APUSH Unit 2 (1607–1754): Colonial Empires, Society, and Tensions

What years does APUSH Unit 2 cover?

1607 (founding of Jamestown) to 1754 (start of the French and Indian War)

What major themes are explored in APUSH Unit 2?

The growth of British colonies, colonial dissatisfaction with British policies, and colonial-indigenous relations.

Which European powers are compared in the study of colonial empires?

Spanish, Dutch, French, and British.

What was the primary goal of the Spanish Empire in the Americas?

Wealth extraction through gold, silver, and cash crops.

How did the Spanish relate to indigenous peoples?

They imposed control and subjugation through systems like encomienda and hacienda.

What was the economic basis of the French colonies?

Primarily the fur trade, especially beaver pelts.

What characterized the Dutch colonial approach?

Emphasis on trade with few settlers and no interest in religious conversion.

What was a significant aspect of British colonial society?

Settlement aimed at social mobility, economic gain, and religious freedom.

What was the Casta system in Spanish colonies?

A racial hierarchy privileging individuals with pure Spanish blood over indigenous and African peoples.

What was the encomienda system?

A labor system where indigenous people were coerced into forced labor under encomenderos.

What was the hacienda system?

A system where landowners owned plantations and tied indigenous laborers to the land through debt peonage.

What was the Pueblo Revolt of 1680?

A violent uprising by indigenous peoples against Spanish rule in New Mexico.

What motivated British migration to the colonies?

Social mobility, economic prosperity, religious freedom, and improved living conditions.

What characterized the New England colonies?

Family-based settlements, strict Puritanism, and subsistence farming.

What was the economic focus of the Middle Colonies?

Grain exports and trade, supported by a diverse settler population.

What was the primary economic activity in the Chesapeake colonies?

Tobacco plantations relying on indentured and enslaved labor.

What was the role of the House of Burgesses?

An early form of representative government in Virginia where landowning men could vote.

How did the Lower South and West Indies colonies operate economically?

Dominated by plantation economies focusing on sugar, rice, and indigo.

What was a key difference between New England and Chesapeake colonies?

New England focused on religious community and small-scale farming, while Chesapeake was wealth-oriented with plantation agriculture.

What was the significance of the Mayflower Compact?

An early agreement for self-governance established by the Pilgrims in New England.

What was the social structure like in the Spanish colonies?

Rigid social hierarchy based on racial ancestry, privileging Spaniards.

What type of relationships did the French maintain with indigenous peoples?

Cooperative alliances and trade partnerships.

What was the primary religious policy of the Spanish Empire?

Aggressive Christian conversion through missions.

How did the British colonies differ in terms of religion?

Varied religious practices, including Puritanism, Quakerism, and Anglicanism.

What was the impact of the enclosure movement in England?

Displaced many peasants, prompting migration to the colonies.

What characterized the social structure of the Dutch colonies?

A commercial and diverse society with fewer rigid hierarchies.

What was the significance of the fur trade in the French and Dutch colonies?

It was the primary economic activity that shaped their colonial strategies.

What labor system dominated early British colonies?

Indentured servitude

What event revealed the instability of landless former indentured servants?

Bacon's Rebellion (1676)

What type of slavery was established in the British colonies after indentured servitude?

Permanent African slavery

What is chattel slavery?

A system where enslaved individuals are legally considered property.

What were slave codes?

Laws that stripped black people of rights and granted planters absolute power.

What was the Stono Rebellion?

An overt resistance by enslaved Africans in South Carolina in 1739 that was violently suppressed.

What was the Triangular Trade?

A trade network connecting New England, West Africa, and the West Indies involving rum, slaves, and sugar.

What economic policy prioritized a favorable balance of trade for Britain?

Mercantilism

What were the Navigation Acts?

Laws imposed by Britain to control colonial trade.

What was salutary neglect?

A period of lax enforcement of trade regulations by Britain, allowing colonial autonomy.

What were the Beaver Wars?

Conflicts involving the Iroquois Confederacy and European alliances over territory and fur trade.

What was Metacom's War?

A major indigenous uprising against New England settlers from 1675 to 1676.

What was The Great Awakening?

A religious revival in the 1730s and 1740s emphasizing personal religious experience.

Who were key figures in The Great Awakening?

Preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield.

What intellectual movement emphasized reason and natural rights during the colonial period?

The Enlightenment

How did colonial society begin to resemble British society by the mid-18th century?

Wealthy merchants and planters emulated English aristocracy.

What was the Proclamation of 1763?

A British prohibition on westward expansion to avoid conflicts with Native Americans.

What was the impact of population growth on land demand in the colonies?

Increased demand for land led to conflicts and resentment towards British restrictions.

What was the significance of the 1747 Boston riot?

It was a resistance to impressment and imperial interference.

What were the consequences of increased enforcement of trade laws?

Colonial smuggling and growing resentment towards British control.

What characterized the relationship between European powers and indigenous peoples?

Complex interactions ranging from alliances to violent conflicts.

What contributed to the development of distinct regional identities in British colonies?

Settlement patterns, economies, religions, and labor systems.

What was the transition from indentured servitude to African chattel slavery?

It profoundly altered social and economic structures in the southern colonies.

What role did religious revival and Enlightenment ideas play in colonial culture?

They fostered a shared culture emphasizing individual rights and skepticism towards traditional elites.

What did the gradual anglicization of colonial society lead to?

Increased cultural ties to Britain and sharpened tensions around governance.

What were the key themes leading up to the revolutionary conflict?

Growing colonial resistance to British policies regarding land, governance, and trade.