APUSH Time Period 1 & 2 Study Flashcards

Time Period 1 (1491–1607)

• Context and focus

  • Early contact between Europeans and the Americas begins the Atlantic World era.
  • Key dynamics include exploration, colonization attempts, religious motivations, economic aims, and evolving relations with Indigenous peoples.
  • Foundations for later colonial systems (economic, political, religious) take shape during this period.

• Major themes to study

  • Columbian Exchange and its far-reaching effects on natives and Europe.
  • Early labor systems and the beginnings of slavery in the Atlantic world.
  • Differences in colonial approaches and governance that will mature in the 17th century.
  • The role of religion in settlement, governance, and social life.

• Key terms and concepts (definitions and significance)

  • Act of Toleration: A 1649 Maryland statute granting freedom of worship to Trinitarian Christians while maintaining penalties for non-Christians; foundational example of colonial religious governance and early debates over tolerance.
  • Anne Hutchinson: Puritan dissenter who challenged the clergy and gender norms in Massachusetts Bay; emblem of religious and ideological controversy within New England.
  • Bacon’s Rebellion: 1676 insurgency in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against colonial authorities (Berkeley) over frontier defense and policies toward Indigenous peoples; highlighted class tensions and foreshadowed shifts in labor systems.
  • Bartolomé de Las Casas: 16th-century Spanish priest and advocate for better treatment of Indigenous peoples; critiqued the encomienda system and influenced debates about colonial policy.
  • Columbian Exchange: The transatlantic transfer of crops, animals, people, diseases, and technologies between the Old World and the New World; reshaped diets, economies, and populations on both sides of the Atlantic, with profound Native socio-cultural and demographic impacts.
  • Comparing colonial regions (town meetings vs. county government, role of religion, relationships with Natives, slavery, economies): Early regional distinctions in governance, religion, native relations, and economic bases (New England, Middle, Southern colonies) that affected development paths.
  • Comparison of colonial powers (Spain, France, England): Different motives (religious, extractive, commercial), settlement patterns, governance structures, and treatment of Indigenous peoples.
  • Creation of colonies (religious reasons, profit motive, dissenters): Driving forces behind settlement—religious refuge, commercial ventures, and dissent from home countries shaping colony designs.
  • Development of slavery: Early slave labor systems and legal codifications that would become entrenched in English colonies and later the broader Atlantic world.
  • Encomienda System: Spanish labor sistema that granted colonial encomenderos rights to Indigenous labor and tribute; foundational to early Spanish colonization economics and Native exploitation debates.
  • Exports v. imports: The mercantile framework shaping colonial economies and the dependence of the colonies on the mother country for markets and trade rules.
  • George Whitefield: Key figure in the Great Awakening (though more central in the 18th century); his preaching helped catalyze religious revivalism and transatlantic religious exchange.
  • Great Awakening: Religious revivalism that will intensify later; signals shifts in religious practice, challenge to established churches, and cross-Atlantic exchange of ideas.
  • House of Burgesses: First legislative assembly in English America (Virginia, est. 1619); early model of representative government and colonial political participation.
  • Jamestown: 1607 establishment of the first permanent English settlement in North America; site of struggles for survival, governance, and growth.
  • John Peter Zenger: 1735 trial for seditious libel; landmark case for the freedom of the press in the American colonies.
  • John Smith: Leadership figure at Jamestown; helped establish early order and survival strategies, including the imperative to work for food.
  • John Winthrop: Leader of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; promoted a vision of a purified, morally organized society (often summarized as a "city upon a hill").
  • Juan Sepúlveda: Scholar involved in debates over the rights and treatment of Indigenous peoples; his arguments contrasted with Las Casas in the Spanish colonization debates.
  • King Philip’s War: 1675–1676 conflict between New England colonists and Indigenous peoples led by Metacomet (King Philip); decisive for colonial-native relations and colonial security.
  • Maize cultivation: Native American staple crop that supported large population centers and later affected European agricultural systems after exchange.
  • Maryland: Colony founded partly as a religious refuge for Catholics; later became a bastion of religious pluralism under tolerance policies and Proprietary governance.
  • Mayflower Compact: 1620 agreement establishing self-government for the Plymouth settlers; model of early colonial social contract and participatory governance.
  • Mercantilism: Economic theory that colonies exist for the benefit of the mother country; emphasized a favorable balance of trade and accumulation of wealth.
  • Navigation Acts: Series of laws (begun in the mid-17th century) restricting colonial trade to English ships and enumerated goods, reinforcing mercantilist goals.
  • New Lights vs. Old Lights: Divisions within Protestant communities over revivalist preaching and religious emotion; foreshadowed later religious conflict and reform movements.
  • Puritans: English religious reformers who sought to purify the Church of England; their migration to New England shaped political, social, and cultural life of the region.
  • Rhode Island: Colony founded by dissenters (e.g., Roger Williams) emphasizing religious freedom and separation of church and state.
  • Rice cultivation: Slaves and enslaved labor systems in the Carolina Lowcountry; a cash crop that shaped regional economies and labor practices.
  • Salem Witch Trials: 1692 hysteria in Massachusetts leading to executions; illustrate social tensions, religious fervor, and the fragility of colonial governance.
  • Salutary neglect: English colonial policy of lax enforcement of trade laws during the early-to-mid 18th century; inadvertently fostered colonial self-government and economic growth.
  • Starving Time: Period of extreme famine in Jamestown (circa 1609–1610) during which many settlers died due to mismanagement and supply shortages.
  • Virginia Company: The English chartered company that financed Jamestown; its failures and reforms influenced early corporate governance and colonial development.

• Connections to broader themes

  • The foundation of colonial economies and governance setups that would evolve into characteristic regional patterns (New England’s mixed economy and town governance vs. the plantation system in the South).
  • Early tensions between religious uniformity and freedom that would permeate American political culture.
  • The emergence of a transatlantic world in which European powers, African enslaved peoples, and Indigenous nations interacted in complex ways, setting the stage for later conflicts and cultural mixing.

Time Period 2 (1607–1754)

• Context and focus

  • Expanding European colonization across North America with more defined regional identities (New England, Middle Colonies, Southern Colonies).
  • Intensification of Atlantic trade networks, expansion of slavery, development of colonial legislatures, and evolving imperial policy (mercantilism, salutary neglect).
  • Growing cultural exchange, religious movements, and philosophical ideas shaping a distinct American cultural trajectory.

• Major themes to study

  • How environmental conditions (soil, climate, growing seasons) and geography shaped colonial economies: tobacco in the Chesapeake, rice in the South, wheat in the Middle Colonies.
  • The development and expansion of slavery across regions, including labor systems, slave codes, and regional variations.
  • The rise of representative government and legal cases that influenced rights and press freedom.
  • The role of religion in society (Puritan foundations in New England; religious diversity and practice in the Middle and Southern colonies; Great Awakening catalysts).
  • The policy framework of mercantilism and trade regulations, including the Navigation Acts, and their political and economic effects.
  • Interactions and conflicts with Native peoples and shifting alliances as colonization intensified.
  • The Great Awakening and Enlightenment as transatlantic currents shaping education, religion, and political thought.

• Key terms and concepts (definitions and significance)

  • Tobacco cultivation: Wheelhouse cash crop of Chesapeake colonies; drove settlement growth, labor demands, and land-use patterns; influenced social structure and migration.
  • Puritans: Continued influence in New England; established schools, town meetings, and a covenant-based society; helped create early forms of local governance and communal norms.
  • Middle colonies: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware; characterized by greater religious and ethnic diversity, fertile land, and mixed economies (grain, commerce).
  • Development of slavery: Expansion of enslaved labor across British colonies; evolution from indentured servitude to hereditary, codified slavery; diverse regional slave regimes.
  • Salutary neglect: British policy allowing colonial self-rule in economics and governance with relatively lax enforcement of imperial laws; contributed to a growing sense of autonomy and foreshadowed later political developments.
  • Exports and imports: Continued emphasis on mercantile trade; the colonies exported raw materials and imported manufactured goods, shaping port cities and maritime economies.
  • G. Whitefield and the Great Awakening (1760s–1770s era roots): Revival movement that democratized religion and encouraged questioning of established religious authorities; connected colonial religious communities across regions.
  • Old Lights vs. New Lights: Debate within Protestant churches about revivalism; indicated shifts in religious authority and the appeal of experiential religion.
  • Jamestown, John Smith, John Winthrop: Foundational figures in establishing and shaping English colonial governance, settlement priorities, and religious communities in different regions.
  • Mayflower Compact and Rhode Island: Early experiments in self-government and religious liberty that fed into a broader tradition of political pluralism in the colonies.
  • King Philip’s War: Ongoing conflict shaping colonial-native relations, military capacity, and colonial expansion.
  • Mercantilism: Economic theory driving imperial policies and colonial production; colonies exist for the enrichment of the mother country.
  • Navigation Acts: Legal framework to canalize colonial trade through England; contributed to commercial growth and tensions with colonial merchants.
  • Rice cultivation: Southern staple crop requiring plantation-style labor; linked to the growth of slavery and specific regional economies.
  • Salem Witch Trials: 1692 event highlighting religious extremism, social strain, and the fragility of colonial governance.
  • Starving Time (relevant to earlier period) and the Virginia Company: Case studies of governance challenges, economic viability, and the evolution of colonial corporate control.

• Major regions and their characteristics

  • New England (Puritans): Emphasis on family farms, commerce, education, and religiously motivated governance; town meetings; strong civil-religious culture.
  • Middle colonies: Religious and ethnic pluralism; mixed economy with grains, trade, and growing cities; more flexible social hierarchies.
  • Southern colonies: Plantation economies dominated by cash crops (tobacco, rice, later indigo); extensive use of enslaved labor; hierarchical social structures.

• Interactions with Native Americans

  • Early trade and cultural exchange gradually giving way to conflict as land pressures increase.
  • Alliances and wars (e.g., King Philip’s War) reshape power dynamics and territorial boundaries.
  • Disease, displacement, and policy shifts reflect the expanding colonial footprint.

• Economic and political structures

  • House of Burgesses (Virginia, since 1619) as a model of colonial representative government and local governance.
  • Mayflower Compact (1620) reinforcing social contracts and self-government.
  • Rhode Island’s emphasis on religious liberty and separation of church and state as a counterpoint to religious uniformity elsewhere.
  • The evolving legal framework surrounding press, religion, and governance (e.g., Zenger trial) contributing to a culture of rights.

• Connections to broader themes

  • The acceleration of transatlantic trade and the growth of slavery tie into larger Atlantic world patterns and the rise of commodity-based economies.
  • Religious movements (Puritanism, Great Awakening) influence education, governance, and cultural expectations that persist in American political culture.
  • The tension between local self-government and imperial authority creates a trajectory toward American constitutional developments.

Key People, Events, and Institutions (quick-reference)

• Jamestown (1607): English settlement in Virginia; survival challenges; site of early governance experiments and the rise of tobacco economy.

• Mayflower Compact (1620): Early framework for self-government among Plymouth settlers.

• Puritans (Massachusetts Bay): Settled in New England with a covenant-based community and strong emphasis on education and local governance.

• Rhode Island: Founded on religious liberty and separation of church and state; example of dissent and tolerance.

• Virginia Company: Early sponsor of English colonization; its governance decisions influenced colony development.

• John Smith: Leadership in Jamestown; helped establish survival and governance norms.

• John Winthrop: Leader of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; articulated the “city upon a hill” vision.

• John Peter Zenger: Press freedom landmark; influenced attitudes toward liberty of expression.

• King Philip’s War: Major conflict shaping colonial-native relations and colonial security.

• Anne Hutchinson, Bacon’s Rebellion, Salem Witch Trials: Illustrative episodes showing religious conflict, social tension, and the fragility of colonial order.

• Bartolomé de Las Casas and Juan Sepúlveda: Dueling philosophical positions on Indigenous rights and justifications for colonization; foundational to early debates about colonial governance.

• Core themes to remember for essays and short answers

  • Why colonies developed where they did: geography, climate, cash crops, labor needs, religious motives, and political structures.
  • How environmental and economic factors shaped settlement and expansion: tobacco and rice as prime examples of climate-linked crops and labor systems; Middle Colonies as a diversification case.
  • The evolution of labor in the colonies: from indentured servitude toward codified racial slavery; regional variations in slaveholding and slave codes.
  • The role of policy and ideology in governance: from representative assemblies to royal control and mercantilist regulation; the seeds of colonial rights discourse.
  • The transatlantic exchange of people, ideas, and goods: how the Columbian Exchange, mercantilist thought, and religious reform movements interlocked to shape American culture.

Discussion Questions (Overview and framing for exam responses)

1) Explain HOW and WHY various European colonies developed and expanded from 1607 to 1754.

• How: settlement patterns tied to geography, cash crops (tobacco in the Chesapeake, rice in the South, grain in the Middle), religious motives (Puritans in New England), and political structures (charter colonies, company governance, town meetings).
• Why: economic intent (mercantilist gains, access to markets and resources), religious refuge and reform movements, competition between European powers, and the demand for labor (indentured servitude transitioning toward enslaved labor).
• Connections: growth of colonial legislatures (e.g., House of Burgesses), rise of port cities, and development of distinctive regional cultures.

2) Explain HOW and WHY environmental and other factors shaped the development and expansion of various British colonies that developed and expanded from 1607 to 1754. Be sure to include the following: · Tobacco cultivation · Puritans · Middle colonies · Development of slavery · Salutary neglect

• Tobacco cultivation: Driven settlement and land use in the Chesapeake; high labor demand; spurred indentured servitude and later enslaved labor; shaped social hierarchies and economic structures.
• Puritans: The New England emphasis on family, education, and covenantal governance; established institutional frameworks (town meetings, schools) influencing political culture.
• Middle colonies: Fertile land, religious diversity, and mixed economies; attracted a broader range of settlers and fostered relative ethnic and religious pluralism.
• Development of slavery: Expansion across regions, with regional specializations (rice in the Carolinas, tobacco in the Chesapeake); creation of slave codes and legal frameworks.
• Salutary neglect: British tolerance allowing colonial self-rule in exchange for economic loyalty; contributed to growth of local autonomy and a sense of political independence.

3) Explain causes and effects of transatlantic trade over time.

• Causes: mercantilist policies, capital and capital formation in Europe, demand for raw materials and markets, slave labor networks, and technological advances in navigation and shipbuilding.
• Effects: growth of port cities and maritime commerce; economic specialization by region; cultural and demographic changes (migration, enslaved populations); tensions over trade laws and imperial authority.

4) Explain HOW and WHY interactions between various European nations and American Indians changed over time.

• Early trade and mutual aid to more contentious relations as land pressures increased and colonists sought expanding frontiers.
• Shifting alliances, wars, and imperial competition (e.g., French and Indian War context) altered Indigenous sovereignty and survival strategies.
• Disease, displacement, and policy changes reshaped Indigenous communities and colonial strategies for coexistence or conquest.

5) Explain the causes and effects of slavery in the various British colonial regions.

• Causes: labor demands for cash crops (tobacco, rice, indigo); social and legal changes enabling hereditary chattel status; Atlantic slave trade networks.
• Effects: regional economic specialization, social stratification, legal codes restricting freedoms, and the transformation of family and community life among enslaved peoples; growth of resistance and cultural retention.

6) Explain how enslaved people responded to slavery.

• Forms of resistance: subtle daily acts, work slowdowns, escape attempts, and organized revolts (where applicable).
• Cultural retention and adaptation: preservation of language, religious practices, music, and family structures within oppressive systems.
• Negotiation and survival strategies: forging kin networks, bargaining for better conditions, and creating parallel political and religious life.

7) Explain HOW and WHY the movement of a variety of people and ideas across the Atlantic contributed to the development of American culture over time. Be sure to include the following: · Great Awakening · Enlightenment

• Movement of people: settlers, enslaved Africans, Indigenous peoples, and diverse European groups brought different cultural practices, technologies, and political norms.

• Great Awakening: Religious revival that democratized religion, encouraged personal piety, and challenged hierarchical church structures; fostered cross-regional religious exchange and education.

• Enlightenment: Philosophical ideas about rights, governance, and science that influenced political thought and notions of liberty and governance in colonial and later American contexts.

• Cultural synthesis: Blending of European, African, and Indigenous cultures; emergence of a distinct colonial American identity rooted in religious diversity, experimentation with governance, and evolving concepts of rights.

  • Practical study tips (tie to the transcript content)

  • Quiz yourself with online question banks (AMSCO practice, Canvas quizzes) and use AP Classroom progress checks.

  • Color-code notes and create flashcards for the long list of terms (Act of Toleration, Bacon’s Rebellion, Columbian Exchange, etc.).

  • Compare and contrast colonial regions and powers to reinforce understanding of different development paths.

  • Map out causes and effects for each major event or policy (e.g., Navigation Acts, Salutary Neglect) to see systemic connections.

  • Summary reminder

  • The unit links religious motivations, economic incentives, social structures, and imperial policies to explain how colonies developed from 1607 to 1754 and how these developments laid groundwork for later American culture and political life.