Learn: Colonies and American Revolution: Key Concepts and Events

How did the agricultural revolution change life for Native Americans?

It allowed them to settle and farm instead of migrating.

What is the difference between a confederacy and a centralized empire like the Aztecs?

A confederacy allows regions to run themselves, while a centralized empire has one government that controls everything.

How did pueblos help Native peoples survive in the Southwest?

Pueblos provided clay houses that were cooler and protected them from harsh climates.

How did inventions such as the astrolabe and caravel make exploration possible?

The astrolabe helped navigate at night using stars, and the caravel had a triangular sail to sail into the wind.

What was the Columbian Exchange and how did it affect both Europe and the Americas?

It was a trade network that brought European diseases but also introduced new products and Christianity.

How did conquistadors help Spain build an empire in the Americas?

They forced Natives to labor under the encomienda system.

Why were joint-stock companies important to the settlement of Virginia?

They provided private and financial organization.

How did the headright system encourage migration to the colonies?

It offered land to those who paid for their trip or someone else's trip to the New World.

What was the relationship between John Smith, John Rolfe, and the survival of Jamestown?

John Smith enforced hard work and discipline, while John Rolfe grew tobacco as a profitable cash crop.

How did Powhatan influence the early success and struggles of Virginia?

He traded food with the colonists, but conflicts with his people caused struggles and violence.

How did mercantilism connect the colonies to England?

It required the colonies to provide raw materials and buy English goods, enriching England.

Why was triangular trade important to the colonial economy?

It connected the colonies to Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean, facilitating trade and economic growth.

Why did colonial leaders begin replacing indentured servants with enslaved laborers?

They preferred enslaved labor for a permanent, reliable workforce, unlike indentured servants who eventually became free.

How did Bacon's Rebellion influence the growth of slavery?

It increased fears of poor indentured servants, leading leaders to rely more on enslaved African labor.

Describe the experience of Africans during the Middle Passage.

Africans endured a dangerous journey across the Atlantic in crowded, unsanitary ships with little food or freedom.

What made chattel slavery different from other forms of labor?

Chattel slavery treated enslaved people as property that could be bought and sold.

What is chattel slavery?

Chattel slavery treated enslaved people as property for life, with their status passed down to their children.

Why was the Stono Rebellion significant?

Enslaved people fought for their freedom, leading to stricter slave laws in the colonies.

How did salutary neglect allow the colonies to develop independently?

It allowed the colonies to govern themselves with less interference from England.

Why was the Dominion of New England unpopular?

It took away colonial self-government and placed more control in England's hands.

What principle was established by the Zenger Case?

Truthful criticism of the government could be a defense against libel charges.

How did the French and Indian War change the relationship between Britain and its colonies?

Britain taxed the colonies to pay war debts, leading to conflict over taxes and colonial rights.

Why did Britain begin taxing the colonies after 1763?

To pay off the large debt from the French and Indian War.

How did nonimportation agreements allow colonists to protest British policies?

They allowed colonists to boycott British goods, hurting British businesses and showing opposition to British taxes.

What role did the Sons of Liberty play in colonial resistance?

They organized protests, boycotts, and resistance against British taxes.

How did Samuel Adams help organize colonial resistance?

By encouraging protests, boycotts, and opposition to British taxes.

What was the purpose of the Committees of Correspondence?

To share information between the colonies and organize resistance to British policies.

Why were minutemen important at Lexington and Concord?

They quickly gathered to fight British troops, helping start the Revolutionary War.

How did Thomas Paine persuade colonists to support independence?

He wrote Common Sense, arguing that independence from Britain was necessary.

Why was George Washington's victory at Trenton important?

It boosted the Patriots' morale and showed that the Continental Army could defeat British forces.

Why is Saratoga considered a turning point in the war?

American victory convinced France to ally with the Patriots and provide military support.

Describe conditions at Valley Forge.

Conditions included freezing weather, hunger, disease, and a lack of supplies and clothing.

How did guerrilla warfare help American forces?

It used surprise attacks and quick strikes to weaken British troops.

Why was Yorktown the decisive battle of the Revolution?

American and French forces trapped and defeated the British army, leading to peace negotiations.

What did the Treaty of Paris (1783) accomplish?

It officially ended the Revolutionary War and recognized the United States as an independent nation.