Topic 2.3 – The Regions of British Colonies

Flashcards covering regional geography, economics, religion, society, and early political institutions across the British American colonies from 1607 to 1754.

What timeframe defined the creation of the 13 British colonies, starting with Jamestown, Virginia and ending with Georgia?

It started with Jamestown in 1607 and ended with Georgia in 1733.

What cash crop drove the economy of the Chesapeake and North Carolina colonies, and who cultivated it initially versus later?

Tobacco; initially cultivated by white, mostly male indentured servants, and later by enslaved Africans.

How did the New England colonies initially develop under Puritan settlement?

They developed around small towns with family farms and achieved a thriving mixed economy of agriculture and commerce.

Why were the Middle colonies known as the "Breadbasket Colonies"?

Because their export economy depended on farming staple cereal crops such as wheat, barley, and rye.

What plantation crops and labor force characterized the colonies of the southern Atlantic coast and the British West Indies?

They exported staple crops (tobacco, rice, indigo) produced by enslaved Africans, who often constituted the majority of the population.

What four distinct regional colonial groups are highlighted in this breakdown of the British colonies?

New England Colonies, Middle Colonies, Chesapeake Colonies, and Southern Colonies.

Based on this map of the Thirteen American Colonies in 1775, what boundary line is shown running along the western region in red?

Proclamation line of 1763.

What were the main economic activities and key trade port of the New England colonies?

Economic activities relied on the Atlantic Ocean for shipbuilding, trade, and fishing (including Triangular Trade), with Boston, MA as the key trade port.

Which religious group founded Pennsylvania under William Penn, promoting religious tolerance?

Quakers.

Which Southern colony served as an exception to economic motivations by being founded as a refuge for Catholics?

Maryland.

In 1647, which colony established the 1st public education system, and what were the first two colleges founded in New England?

Massachusetts established the 1st public education in 1647, and the first two colleges were Harvard and Yale.

What phrase did John Winthrop use to describe the Puritan societal ideal in New England?

"City Upon a Hill".

What was the social hierarchy order in the Middle colonies?

1.) Merchants (Upper), 2.) Craftsmen, Retail, businessmen (Middle), 3.) Sailors, unskilled workers, & some artisans (Lower).

What was the social hierarchy order in the Southern colonies?

1.) Plantation owners, 2.) Poor farmers, 3.) Slaves.

What was the House of Burgesses, when was it formed, and where?

Formed in Virginia in 1619, it was the earliest representative assembly in the British colonies.

What was the Mayflower Compact, and when was it signed?

Signed in 1620 by male Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, it was a document pledging to make decisions by the will of the majority.

Who had voting rights in the Massachusetts Bay colony's local government and town meetings?

All male members of the Puritan Church had voting rights, regardless of economic status.

Why did early self-rule develop in the British colonies?

Due primarily to distance from Great Britain.

Who was permitted to participate in the political process in most of the thirteen colonies?

Most were excluded unless they were male property owners. Women and landless men had few rights, and enslaved people had none.

What specific forest products were produced and exported by the Southern colonies?

Pitch, tar, and turpentine.