American Heritage Midterm

  • What was the Columbian Exchange?

  • How did Spanish Mercantilism contribute to its own downfall?

  • How big was the Spanish empire? 

  • Spanish Armada: what if the Armada had won? 

  • New France: who was the first French explorer to plant the French flag in North America?

  • New France (what is it and how large is its claim?)

  • Why were the French exploring North American waterways? 

  • Roughly when were the French exploring the New World? (you don't need exact dates, answers will vary)

  • Why did New France eventually "fall"? (multiple correct answers)

England's Colonies: a Timeline

  • When did the English attempt a settlement at Roanoke? (note: it started with Sir Walter Raleigh's expedition to the Outer Banks. Correct answer should be within 5 years)

  • In what year was the Spanish Armada defeated? 

English Exploration

  • How did the plans for English colonization differ from the Spanish? 

  • How is Elizabeth I  important in helping to "jumpstart" exploration of English colonies?  

  • Who was Richard Hakluyt? 

  • What were Haklyut's main arguments in favor of supporting colonization to the New World? (multiple correct answers. See "the Case for English Colonization" if you need review)

America's First Settlement

  • Where is the "birthplace" of America? (note: not everyone agrees)

  • When did the first ships arrive in Jamestown? 

  • What was the survival rate of the first year in Jamestown? 

  • Who was Powhatan? What did the first settlers at Jamestown know about Powhatan? (answers may vary. We discussed John Smith's "portrait" of Powhatan in class)

  • Powhatan's daughter is known to us today as __________

  • Where did the first colonists at Jamestown set up their first fort? 

  • What is "indentured servitude"? 

  • When was the Starving Time? 

  • Why did so many Jamestowners die during the "Starving time"? (answers may vary. Students may want to focus on why the starving time happened)

  • why did the Headright system encourage people to work? 

  • how did Tobacco "save" Jamestown? 

  • how did the introduction of tobacco encourage more servitude and eventually slavery? 

  • what was the first "representative" legislative body in the colonies? 

  • why do some people love the history of Jamestown? (this question is intended to provoke reflection. Answers may vary)

Mayflower and Plymouth Colony

  • When is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence? 

  • when did the Pilgrims land at Plymouth? 

  • The Mayflower Compact is often viewed as a "proto-_____________n"

  • If Jamestown is a "commercial" community, Plymouth is a C__________t community

  • Some people think that the Puritan culture encouraged work as a "calling." This is sometimes called the Puritan or Protestant W____ E_______

  • When was Thanksgiving recognized as a national holiday? (hint: during the C_____ W___)

  • Who were the Puritans? Why did they object to the "COE" and why did they leave? 

  • The non-Puritans on board were called ___________s

  • What is the difference between a Puritan and a Pilgrim? (not a trick question. Answers can vary. It is meant to help us think about the "Pilgrims" who landed in 1620 and the larger "group" called Puritans)

  • Why did the Pilgrims / Puritans leave Holland? 

  • What year did the Mayflower arrive in the Cape Cod Bay area? 

  • Some people think of the Mayflower Compact as the first written __________

  • What is a "compact"? Who was the Mayflower compact between? (answers may vary slightly)

  • Why was it necessary to create a compact on board the Mayflower? 

  • Text of the Mayflower Compact: be ready to answer a reading comprehension question, if necessary

Primary Text: City Upon a Hill

  • What was the "Great Migration? 

  • who was John Winthrop? 

  • What does a "model of Christian charity" mean to you? (answers may vary)

  • "A City Upon a Hill"

    • Why is it important in the American Heritage?

    • what is this image of a City Upon a Hill meant to represent?

    • what were Winthrop's hopes and fears for New England? 

Road to War and Revolution

  • Who created the "Join or Die" image in 1754? 

  • When did the American Revolution begin? (hint: John Adams)

  • What did Adams mean by the idea that the Revolution was "in the minds of the people"?

  • What is salutary neglect? What are some good examples of salutary neglect? 

  • Mercantilism: what is mercantilism, and how is it different than modern capitalism?

  • What is Mercantilism and how did it affect the British view of American colonies?

  • Navigation Acts (what were they?)

  • Seven Years War (who was it between?)

  • French Indian war (is it the same as the Seven Year War? We answered this in class)

  • The Seven Years War was considered the first true W____ W___

  • Seven Years War: why is it considered a major cause of the American Revolution? 

  • When did the Seven Years War end? 

  • The Seven Years War ended with the Treaty of ________

  • Which European nation was the biggest loser at the end of the Seven Year War?

Political Culture and American Identity

  • During the period of "Salutary neglect," the coonists developed at least three main forms of charters. What are they? 

    • Royal Charter

    • Proprietary Charter

    • Corporate Charter

  • Writing these charters were important because Americans gained valuable experience writing s____ c______________s

  • what is "political culture"? 

    • Land: how did the amount of land contribute to American ideas about political participation? 

    • Republicanism: what is "Classical Republicanism"? 

    • Which Enlightenment writer provided a philosophical basis for American republicanism? 

  • What were the three main "strands" of American identity, according to your reading? (note: this is not exhaustive. As we saw, Biblical and Christian thought were present from the beginning of English exploration)

Against the Writs of Assistance

  • What is a "Writ of Assistance?" (from class: these are similar to G_______ S_______ W_________s)

  • why were they controversial? (hint: Fourth Amendment)

  • What is the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution? 

  • Who was James Otis? 

  • "Against the Writs of Assistance"

    • why does Otis believe that a "house" is like a "castle"? 

    • why did Otis think the Writs of Assistance were dangerous? (answers will vary)

    • what, for Otis, is more important than even the British Constitution? 

  • Natural Law / natural right

    • what is the difference? (answers will be provided on Canvas and in class lecture)

    • what is a good example of "natural law"

    • what is a good example of "natural right"? 

Taxes and Revolution

  • Who is George Grenville? 

  • Sugar Act of 1764 (what was its purpose? Why is it important historically?)

  • Stamp Act of 1765: how was it different than the Sugar Act?

  • Stamp Act: why was it a bad idea? (there are many reasons, we will cover this in class!)

  • "No Taxation without Representation" (where did this phrase come from?)