APUSH Notes: Chesapeake vs New England & DBQ Concepts (Vocabulary Flashcards)

DBQ Essentials

• Purpose: DBQ is essentially a research essay where the research is provided via document excerpts; you must also bring in outside knowledge to respond to the prompt.
• Skills to apply:
  • Think like a historian: analyze documents, assess author intent and audience, and consider historical context.
  • Evaluate how historical context, author identity, and other factors affect the message of each document.
• Time and scoring:
  • You will have 60 minutes total to complete the DBQ: 15 minutes to plan and 45 minutes to write.
  • The task is worth 25\% of your AP score.
• Key concept: Contextualization vs. Historical Context
  • Contextualization: situating the argument within broader historical circumstances and linking it to larger processes or events beyond the documents.
  • Historical Context: the specific events, ideas, and conditions surrounding the time and place of the documents themselves.
  • You may be asked to show both: how the issue fits into a larger context, and how the documents’ messages are shaped by their particular contexts.
• Prompt to analyze: “Analyze the extent to which the Chesapeake and New England developed distinct colonial characteristics and the reason for those differences.”
• Structure of response (general guide):
  • Identify key differences in social, economic, and political characteristics between the Chesapeake colonies (e.g., Virginia, Maryland) and the New England colonies (e.g., Massachusetts, Connecticut).
  • Explain root causes for those differences (e.g., climate, geography, founding motives, demographic composition).
  • Argue the degree to which the regions diverged from the outset vs. evolving over time, and connect this to foundational purposes and environmental contexts.

The Prompt and What to Look For

• Central task: Compare Chesapeake vs New England in terms of social, economic, and political traits; explain why those traits developed differently.
• Consider root causes: climate and geography, motives for settlement (economic vs religious), and the kinds of people who settled each region.
• A strong answer will present both differences and the evidence for why those differences arose, and will assess the extent of the differences (not just list them).

Document Summaries and Key Points

Document 1 — Captain John Smith, History of Virginia (1624)

• Key excerpt: Accounts of supply problems and price gouging on a voyage to Virginia.
  • Wealthier members with money and goods could buy provisions; others were forced to buy at “fifteen times the value” under harsh command structures.
  • Food was meager (meal and water); extreme cold frost caused many deaths; some of the worst behavior came from gold seekers whose promises corrupted others and led to slavery-like conditions in pursuit of gold.
  • Pervasive theme: economic extractivism and hardship shaping early Chesapeake life; harsh material conditions and social tensions tied to mining/merchandising profits.
• Significance for Chesapeake characteristics:
  • Emphasizes the volatile, monetized economy around colonial expansion and resource extraction.
  • Illustrates the fragility of early Chesapeake settlements under harsh environmental and financial pressures.
  • Demonstrates the potential for social conflict rooted in unequal access to capital and resources.

Document 2 — John Winthrop, "A Model of Christian Charity" (1630)

• Core ideas:
  • God’s providence places some people above others, but the colonists must be “knit together in this work as one man.”
  • Call to self-denial: “abridge ourselves of our superfluities, for the supply of others' necessities.”
  • Emphasis on communal harmony, mutual support, and universal charity; insistence on maintaining unity and moral conduct under divine surveillance.
  • Metaphor: the colony as a “city upon a hill,” with “the eyes of all people” upon them and consequences if they fail or prove unworthy (shame before God and others).
• Significance for New England characteristics:
  • Reflects a religiously motivated, communally minded foundation of Puritan New England.
  • Establishes the social contract of cooperation, shared burden, and moral governance that underpinned town planning, church membership, and civic legitimacy.
  • Highlights the link between religious ideals and political legitimacy; religious conformity and communal discipline are central to social order.

Document 3 — Ship’s List of Emigrants Bound for New England (1635)

• Content snapshot:
  • Lists families and individuals: e.g., Joseph Hull (Somerset), wife Agnes, children (ages 25, 15, 13, 11, 7); servants Judith French (20), John Wood (20); Robert Lovell and family members with ages (40, 35, 15, 16, 8, 1).
• Observations about migration pattern:
  • Emigration to New England was organized around family units, with a mix of ministers, family members, and servants.
  • Demonstrates a community-building migration pattern focused on religious and social cohesion rather than purely economic motives.
• Significance:
  • Supports a view of New England as a place of family-based religious settlement and social structure aimed at forming organized, pious communities.

Document 4 — Ship’s List of Emigrants Bound for Virginia (July 1635)

• Core points:
  • Names are “to be transported to Virginia” aboard the Merchant’s Hope, with examination by Gravesend minister to ensure conformity to Church discipline; oath of allegiance and supremacy taken.
  • Indicates deliberate criteria for religious and political conformity prior to arrival.
• Significance:
  • Shows the Chesapeake region’s settlers faced religious and political screening; integration of church/state oversight into migration and settlement.
  • Reflects a social contract oriented around obedience to the Church of England and colonial governance structures.

Document 5 — Magistrates of Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1635 (Price/Wage Regulation Clause)

• Content:
  • After repealing earlier price-wage laws, authorities insert a clause to prevent “ill-disposed persons” from oppressing neighbors by charging excessive wages or high prices.
  • Punishment includes fine or imprisonment, determined by court and offense quality.
• Significance:
  • Demonstrates early colonial attempts to regulate the economy to maintain social stability and prevent exploitation.
  • Reflects a proactive, centralized approach to economic governance consistent with a planned, orderly community.

Document 6 — Articles of Agreement, Springfield, Massachusetts (1636)

• Core commitments:
  • Oath to seek a “Godly and faithful minister” and join in a church covenant.
  • Plan for a town of forty families with equitable allocation of lots (houses) and common resources (meadow/planting ground).
• Significance:
  • Emphasizes religious foundations of town planning, communal land use, and social order.
  • Illustrates expectations of social structure, property distribution, and church-state integration in New England.

Document 7 — Bacon’s Manifesto (1676)

• Core arguments:
  • Denies rebellion or treason; asserts civil and peaceful behavior and questions the legitimacy of elites who control wealth and public funds.
  • Critiques the accumulation of wealth by “unworthy favorites” and the neglect of public safety, defense, and economic development.
• Significance:
  • Highlights frontier tensions between colonists and colonial authorities (Virginia).
  • Shows grievances over governance, economic practices, and the use of public funds for private gain; foreshadows ongoing strains between settlers and colonial governments.

Key Differences Between Chesapeake and New England (Evidence-Based Summary)

• Settlement motives and religious versus economic aims:
  • New England: religious purpose, covenant community, and moral governance (as seen in Winthrop and Springfield documents; emphasis on church, ministerial leadership, and communal obligations).
  • Chesapeake: economic extraction, resource-driven expansion (as seen in Smith’s account of gold, supply issues, and harsh conditions; focus on cash crops and market dynamics).
• Social structure and family patterns:
  • New England: migration of families, organized town planning, and a heavy emphasis on religious conformity and community norms (Documents 3, 4, 5, 6).
  • Chesapeake: more scattered settlement patterns, later development of a plantation economy with indentured servitude and social stratification tied to wealth and labor demands (Document 1 hints at gold-seeking, exploitation, and hardship).
• Governance and social order:
  • New England: proactive regulation of wages and prices to prevent exploitation; formal town governance and congregational church leadership (Documents 5, 6).
  • Chesapeake: governance shaped by economic incentives and external pressures (Document 1 shows commodification and social stress; documents 7 (Bacon) shows frontier governance conflicts and questions about authority).
• Religion and civics:
  • New England: church-centered society with covenantal obligations; state authority aligned with religious discipline (Documents 2, 4, 6).
  • Chesapeake: religion less central to daily governance; economic survival and expansion dominate early colonial life (Document 1 emphasizes material concerns and coercive trade).

Causes and Mechanisms Behind the Differences

• Climate, geography, and resource endowments:
  • New England’s cooler climate and rocky soil promoted family settlements, communal farming, and a focus on sustained community life and education (implied by town planning, ministerial leadership, and religious governance).
  • Chesapeake’s warmer climate and fertile lands for tobacco supported large-scale plantation economies, reliance on cash crops, and labor systems (evidenced by economic struggles and the emphasis on provisioning and supply chains in Document 1).
• Founding motivations and political economy:
  • New England: religious mission, covenant community, and structured social order (Winthrop’s model; Springfield Articles).
  • Chesapeake: economic expansion, wealth extraction, and market-driven growth (Smith’s depiction of gold-driven labor and profiteering in Document 1).
• Population and social makeup:
  • New England attracted families and a congregational organizational framework; migration patterns reflect planned, religiously oriented settlement (Documents 3, 6).
  • Chesapeake attracted a broader mix of adventurers, laborers, and investors oriented toward profits and resource development (Document 1’s gold-seeking behavior; early plantation context).
• Religious enforcement and social governance:
  • New England’s governance intertwines with religious discipline and church covenants (Documents 2, 4, 6).
  • Chesapeake saw governance shaped by economic interests and frontier conflicts, including conflicts with authorities (Document 7’s Bacon’s Manifesto crisis).

Connections to Foundational Principles and Real-World Relevance

• Covenant community vs. market-driven colonization reflects broader debates about the role of religion in public life and the appropriate balance between collective obligation and individual autonomy.
• The city upon a hill metaphor frames the aspirational standard for civic virtue and moral governance, illustrating how rhetoric can shape political legitimacy and social behavior (Document 2).
• Early attempts to regulate wages, prices, and land use (Documents 5 and 6) demonstrate the colonial belief in ordered communities and the government’s role in stabilizing society and economy.
• The emigration lists (Documents 3 and 4) reveal how religious and ideological commitments influenced who migrated, how they traveled, and what expectations they carried into the New World.
• Bacon’s Manifesto (Document 7) underscores that frontier expansion could generate significant political grievances, foreshadowing ongoing tensions between settlers and colonial authorities and the limits of colonial governance.

Notable Dates, Figures, and Numbers (Key References)

• Timeframe anchors:
  • 1624: Captain John Smith, History of Virginia (Document 1). 1624
  • 1630: John Winthrop, A Model of Christian Charity (Document 2). 1630
  • 1635: Emigrant ships to New England and Virginia; price regulation context; early Massachusetts governance (Documents 3, 4, 5). 1635
  • 1636: Springfield Articles of Agreement (Document 6). 1636
  • 1676: Bacon’s Manifesto (Document 7). 1676
• Demographic and personnel details:
  • Document 3 (New England emigrants) includes specific names and ages (e.g., Joseph Hull, 40; Agnes Hull, 25; Joan Hull, 15; Tristram, 11; Elizabeth, 7; Judith French, 20; John Wood, 20; Elizabeth Lovell, 35; etc.).
  • Document 4 (Virginia emigrants) lists individuals with ages and notes about oaths and allegiance; example: Edward Towers, 26; Henry Woodman, 22; etc.; plus 8 more women.
• Structural and governance figures:
  • Document 6 envisions a town of 40 families; shares of meadow/planting ground for all residents.
• Economic/policy figures:
  • Document 5 discusses penalties for oppressive wages or high prices; governance to deter exploitation.
• The DBQ time allocation and scoring: 60 minutes total; 15 plan, 45 write; worth 25\% of AP score.

How to Use These Notes on Exam Day

• Start with a clear thesis that states the extent of difference between Chesapeake and New England and identifies the root causes (climate/geography, motives, population).
• Use at least one point from Documents 1–7 to support differences; connect each point to its document, including author, date, and purpose to show context.
• Incorporate the contextualization/historical-context distinction: situate the differences within broader colonial patterns (e.g., market economies vs covenant communities) and explain the specific historical circumstances that shaped each region.
• Address the prompt’s two tasks: (1) enumerate differences, (2) explain causes, and (3) discuss the degree of difference (extent) and evolution over time.

Quick Reference: Core Concepts to Tie In

• Urbanization and town planning in New England; church-centered governance; covenant communities.
• Economic plantation system in Chesapeake; labor force (indentured servitude) and cash crop dynamics.
• Religious rhetoric as political legitimacy (city upon a hill) and its limits (documented by conflicts and governance measures).
• Early colonial legal frameworks regulating trade, wages, and prices as efforts to maintain social stability.
• Frontier grievances and the tensions between settlers and colonial authorities (as seen in Bacon’s Manifesto).

Summary Takeaway

• The Chesapeake and New England regions developed distinct colonial identities driven by different motives (economic vs religious), environmental contexts, and settlement patterns, which in turn shaped social structures, governance, and economic practices. The documents collectively illustrate how planning, religious discipline, law, and migration patterns contributed to the divergent trajectories of these two regions.