Chapter 2: American Experiments, 1521-1700 (Flashcards)

A set of practice questions covering the major themes, events, and figures from Chapter 2: American Experiments, 1521-1700, including colonization patterns, labor systems, colonial settlements, and Native-European encounters.

What were the three distinct types of colonies that developed in the Americas by 1700?

Tribute colonies (Mexico and Peru), plantation colonies (sugar, tobacco, etc.), and neo-European colonies (New France, New Netherland, New England) that replicated European patterns in the temperate zone.

What is the Columbian Exchange?

The large-scale transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and people between the Old World and the New World beginning with sustained European contact.

Why did the 1662 Virginia statute assert that children’s status followed the mother, and who helped popularize this idea?

To determine whether children of Englishmen and enslaved African women would be enslaved or free; Elizabeth Key’s 1656 case and scholars like William Greensted helped illustrate this shift toward maternal descent in slavery.

Who was Elizabeth Key and why is her case significant?

A woman of mixed English and African descent who won her freedom in 1656, illustrating how paternity could be overridden by the status of the mother in colonial slavery law.

What was the encomienda system?

Crown-granted authority to extract tribute labor and goods from Indigenous communities in Spanish America.

How did the mita system function in the Spanish Empire’s mines?

The Inca labor draft (mit’a) was co-opted to force Indigenous workers into mines like Potosí, expanding silver production.

What is the casta system?

A complex set of racial categories in Spanish America that differentiated people by ancestry and status and supported by law.

What is mercantilism?

An economic policy in which the state supports manufacturing and trade to achieve a favorable balance of trade and accumulate wealth for the mother country.

Which crops dominated the plantation colonies, and where were they primarily grown?

Sugar in the Caribbean; tobacco in the Chesapeake; also indigo, cotton, cacao, and rice in various plantations.

What ecological and demographic effects did the Columbian Exchange have on Native populations?

Massive population declines—often 90% or more in core areas—due to Old World diseases; new crops and animals transformed landscapes.

What were New France, New Netherland, and New England collectively described as in the era of neo-European colonization?

Three neo-European colonies in the Atlantic world that replicated European social and economic patterns in North America.

Why did New France struggle to attract colonists by the late 17th century?

Harsh climate, strong royal control, feudal features, restricted settlement, and policies that limited migration (e.g., Jesuit and king’s restrictions).

Why did New Netherland struggle to attract colonists and sustain itself?

Small population, policy and governance under the West India Company, harsh relations with Native Americans, and limited local appeal.

What sparked the Beaver Wars and the rise of Iroquois power?

The Five Nations, aided by Dutch trade goods and firearms from Fort Orange, waged campaigns against Algonquian-speaking peoples, reshaping regional power.

What marked Jamestown’s early years and its eventual economic turning point?

Initial settlement on a swampy peninsula with high death rates; later, tobacco as a profitable cash crop and the establishment of the House of Burgesses.

What was the Mayflower Compact?

A self-governing agreement among the Pilgrims to form a civil body politic, serving as a foundational for self-government in New England.

Who founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony and what was its defining goal?

John Winthrop; to create a godly, self-governing community that could serve as a model for Christendom (the City upon a Hill).

Who was Roger Williams and what did he establish in Rhode Island?

Puritan minister banished for advocating church-state separation; founded Providence, later Rhode Island, with religious toleration.

What was Anne Hutchinson known for, and what happened to her?

A Puritan dissenter who challenged gender roles and predestination debates; banished to Rhode Island for her views.

How were Puritan towns governed in New England?

Local self-government through town meetings; representation in the General Court; voting rights typically limited to church members.

What was Metacom’s War (King Philip’s War), and what were its outcomes?

Conflict (1675–1676) led by Wampanoag leader Metacom against English settlers; major devastation on both sides and a significant weakening of Native power in New England.

What was the Pueblo Revolt (Popé’s Rebellion) of 1680 and its outcome?

A coordinated uprising of Pueblo people against Spanish rule in New Mexico; Santa Fe was captured; Spanish retook it by 1693, leading to policy shifts toward accommodation.

What was Bacon’s Rebellion and its significance?

1676 uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor Berkeley and frontier policies; highlighted class tensions and accelerated the shift from indentured servitude to slavery.

What role did the Atlantic slave system play in Barbados and other English Caribbean colonies by 1690?

Slavery expanded rapidly; Africans outnumbered whites on several islands; harsh slave codes emerged to control a rising enslaved population.

What happened to New Netherland in 1664 and what did it become?

Captured by the English and renamed New York; reflected shifting balance of power in the Atlantic world.

What characterized the English expansion in England’s 16th-century economy, and how did it relate to overseas colonization?

Mercantilist policies, a growing textile economy, and state sponsorship helped England build wealth and the capacity to colonize overseas.

What is the significance of the 1650 map data regarding English settlements along the eastern coast?

By 1650, England had substantial colonial settlements (e.g., thousands in New England and Chesapeake) and engaged in fur trade with Native peoples, shaping long-term colonial dynamics.

How did the Puritan Revolution in England influence American colonies?

The overthrow and later restoration of the monarchy affected colonial governance and encouraged Puritan communities to pursue godly republican ideals in America.