Unit 2 Overview (1607–1754)

What was Spain's primary goal in colonizing the Americas?

Extract wealth, particularly cash crops, gold, and silver.

What methods did Spain use to colonize the Americas?

Subjugated natives, attempted Christian conversion, and implemented a racial caste system.

What was France's approach to colonization in the Americas?

Focus on trade rather than conquest, with few settlers and alliances with Native Americans.

Which Native American tribe did the French particularly ally with for trade?

Ojibway.

What was the primary economic focus of the Dutch during their colonization efforts?

Fur trade.

What was significant about New Amsterdam?

Established by the Dutch in 1624 as a thriving trade hub.

What motivated British colonization in America?

Economic opportunity, land, religious freedom, and improved living conditions.

What was the initial outcome for settlers in Jamestown?

Disease and famine led to 7/8 of settlers dying by 1610.

Who discovered tobacco cultivation in Jamestown, leading to an economic boom?

John Rolfe.

What was the labor system used early in the Chesapeake colonies?

Indentured servants.

What rebellion highlighted tensions between poor settlers and elites in Virginia?

Bacon's Rebellion (1675).

What characterized the settlement of New England colonies?

Settled in family units with a focus on religious society and farming.

What were the primary labor sources in the Southern Atlantic colonies?

African slaves under strict slave codes.

Who founded Pennsylvania and what principles did the colony emphasize?

William Penn; emphasized religious freedom and democratic governance.

What was the purpose of the Mayflower Compact?

To create a self-governing congregation model.

What were the Navigation Acts designed to do?

Require trade between English colonies and English ships.

What was mercantilism?

An economic theory where nations compete for fixed global wealth, focusing on a favorable balance of trade.

How many Africans were transported via the Middle Passage between 1700 and 1808?

Approximately 3 million.

What strategy did enslaved Africans use to resist their conditions?

Covert resistance such as maintaining culture, sabotaging tools, and feigning illness.

What was the outcome of King Philip’s War in 1675?

Native alliance attacked New England settlements; eventual defeat and death of Metacom.

What philosophical movement emphasized rational thought and social contracts?

The Enlightenment.

Who were notable figures in the Great Awakening?

Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield.

What was a major source of tension between British colonists and the crown?

Impressment, or forced service in the Royal Navy.