Early America: From Colonization to the Articles of Confederation

Comprehensive flashcards covering Early Colonial America, the Road to the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Articles of Confederation.

What was mercantilism in the context of European colonization in North America?

The economic belief that colonies should enrich the mother country through the provision of raw materials and trade.

What were the primary founding purpose and early political milestone of the Jamestown settlement in 1607?

Jamestown was founded primarily for economic gain (shaped by tobacco cash-crop plantations) and established the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1619 as the first step toward representative self-government.

What was the purpose of the Mayflower Compact of 1620?

It served as an early written agreement for governance and self-rule among the settlers of Plymouth.

How did the economies and social structures of the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies differ?

New England centered on small farms, fishing, shipbuilding, and trade, with towns and church membership shaping power; the Middle Colonies functioned as a diverse 'breadbasket' with grain, crafts, and busy ports; the Southern Colonies relied on plantation agriculture (tobacco, rice, indigo) with sharp class divisions concentrated among wealthy landowners.

What was indentured servitude in the American colonies?

A labor system consisting of contracted labor for a set number of years in exchange for passage to the New World.

What were the primary restrictions on voting and officeholding in colonial self-government?

Political participation in colonial assemblies and town meetings was typically restricted by property ownership, race, gender, and religion.

What were the major impacts of European settlement and Old World diseases on Indigenous peoples prior to 1763?

Old World diseases devastated Indigenous communities and altered power balances, while increasing European demand for land led to escalating warfare, dispossession, and forced migration.

How did the conclusion of the French and Indian War (1754–1763) alter British imperial policy toward the American colonies?

Great Britain emerged victorious but deeply in debt, leading British leaders to expect the colonies to help pay for the defense and administration of the empire.

How did the British and colonial perspectives on legislative authority and taxation differ after 1763?

Britain asserted parliamentary sovereignty (that Parliament had full legal authority to tax and regulate the colonies), whereas colonists asserted 'no taxation without representation' (that taxes required consent through their own elected colonial assemblies).

What was the Stamp Act of 1765, and why did it generate widespread resistance?

It was a direct tax requiring paid stamps on printed materials—including legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cards—directly affecting lawyers, printers, merchants, and everyday consumers.

How did American colonists organize their resistance to the Stamp Act of 1765?

They convened the Stamp Act Congress (1765) to coordinate rights claims, instituted economic boycotts of British goods, and staged popular demonstrations led by groups like the Sons of Liberty.

What requirements were imposed by the Quartering Act of 1765, and why did colonists object?

Colonial governments were required to help house and supply British troops in barracks and public buildings; colonists objected because a peacetime standing army was viewed as a threat to liberty, the expense was an unwanted economic burden, and soldiers living near civilians created daily friction.

What happened during the Boston Massacre in 1770, and how did Patriots use it?

British soldiers fired into a crowd and killed several colonists; Patriots circulated stories and images as propaganda to shape public opinion, unify colonial anger, and deepen distrust of Britain.

How do Enlightenment philosophy and John Locke define 'natural rights' and the 'social contract'?

Natural rights are rights individuals hold simply by being human that cannot be granted or revoked by government; the social contract is an agreement where people accept certain laws in exchange for government protection of those rights.

According to John Locke, what right do the people retain if a government fails to protect their rights?

The people have the right to alter or abolish any government that becomes destructive of their natural rights.

What four purposes was the Declaration of Independence designed to accomplish in 1776?

1. Formally announce separation from British rule; 2. Justify the decision through political philosophy and grievances; 3. Persuade domestic colonists to unite and foreign powers (especially France) to ally; 4. Establish legitimacy by grounding the break in moral principles of rights and lawful resistance to tyranny.

What are the three main sections that constitute the argument of the Declaration of Independence?

The Preamble (establishing the moral theory of government, equality, rights, and consent), the List of Grievances (evidence detailing repeated abuses by King George III), and the Declaration (the conclusion declaring the colonies free and independent states).

What were the primary themes included in the grievances against King George III in the Declaration of Independence?

Interfering with colonial laws, limiting self-government, unfair administration of justice, maintaining standing troops in the colonies, and controlling colonial trade.

What was the Articles of Confederation, and when was it approved and fully ratified?

It was America's first constitution binding the 13 original states; approved by the Second Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and ratified by all 13 states by 1781.

Why did the Continental Congress feel the need to establish the Articles of Confederation alongside the Declaration of Independence?

To establish diplomatic and economic relations with other countries and create a binding set of laws as a nation, which would help America gain foreign recognition as an independent nation rather than a group of rebellious colonies.

What unique provision regarding Canada was included in the Articles of Confederation?

It allowed Canada to join the Union if it accepted the terms.

What formal name was used for the first time in the text of the Articles of Confederation?

'The United States of America' (under the clause: 'The stile of this confederacy shall be "The United States of America."').

What were the major governing weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

It established a very weak central government with states retaining most power, and it required a unanimous vote from all 13 states to make any amendments or changes.

What were the major economic and military limitations placed on Congress under the Articles of Confederation?

Congress could not tax the states to raise money (having to rely on state contributions), could not regulate commerce between states or with other nations, and could declare war but could not draft soldiers from the states.

What was the Land Ordinance of 1785, and how did it benefit the national government?

A law dividing uncharted western land into townships for settlers and farmers to purchase, providing Congress with revenue from land sales since it could not tax the states.

What did the Ordinance of 1787 establish?

It created the Northwest Territory, which would eventually allow for the division of that land into states such as Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and others.

What was the ultimate fate of the Articles of Confederation at the Constitutional Convention of 1787?

Delegates initially intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, but ultimately decided to scrap them completely.