(139) APUSH Review Unit 2 (Period 2: 1607-1754)—Everything You NEED To Know

Focus on European motives and methods of colonization in the Americas.
Previous unit discussed precolonial society in the Americas, leading into European competition for colonies.

Focused on trade (especially fish and fur) rather than conquest.
Established few permanent settlements, mainly trading posts, e.g., Quebec.
Formed alliances with Native Americans through intercultural marriages, promoting economic cooperation.
Examples of mutual benefit included aids in fur preparation and the French providing iron goods.

Established significant fur trading center on the Hudson River (present-day New York).
Goals were primarily economic; less focus on converting natives to Christianity.
Established New Amsterdam as a hub for trade, attracting diverse population sectors (traders, farmers).

Motivated by economic opportunity, religious freedom, and improved living conditions.
Economic troubles in Britain included inflation due to various conflicts and the enclosure movement reducing available land.

Chesapeake Region (Jamestown, 1607)
- First permanent British settlement, financed by joint-stock companies.
- Originally profit-seeking focused (gold, silver); faced disease and famine.
- Introduction of tobacco cultivation by John Rolfe led to economic revival and reliance on indentured servants.
- Tensions with Native Americans arising from land expansion, culminating in Bacon's Rebellion.
New England Colonies (Plymouth, 1620)
- Settled by Pilgrims seeking to establish a society based on religious principles.
- Suffering from disease but gradually established a thriving agricultural and commercial economy.
British West Indies and Southern Atlantic Coast
- Colonies established in the Caribbean (e.g., Barbados, St. Christopher) for year-round agriculture.
- Transition from tobacco to sugar cane, leading to heightened demand for enslaved labor.
- By 1660, majority population in Barbados was enslaved Africans.
- Slave codes began to develop, defining enslaved people as property.
Middle Colonies (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania)
- Noted for a diverse population and an export economy focused on cereal crops.
- Inequality emerged between wealthy merchants and lower working class.
- Pennsylvania recognized for religious freedom under William Penn; negotiated land with Native Americans.

Emergence of self-governance with examples like the Mayflower Compact and the House of Burgesses.
Colonial assemblies were often dominated by elite classes.

Development of a triangular trade: (1) New England to West Africa (rum for enslaved people), (2) Middle Passage (enzlaved people to West Indies), (3) West Indies to New England (sugar cane).
Economic principle of mercantilism focused on maintaining a favorable balance of trade.
Navigation Acts enforced trade regulations, requiring goods to pass through British ports for taxation.

Approximately 3 million enslaved Africans transported via the Middle Passage from 1700-1808.
High demand for labor in Chesapeake and southern colonies; strict slave codes developed.
Resistance included covert actions (maintaining cultural customs) and overt rebellions (e.g., Stono Rebellion).

British practices contrasted with the Spanish approach, often characterized by conflict and violence.
Example: Metacom's War (King Philip's War), where British settlers faced violent resistance from indigenous groups.

The Enlightenment emphasized rationalism, natural rights, and the social contract, influencing colonial governance.
Rise of New Light clergy preaching against religious elitism, paving the way for the Great Awakening.
The Great Awakening resulted in religious revival and contributed to a sense of American identity.

Colonies experienced increasing awareness of natural rights, leading to resistance against oppressive practices, such as impressment.
Events like the impressment-led riots in 1747 signaled colonial discontent with British authority.