Unit 1: Colonial Era

Hn US History

Why were the English most successful in colonizing America?

They needed more land because England was over populating and England lacked of resources needed to thrive in the mercantilism system

What are the New England colonies?

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire

Who founded MA Bay colony? What year was it established?

John Winthrop; 1630

What was the Founder of MA Bay Colonies vision for their society?

To create the ideal society (“City Upon a Hill”) through harsh laws and expectation of practicing strictly puritan religion.

Who was Roger Williams?

• member of MA Bay colony until he was banned for his radical views

• Established Rhode Island Colony

  • More Diverse and Freedom

Who was Thomas Hooker?

• Left the MA Bay colony because he disagreed with their leadership

• Established Connecticut Colony

• Advocated for suffrage and treatment of Native Americans

  • Best relationship in New England colonies

Why was New Hampshire established?

It was made to be a fishing colony

Why did Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams get kicked out of MA Bay colony?

They were radicals who opposed taking land from the Natives and believed Massachusetts Bay colony hadn’t done enough to break from Anglican ways. Both banished by John Winthrop.

What and When was the Pequot War?

• Pequot Tribe vs Puritans + two Pequot enemy tribes, 1636-38

• Puritans raided Pequot tribe then Pequot raided them back

• Furious Puritans burned down entire villages, even Pequot enemies were horrified by Puritans extreme measures

What was the Mayflower compact?

Agreement to create and abide by their own government, created on the Mayflower ship by the pilgrims

What was the Town Meeting?

• It was a direct democracy est. in Northern Colonies

  • Typically only for church going men

• Inspired by Mayflower Compact

What was King Phillip’s war?

• Wampanoag tribe vs Northern English Settlements, 1675

• Metacom led raids on English settlements and held the upper hand in the beginning

• English settlers burned all of their crops, starving the tribe

• English won and absorbed most of their land

Who was Metacom?

Chief of the Wampanoag tribes, aka King Philip to the English settlers

What were praying towns?

• Towns where settlers would bring Native Americans to convert them to Christianity and European culture

• most native Americans resisted these towns

• It was a strategy to remove Native Americans from their land

What happened in the Salem Witch Trials?

• New England government executed ~25 “witches” believing they caused death and illness upon their enemies, 1692

• Convicting witches was only realized as madness once Elite family’s began getting accused

What were the Middle Colonies?

New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware

Who were the Quakers?

• Christians who believed in connecting to God on a personal level(“inner light”)

• They were Pacifists which means they had peaceful relations with the Native Americans

Who was William Penn?

He was granted the land of Pennsylvania by the King of England (1680)

What are the Southern Colonies?

Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia

What was the Virginia House of Burgesses?

• 1st representative democracy of the colonies

  • est. 1619 in VA

What was Bacon’s Rebellion?

• Large rebellion of the lower class against the ruling elites

• Lower class upset over tolerance of Native Americans and lack of representation in government

• 1675 in VA

Who was Governor Berkeley?

A British colonial governor who served during the Bacon Rebellion

Who was Lord Baltimore?

He was granted the Land of Maryland by the King of England and established it as a haven for Catholic refugees (1632)

What happened to the ships sent to Roanoke by Sir Walter Raleigh?

First group abandoned the settlement and the second one disappeared

Why was Roanoke considered uninhabitable?

Because it’s infertile soil and it was difficult to land ships in harbor

What were the cash crops of the south?

Tobacco(VA specifically) and Cotton

Why did slavery become race-based?

It was a strategy to split the lower class into two groups so they become less powerful, preventing future uprisings

Why was there a transition from indentured servitude to slavery?

Slaves and indentured servants originally had the same life expectancy, yet slaves cost more. Over time life expectancy increased so purchasing slaves became more attractive

What was the Columbian Exchange?

The exchange of disease, crops/food, and animals between the new and old world

What is mercantilism?

An economy based on striving for greater exports than imports

English motives for colonization:

Natural Resources and Land

What did the Virginia company do?

Group of investors who funded English settlements in Jamestown

Who was John Smith?

Lead role in establishing Jamestown

What was the first English settlement in the Americas?

Jamestown in 1607

Who was Powhatan?

Chief of Algonquian tribe, main contact for English colonists from Jamestown(1607-18)

What was the Starving time?

An era in Jamestown marked by disease, harsh winters, drought, poor harvest, and violent conflicts with Native Americans

What made the south perfect for agriculture?

The warm climate and mild winters plus fertile soil made

Who was John Rolfe?

He was credited for introducing marketable tobacco

Who were the pilgrims?

They were Puritan Separatists located in the Plymouth colony who wanted to fully separate from the Anglican Church

Who were the Puritans?

They only wanted to reform the Anglican church

Head right System:

Granted 50 acres of land to those who paid for their own passage or another persons to the colonies

Pacific Coast tribes adaption to environments:

• Wooded forests provide resources to build long houses, canoes, and totem poles

• Developed fishing and had social gathering

What were the Cahokia tribe (along Mississippian) river an example of?

Complex Native American society through their mound building and urban development

Great Plains tribes adaption to environment:

• Nomadic tribes

• Lived in teepees and hunted bisons

• Rode horses

Lifestyle of Southwest tribes(Present day Mexico, Arizona..):

• Leadership by priests and religious chiefs

• Built irrigation because they were far from water

• Used sand stone blocks and adobe to build home

What territory did the French own?

Everything along the Mississippi river and Appalachian mountains

Appalachian mountain is where English and French got in big conflicts over land