13 Colonies Study Guide

A comprehensive set of 35 practice question-and-answer flashcards covering key political, economic, and social developments across the Chesapeake, New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies.

What was the first successful English settlement in North America, and what led to its success?

Jamestown in Virginia was the first successful English settlement, succeeding due to the discovery of tobacco.

Why did the settlers of Jamestown suffer during their first winter?

Many settlers were lazy and did not do work, leading to death from starvation and disease; they were also low on supplies and faced native violence.

Who were the Powhatan people?

They were a confederation of Natives from Virginia, originally from around Jamestown, who traded and fought with the settlers.

Who was John Smith, and how did he help Jamestown survive in its early years?

He was a leader of Jamestown who introduced the saying, "He that will not work shall not eat."

What was Opechancanough's uprising, and what were its results?

It was a surprise attack against English settlements around Jamestown to drive colonists away; it killed $\frac{1}{3}$ of the colonists' population and led King James 1 to make Virginia an official royal colony.

How did Virginia Company investors expect to make money when they first brought settlers to Jamestown?

They expected to find gold, silver, and other valuable minerals, and they wanted to find the Northwest Passage to trade with Asia.

What is the definition of a cash crop?

A cash crop is a crop that is grown for profit.

What was the Headright System?

A system where someone was awarded $50$ acres of land for every person who paid for their own or another person's voyage over, helping bring new settlers to the new world.

What problem arose for wealthy planters in Virginia due to the use of indentured servants?

The contracts of indentured servants would run out, creating a need for more labor, and the former servants wanted their land.

What issue initially triggered the events known as Bacon's Rebellion?

Bacon wanted to expand west and take the land of the Natives, but the governor refused and insisted on abiding by the agreement not to take their land.

Why did Bacon and his men turn on Governor Berkeley?

They turned on Governor Berkeley because he did not let Bacon and his group expand west to take more land.

What parallel exists between Bacon's Rebellion and the events leading up to the American Revolution?

Both involved lower powers rebelling against the elite; Bacon and his men opposed Berkeley to acquire land, while the colonists opposed England over unfair taxation.

What was the House of Burgesses?

The first representative body in America.

Why was Maryland originally founded?

It was founded for English Catholics to escape persecution back in England.

What was the Toleration Act of 1649?

An act that granted religious freedom to all Christians but was harsh against non-Christians.

What was Puritanism?

A religious movement whose goal was to "purify" the Church of England and establish strict religious communities in New England.

What were Roger Williams's controversial beliefs, and what colony did he establish?

He believed in the separation of church and state and criticized Puritan leaders for taking Native American land; he founded Rhode Island.

What controversial belief did Anne Hutchinson hold, and what was her fate?

She believed salvation was earned through faith rather than obedience; she was excommunicated and banished from Massachusetts.

What were the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut?

A framework for a self-governing colony that allowed non-church members to vote and placed limits on government power.

What was the Mayflower Compact?

An agreement made aboard the Mayflower prior to landing in Plymouth to establish a colony based on majority rule, representing one of the earliest forms of democratic governance in North America.

What was the Great Migration?

The movement of over $20{,}000$ English Puritans to New England to escape religious persecution in England.

What was meant by the phrase "City Upon a Hill"?

A phrase used to describe the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a godly community that would serve as a model for Christian living.

Who was John Winthrop?

The first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony who envisioned creating a Puritan "city on a hill."

Who was Cotton Mather?

A Puritan minister known for his involvement in the Salem witch trials.

What was the key difference between Puritans and Pilgrims?

Pilgrims wanted to break away completely from the Church of England, whereas Puritans wanted to "purify" it.

What industries formed the foundation of New England's economy?

The economy was based on fishing, whaling, lumber, and trade.

How did citizens participate in New England local government?

They participated through town meetings where male church members gathered to vote on local laws, taxes, and leaders.

How did New York become an English colony in 1664?

The English sent a naval fleet in $1664$ to capture the colony, and the Dutch surrendered it without a fight.

Why was William Penn granted a colony in America?

He was given land because the Crown owed Penn's father a huge amount of debt.

What were the primary beliefs of the Quakers, and why did these cause issues in England?

They believed every individual could experience God directly without clergy or rituals, practicing tolerance, equality, and pacifism; in England, they refused to pay church-supporting taxes and showed no respect to church officials.

How did Delaware become a distinct colony?

Originally part of Pennsylvania, its three lower counties received permission from Penn to form their own assembly in $1701$, began meeting separately in $1704$, and separated into Delaware.

What type of agriculture dominated the Middle Colonies?

Commercial grain farming, with farmers producing wheat, rye, and corn.

What was the primary cash crop grown in South Carolina and Georgia?

Rice.

Why did England support James Oglethorpe's founding of Georgia?

England supported Georgia as a "buffer colony" to defend South Carolina's plantation economy against invaders.

What was the Stono Rebellion of 1739?

A $1739$ revolt of enslaved people in South Carolina that became the largest uprising on the British mainland.