Chapter 2 American History Quiz

Tribute Colonies

• When a European nation capitalized on pre-existing systems of tribute and labor discipline to tap the enormous wealth of the conquered empires

  • In Spain’s tribute colonies, the Spanish monarchs also transferred their institutions to these colonies as well -- municipal councils, legal codes, and the Catholic Church (converted to christianity)

    • Allowed them to use the wealth of Mesoamerica + andes 

Plantation colonies

• Fueled by worldwide demand for sugar and tobacco, these colonies were created specifically for growing crops

  • Portugal, England, France, and the Netherlands created plantation colonies 

Neo-European colonies

• Neo-European colonies sought to replicate the European economies and social structures that the colonists knew at home

  • Dutch, French, and English initially looked for the Northwest Passage to Asia

    • Gradually developed an interest in the land

Ecomiendas

• Many conquistadors (Cortés + Pizzaro) led Spanish colonization (overthrew major indigenous empires)

• Ecomiendas: a grant of Indian labor and goods in Spanish America given in the 16th century by the Spanish kings to prominent men (conquistadors) 

  • Used as a way to reward the conquistadors

  • Those who received an ecomienda (ecomenderos) collected tribute from indians in exchange for protection and teaching Christianity

Spanish Casta System

• Between the 1500s and 1650s, many Spaniards + Africans migrated to Mesoamerica + Andes  → due to gold and silver being discovered 

• Caused mixed race populations to develop

• Led to the casta system: a hierarchical system of racial classification developed by colonial elites in Latin America to make sense of the complex patterns of racial mixing that were developing

  • Top: Peninsulares (Spaniards born in Spain) 

  • Creoles (born in New Spain of Spanish parents) 

  • Mestizos (born of Spanish and Native American Indian parents → not born in Spain)

  • Native American Indians

  • Enslaved Persons (brought from Africa and the Caribbean)

Colombian exchange

• Colombian exchange: global exchange of living things, including people, animals, plants, and diseases between the eastern and western hemispheres, beginning after Columbus’s voyage

  • Foods such as corn, potatoes, and tomatoes increased population growth in other countries 

  • Eurasian grain crops (rice, wheat, rye) were also carried over 

    • Ex: China tripled in population size from receiving potatoes and maize

  • European livestock was also carried to the Americas 

    • Previously, natives only domesticated a few animals 

    • European brought a large amount of Old World bestiary 

      • Included cattle, pigs, horses, chickens, and honeybees

  • Also carried Smallpox, influenza, measles, yellow fever, and other deadly diseases

    • From Europe + Africa, and devastated Indian communities 

    • Had no previous immunity → native populations declined by 90% 

Protestant challenge to Spain

• Spain struggled to hold on to its territories → King Philip II engaged in religious wars 

• Diverted resources from Spain’s industries to eliminate challenges to the Catholic Church 

• Queen Elizabeth supported those who took action against Spain’s aggression

• Such as English seafarers who captured Spanish treasure ships and brought them to England

• Philip sent the Spanish Armada to challenge England 

  • Led Spain to economic decline 

Mercantilism

• Mercantilism: an economic theory that rejects free trade and promotes government regulation of the economy for the purpose of enhancing state power 

  • Elizabeth was able to reduce imports and increase exports → stimulated economic expansion 

    • The population thrived and increased

      • Textile industry boomed

  • By 1600, mercantile policies laid the foundations for overseas colonization for England to challenge Spain

Types of plantation colonies

• Portugal created sugar plantations in Brazil

  • Wanted to use Native Brazilians for labor → eliminated by diseases (smallpox)

    • Turned to African enslavement

• England's Chesapeake colonies → granted by the Virginia Company of London

  • The company is a joint stock corporation: it pools resources from many investors 

  • Established Jamestown in Virginia → created tobacco farms

  • Tried to expand, experienced conflict/tensions with neighboring populations (Powhatan Indians)

    • Both wanted tribute

• Maryland was another tobacco colony,

  • King Charles I was sympathetic towards catholics

  • Granted land to Lord Baltimore

    • Became a refuge for catholics 

Significance of 1619

• The first enslaved Africans arrive in Jamestown

  • Marks the beginning of slavery in America 

• The House of Burgesses is created 

Indian war of 1622

• The influx of people into Virginia due to self-government, tobacco, and land promises 

• Powhatan’s brother (Opechancanough) is now the leader

• Coordinated surprise attack → killed ⅓ of the English population 

• King James I is shocked and revokes the charter → makes Virginia a royal colony in 1624

• Became a model for future royal colonies 

  • Appointed Governor 

  • Elected assembly 

  • Formal legal system 

  • Anglican Church

House of Burgesses

• A system of representative government, made up of an assembly of representatives elected by the colony’s inhabitants

  • First legislative body (government) in North America (Virginia) 

  • Could make laws and levy taxes

  • It would serve as a precedent for self-government in later colonies

Indentured servitude

• The Headright system guaranteed 50 acres of land to anyone who paid for the passage of a new immigrant to the colony 

  • Incentivized people and caused a rise in indentured servants

• Indentured servitude: a system in which workers were contracted for service (without wages) for a specified period. In exchange, they would receive passage across the Atlantic, room and board, and status as a free person at the end of the contract period. 

  • Contracts were often for 4 - 5 years 

• However, after the tobacco boom ended → eventualluy shifted to slavery

  • needed cheaper labor → resorted to African laborers

Chattel Slavery

• Chattel Slavery: a system of bondage in which a slave has the legal status of property and so can be bought and sold like property 

  • ownership of human beings as property 

Elizabeth Key

• Initially, European law did not acknowledge chattel slavery → possessing the ability to escape bondage

• Daughter of a free Englishman and an enslaved African (1656) petitioned for freedom based on her father’s status and was baptised  

• Lawyer: William Greensted (Englishman) 

  • Also married her and fathered two of her children 

• Won her case and freedom 

• Others with similar situations followed 

  • Virginia was reliant on forced labor

• Result: the 1662 statute → laws change to keep people enslaved 

  • New Christians do not count 

  • Status comes from their mother instead of their father 

    • The majority of mixed relationships → women were taken advantage of

New France

• Jacques Cartier (1530s) and Samuel de Champlain (1608) were large fur traders

  • Fur trade accessed through Hurons (mink, otter, beaver) 

  • Also traded manufactured goods 

• Jesuit missionaries (1625-1763)

  • Tried to understand and convert Natives 

  • Failed when Natives didn't see results from Christian’s prayers

• 1662: King Louis XIV made New France a royal colony 

  • Few moved there, but some came to explore 

    • Marquette: Mississippi River to Wisconsin 

    • La Salle: Mississippi River to the Gulf: Louisiana 

• Offered criminals the ability to move to New France instead of jail for larger populations

New Netherlands

• The Dutch moved to the New Netherlands to establish a strong hold in the fur trade

  • Interested in New York due to the Hudson River 

    • Albany was also the international fur trade location 

• Charles II granted New Netherlands to the Duke of York (brother) —> england invaded

  • New Amsterdam quickly became New York as the Dutch surrendered

Pilgrims and Puritans

• Piglrims (1620):

  • Religious separatists → left the Anglican Church (Church of England)

  • Led by William Bradford

  • Traveled across in the Mayflower → settled in Plymouth 

  • Mayflower Compact: self-governing agreement 

• Puritans (1630):

  • Wanted to purify the Church, not separate 

  • Led by John Winthrop → created the Massachusetts Bay Colony 

  • Rejected religious tolerance

  • Like John Calvin, they believed in predestination (God saved only a few chosen ones, the elect)

    • To maintain God’s favor, Puritans purged society of religious dissenters 

Roger Williams

• Roger Williams: 

  • Advocated for tolerance and separation of the church and state

  • Banished in 1636: founded Providence  

  • By 1644 → got a charter to form the Rhode Island colony 

    • Only one of the 13 colonies allowed different religions (ex: Jewish people)

Anne Hutchinson

• Anne Hutchinson 

  • Wife and mother of 7 → held weekly prayer meetings for women 

  • Accused of holding heretical views 

  • Banished → followed Roger Willions to Rhode Island 

Witchcraft

• After the Monarchy was restored in England, → Puritan’s hopes of returning to England were gone 

• Witchcraft 

  • Puritans believed the world was full of supernatural forces

  • Led to the Salem Witch Trials (1692)

    • Started after several girls began to act strangely → blamed witchcraft 

      • At the end, 150 were imprisoned, and 19 had been executed 

        • Was an opportunity for people to remove those they disliked or those with disabilities

Yeoman society

• Rejected feudal practices 

  • More of the middle class had land and say in governmental affairs 

  • Didn't want to pay rent or taxes to higher-ups 

• Town meetings → all male heads met regularly