royal colony?

In a proprietary colony, the king grants land to one or more individuals in exchange for a yearly payment; a royal colony is under direct control of the English monarch.

How did New Jersey originate in 1665?

The Duke of York decided New York was too large and gave land to his friends, Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, to form New Jersey.

What were the core religious beliefs of the Quakers?

They believed that people do not need ministers because everyone has a direct link with God, all people are equal in God's eyes, women are spiritually equal to men, and slavery is wrong.

What was William Penn's "Holy Experiment" in Pennsylvania?

A colony designed to be a model of religious freedom, peace, and Christian living, where settlers respected Native Americans and paid them for their land.

Why were the Middle Colonies referred to as the "Breadbasket Colonies"?

They produced and exported large surpluses of grain cash crops, primarily wheat, barley, and rye.

Why was the colony of Maryland founded, and who was its first proprietor?

It was founded as a proprietary refuge for Catholics to practice their religion freely; King Charles I granted the charter to George Calvert (Lord Baltimore I), and his son Cecil Calvert (Lord Baltimore II) became proprietor.

What were the provisions and limitations of Maryland's Act of Toleration?

It protected the religious freedom and political rights of all Christian males, but did not extend protection to non-Christians.

What economic and social differences led to the division of Carolina into North and South Carolina?

The north grew tobacco and had little slavery, whereas the south grew rice and indigo and heavily relied on enslaved African labor.

What two purposes did the English government and James Oglethorpe have for founding Georgia?

To provide a fresh start for English debtors and to act as a military buffer protecting the Carolinas from the Spanish in Florida.

How did the headright system encourage the expansion of large plantations and slavery in the South?

Planters received grants of land for every worker or enslaved African they purchased, allowing wealthy planters to amass massive acreage.

What geographic feature and coastal region are highlighted on this map at the transition between the Piedmont and Coastal Plain?

The Fall Line and the Tidewater region.

How did life and the economy in the Tidewater compare to that in the Backcountry?

Tidewater had flat coastal plains, large cash-crop plantations, enslaved labor, and easy river trade; Backcountry was hilly/mountainous near the Appalachians, with small subsistence farms, egalitarian settlers (Scotch-Irish, Germans), and difficult trade.

What maritime route is shown on this map depicting the forced transport of enslaved Africans to the Americas?

The Middle Passage

What were slave codes?

Laws passed by colonial legislatures setting strict rules for slaves' behavior, denying them basic human rights, and defining them legally as property.

What was Bacon's Rebellion, and what was one of its major consequences?

An uprising of indentured servants and slaves against Virginia plantation owners, which led the planter elite to place stricter legal limits on enslaved people.

What were the terms of indentured servitude in the American colonies?

Servants worked without pay for 4 to 10 years in exchange for ocean passage; upon completion, they received 50 acres of land, clothing, and tools.

What restrictions were placed on free African Americans in colonial society?

Although they could own property, they were denied the right to vote or serve on juries.

What was the Great Awakening, and who was one of its most influential leaders?

A widespread religious revival that encouraged personal piety and Bible study, famously led by Jonathan Edwards, who warned listeners against the "fiery torments of hell."

What requirements were set by the Massachusetts education law of 1647?

Towns with 50 or more families were required to hire a schoolteacher, and towns with 100 or more families had to build a grammar school to prepare boys for college.

Which Enlightenment ideas were contributed by John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu?

John Locke challenged the Divine Right of monarchs and championed natural laws; Montesquieu advocated for the separation of government powers.

What major legal principle was established by the 1735 trial of John Peter Zenger?

Freedom of the Press, by establishing that publishing critical statements about government officials is not libel if the statements are true.