The American Yawp - Chapter 3

What roles did men and women play in the creation of the American colonies?

They came as servants, enslaved laborers, free farmers, religious refugees, or powerful planters.

How did Native Americans perceive the growth of colonial settlements?

They saw them as unstoppable beachheads of vast new populations that monopolized resources and transformed the land.

What economic system increasingly defined the British Empire during the colonial era?

Race-based chattel slavery.

How did the North American mainland's economic output compare to that of the Caribbean sugar islands?

The output of the North American colonies paled in comparison to the tremendous wealth of the Caribbean sugar islands.

What was the Atlantic World?

A new and increasingly complex network connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

What significant events in Britain influenced American colonists in the seventeenth century?

Civil war, religious conflict, and nation building.

What institution established during the colonial era would shape American society for centuries?

Slavery.

Who was Reverend Francis Le Jau and what was his perspective on American slavery?

A missionary who became disillusioned by the horrors of slavery after witnessing the suffering of enslaved Africans.

What justification did English traders use to encourage wars with Native Americans?

To purchase and enslave captives.

What legal changes occurred in the 1660s regarding Black men and women in English colonies?

New laws sanctioned the enslavement of people of African descent for life.

How did the legal status of enslaved Africans affect racial barriers?

It facilitated the maintenance of strict racial barriers, making skin color a marker of division between races.

What was Captain Thomas Phillips' view on racial hierarchy?

He believed there was no intrinsic value in one color over another and that profitability was the only justification for slavery.

What was a common means for colonists to acquire enslaved Native Americans?

Wars.

What legal thought in the seventeenth century justified the enslavement of prisoners of war?

It was considered legal and more merciful than killing the captives outright.

What happened to Native Americans after the Pequot War?

Massachusetts Bay colonists sold hundreds of them into slavery in the West Indies.

Which colonies enslaved Algonquians during the conflicts in the 1640s and 1660s?

Dutch colonists in New Netherland.

What was Reverend Le Jau's strongest complaint regarding slavery?

His complaints were directed at English traders who perpetuated the system.

What did the baptism of enslaved people signify for Reverend Le Jau?

He believed it could lead to their emancipation, which enslavers feared.

What was the impact of colonial settlements on Native American populations?

Colonial settlements led to the subjugation and displacement of Native Americans.

How did the perception of skin color evolve during the colonial era?

It became a transcendent marker of division between white and Black races.

What was the relationship between the British Empire and the North American colonies?

The North American colonies were initially marginal but became tied into larger Atlantic networks.

What did the term 'chattel slavery' refer to in the context of the British Empire?

A system where enslaved individuals were treated as personal property.

What was the significance of the Middle Passage in the context of American slavery?

It was the horrific journey enslaved Africans endured when being transported to the Americas.

What were the destinations for war captives sent by the Dutch during the colonial period?

The Dutch sent war captives to English-settled Bermuda and Curaçao.

What significant event led to the capture of hundreds of Native Americans into slavery?

King Philip's War (1675-1676) was an uprising against the encroachments of the New England colonies.

Why did the Barbados Assembly refuse to import enslaved Native Americans?

They feared that importing enslaved Native Americans would encourage rebellion.

What was the estimated number of Native Americans forced into slavery between 1670 and 1715?

Historians estimate that between 24,000 and 51,000 Native Americans were forced into slavery.

What were some of the causes of wars that produced enslaved Native Americans in the eighteenth century?

Wars emerged from contests for land between Native Americans and colonists, and some were manufactured as pretenses for acquiring captives.

What was the fate of many enslaved Native Americans after being captured?

Many were exported through Charles Town, South Carolina, to other ports in the British Atlantic, such as Barbados, Jamaica, and Bermuda.

How did colonial governments respond to the Native American slave trade by the eighteenth century?

Colonial governments often discouraged the practice, although it never ceased entirely.

What were the primary causes of death for enslaved Native Americans?

Enslaved Native Americans died quickly from disease, murder, or starvation.

What labor force did plantation economies require in the eighteenth century?

Plantation economies required a more reliable labor force, which the transatlantic slave trade provided.

What was the Middle Passage?

The Middle Passage was the terrifying journey across the ocean that enslaved Africans endured, part of the transatlantic slave trade.

Who was Olaudah Equiano and what did he describe?

Olaudah Equiano was an enslaved African who described the fearsomeness of the crew and the horrific conditions aboard slave ships.

What did Alexander Falconbridge document about the conditions aboard slave ships?

He described the sufferings of enslaved Africans from shipboard infections and close quarters in the hold.

What diseases were common among enslaved people aboard slave ships?

Common diseases included dysentery, smallpox, and conjunctivitis.

What were the three distinct journeys that enslaved Africans experienced?

The journeys included an overland trek to a coastal slave-trading factory, the oceanic trip (Middle Passage), and acculturation (seasoning) before labor.

How many Africans were transported to the Americas via slave ships?

Slave ships transported 11-12 million Africans to destinations in North and South America.

When was the first regulation introduced in the Atlantic slave trade?

Regulation was introduced at the end of the 18th century.

What does the term 'seasoning' refer to in the context of the slave trade?

Seasoning refers to the process of acculturation and preparation of enslaved people for labor in the Americas.

What did the Brookes print illustrate about the conditions of enslaved Africans?

The Brookes print showed enslaved Africans chained in rows using iron leg shackles.

What were some of the inhumane conditions faced by enslaved Africans during the Middle Passage?

Conditions included being chained in small spaces, losing skin and flesh from chafing, and exposure to filth and inadequate provisions.

What was the impact of the violence inherent in the Native American slave trade on English colonists?

The violence threatened English colonists who wished to claim land in frontier territories.

What were some of the methods used by slave traders to acquire captives?

Methods included illegal raids and manufactured wars.

What was the significance of the Middle Passage for enslaved Africans?

It was the middle leg of their journey from Africa to the Americas, representing a horrific and traumatic experience.

What was the maximum number of enslaved people the slave ship Brookes was allowed to carry?

Up to 454 enslaved people.

What dimensions were allotted to each man on the slave ship Brookes?

6 feet (1.8 m) by 1 foot 4 inches (0.41 m).

What dimensions were allotted to each woman on the slave ship Brookes?

5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) by 1 foot 4 inches (0.41 m).

What dimensions were allotted to each child on the slave ship Brookes?

5 feet (1.5 m) by 1 foot 2 inches (0.36 m).

How many enslaved Africans did one slave trader allege the Brookes carried before 1788?

As many as 609 enslaved Africans.

What was the estimated number of Africans forced across the Atlantic between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries?

Between eleven and twelve million Africans.

How many deaths at sea were estimated during the Middle Passage?

About two million deaths.

What were some of the cultural impacts of the Middle Passage on the Americas?

Foods like cassava, West African rhythms in music, and influences in basket making and language of the Gullah people.

What European countries began the Atlantic slave trade in the 1440s?

Portugal, followed by the Dutch and English.

What was the primary value of enslaved Africans brought to Portugal in the 1440s?

They were valued primarily as domestic servants.

What was the significance of Elmina Castle in the context of the slave trade?

It was established by the Portuguese as a trade settlement and became one of the largest markets for African slaves.

When was Elmina Castle established?

In the fifteenth century.

What was Charleston, South Carolina's role in the slave trade?

It became the leading entry point for the slave trade on the mainland.

What was the original name of Charleston until the 1780s?

Charles Town.

What prompted the Spanish to begin construction of Castillo de San Marcos?

The founding of Charleston was viewed as a serious threat.

What were the conditions like during the Middle Passage?

Horrible conditions were reported, leading to high mortality rates.

What were the sources of African captives for the slave trade?

The western coast of Africa, the Gulf of Guinea, and the west-central coast.

What goods did African slave traders barter for European finished goods?

Beads, cloth, rum, firearms, and metal wares.

What was the first step taken by Europeans toward an Atlantic slave trade?

Portuguese sailors landed in West Africa in search of gold, spices, and allies.

What was the role of the British West Indies in the slave trade?

Slavers often landed there, and enslaved laborers were seasoned in places like Barbados.

What was the impact of the Middle Passage on the cultures of the Americas?

Cultural influences include food, music, and language that persist today.

What was the significance of the regulated slave trade act of 1788?

It established regulations for the stowage of enslaved people on ships.

What was the estimated number of deaths during the overland African leg of the slave trade?

Several million died during this phase.

What did the Decree of Sanctuary issued by the Spanish king in 1693 grant to enslaved people?

Freedom to enslaved people fleeing the English colonies if they converted to Catholicism and swore an oath of loyalty to Spain.

How many Africans landed in British North America compared to the total victims of the slave trade?

About 450,000 Africans landed in British North America, a small portion of the eleven to twelve million victims of the trade.

What was the significance of the 1662 Virginia law regarding enslaved women and their children?

It stated that an enslaved woman's children inherited the 'condition' of their mother, ensuring that all children born to enslaved women would be enslaved for life.

How did the concept of race differ between African slave traders and English citizens in the early modern Atlantic world?

African slave traders lacked a firm category of race, while English citizens did not feel racial identification with the Irish or Welsh.

What was the initial distinction between indentured servants and enslaved people in the early years of slavery?

The distinction was initially unclear, but laws like the 1643 Virginia law began to clarify this by making African women 'tithable'.

What was the English ideal regarding the labor of white women compared to African women?

The English ideal was for white women to avoid manual labor, while African women were associated with difficult agricultural labor.

How did the gendered division of labor contribute to the justification for the enslavement of Africans?

The association of a gendered division of labor with Englishness provided a justification for the enslavement and subordination of Africans.

What was meant by 'paternal dominion' in the context of colonial households?

It referred to the expectation that a man would hold authority over his household, including his wife, children, servants, and enslaved laborers.

How were marriages between enslaved people treated under colonial law?

Marriages between enslaved people were not recognized in colonial law, and enslavers could restrict their ability to visit spouses.

What challenges did enslaved men and women face in establishing families and communities?

They struggled due to the lack of legal recognition of their marriages and the potential for being sold away from their families.

What was the impact of the natural reproduction of enslaved people on the North American continent?

Enslaved African women bore more children than their counterparts in the Caribbean or South America, facilitating the natural reproduction of enslaved people.

What was the relationship between the emergence of modern notions of race and the colonization of the Americas?

The emergence of modern notions of race was closely related to colonization and the slave trade, with race being used to support systems of oppression.

What did the law passed in Virginia in 1643 signify about the treatment of African women?

It associated African women's work with agricultural labor and imposed a tax on them, distinguishing them from white women.

How did the labor shortage in early America affect the roles of white women?

Despite the ideal that white women should not partake in manual labor, they often participated in field labor due to the labor shortage.

What does the term 'tithable' refer to in the context of the 1643 Virginia law?

It referred to the taxation of African women, linking their labor to agricultural work.

How did the concept of race as an inherited physical difference develop in the Atlantic world?

It developed as a new idea used to support systems of oppression, differing from earlier views of identity among different groups.

What was the significance of enslaved people being unable to legally own a household?

It meant they were subject to the authority of their enslavers and could not establish stable family units.

What were the implications of enslaved people marrying 'abroad'?

They had to travel long distances to see their spouses, and their marriages lacked legal protection.

How did the Spanish and English conceptions of race differ in colonial America?

Spanish conceptions allowed for more fluidity in racial identity, while English views were more rigid and hierarchical.

What was the role of enslaved women in the reproduction of the enslaved population?

Enslaved women bore more children than their counterparts in other regions, contributing to the growth of the enslaved population.

What was the effect of the labor division on the perception of English superiority?

The idealized division of labor contributed to the English perception of themselves as superior to other groups, including enslaved Africans.

What challenges did enslaved couples face in maintaining their marriages?

They faced the risk of being separated by sale and lacked legal or religious protections for their unions.

What religious conflict plagued sixteenth-century England?

Catholic and Protestant monarchs vied for supremacy, attacking each other as heretics.

Who cemented Protestantism as the official religion of England?

Queen Elizabeth.

What opportunity did radical Protestants, often called Puritans, see in the New World?

To create a beacon of Calvinist Christianity.

What political and religious tensions contributed to the English Civil War?

Conflicts between Parliament and the Crown merged with long-standing religious tensions.

What event in 1640 escalated tensions between Charles I and Parliament?

A Parliament called by Charles refused to grant him subsidies to suppress a rebellion in Scotland.

What happened to Charles I in 1649?

He was executed after Parliament won the civil war.

What form of government was established in England after the execution of Charles I?

A republic and protectorate under Oliver Cromwell.

How did the English Revolution of the 1640s affect American settlers?

It forced them to reconsider their place within the empire.

Which colonies tended to sympathize with the Crown during the English Civil War?

Older colonies like Virginia and proprietary colonies like Maryland.

What was the stance of newer colonies like Massachusetts Bay during the English Civil War?

They tended to favor Parliament but remained neutral to avoid involvement in the war.