APUSH Chapters 1-4 questions Flashcards
What was the process that led the first people to come to the Americas?
Ice glaciers were covering most of the world’s oceans, a land bridge between Siberia and Alaska was revealed, nomadic Asian hunters went across this bridge about 15-16 thousand years ago
How did agriculture, specifically corn cultivation, shape the early Americas?
It led to the creation of advanced civilizations like the Aztecs and Incas, and it provided a way to feed mass populations, and cultivated maize
What was life for the Incas and Aztecs like?
The Incas lived in Peru and the Aztecs lived in Mexico. Their civilizations were very advanced, they would make constant, brutal sacrifices to their gods, and corn cultivation was a staple within both the Incas and Aztecs
What are some of the “indirect” reasons for European exploration of the New World?
Norse seafarers traveling from Scandinavia and Christian crusaders searching for a faster route to the East’s finery
How and why does the practice of European slavery start with the Portuguese exploration of Africa?
Italian adventurer Marco Polo, whose stories and drawings pressured European expansion, which led to the creation of the caravel, making sub-Saharan Africa accessible to explorers. They set up trade in Africa, where Arab flesh merchants and Africans had a slave system going, and the Europeans adopted that system
How does the Renaissance create a spirit of exploration in Europe?
It spread scientific knowledge through printing presses, nurtured their ambitions further, and there were new sea travel discoveries
What was the columbian exchange?
A trade system that started when Columbus came to the Americas, new plants and crops that became vital to the Old World, like potatoes, and crops and animals, especially swine, cattle, and horses that became important to the New World
How did the Treaty of Tordesillas benefit the Spanish?
They gained the bigger portion of the “heathen lands” of the New World that they split with Portugal, providing resource and supply space during the Spanish invasion
What conquistadors explored the New World, and what areas did they claim for Spain?
Hernan Cortes, Vasco Nunez Balboa, Pizarro, Ferdinand Magellan, Juan Ponce de Leon, Cabrillo Francisco Coronado, Don Juan de Onate, and Hernando de Soto, claiming Panama, many cities and towns in North America, Peru, and Mexico, St. Augustine, Florida, some of California, and New Mexico
How was Cortés able to conquer the Aztecs?
Promising them revenge on their rivals, bringing with him an army of about 20,000 Indian allies to help fight, coming into their city, ending up fighting them, and winning with the help of a smallpox epidemic that broke out among the Aztecs
How did the conquering of Mexico by Cortés change the culture of the area?
The bringing of animals, languages, crops, laws, religions, customs, and through intermarriages
What was the response of the native Pueblos to the creation of Spanish missions in New Mexico?
Starting the Pueblo revolt, destroying all the Catholic churches in the Province, killing priests and hundreds of Spanish settlers, and building a kiva
Why did the Spanish establish settlements in Texas?
To slow the French’s exploratory threats
What was the Spanish presence in California?
It was late, but strong, and they sought to Christianize the 300,000 native Californians, they doomed the non immune Californians and their cultures soon overshadowed any of the native’s
What was the overall impact of the Spanish on the New World?
They influenced many natives with their culture, language, laws, and religion, created an empire, established many Spanish-speaking nations, created a colonial establishment, and founded much better relationships with the natives than the other explorers
How did France gain strength in Canada?
Their location, as it was very plentiful and had a lot of resources, Champlain founded Quebec and negotiated alliances with the tribes in the St. Lawrence river area
How does New France expand its territory and what are the challenges therein?
Fur trade, their challenges included Spain and other competing colonizing countries
What role did the Spanish play in Europe settling North America?
A conflicting conquering group
What was the impact of English explorers such as Drake, Gilbert, and Raleigh?
They gained a lot of profits from their adventures and claimed a lot of land for England
What is the significance of the defeat of the Spanish Armada for the New World?
It gave England much more power, letting them create their own colonial village
What conditions and laws in England led to the birth of English exploration in the 17th century?
Primogeniture and joint stock companies, and the desire to convert other people to Christianity
What was the purpose of the Virginia Company?
To create a settlement in the New World
Why is the charter of the Virginia Company a significant document in American history?
It gave the settlers overseas the same rights that they would have back at home
What were the early years at Jamestown like, and how did John Smith respond?
Very rough, they were unprepared and were expecting lots of gold, John Smith told the people “He that will not work, shall not eat,” which shows that he did not give up
What was the relationship between the settlers at Jamestown and the local Powhatan Confederacy?
They had a beneficial relationship, helping each other out and providing resources, after John Smith was kidnapped by their chief
Following the Second Anglo-Powhatan War, what happens to the Powhatan Indians?
They were forced out of their native land, the Chesapeake Bay, and their relationship with the colonists became much worse
How did the “three Ds” impact the Powhatans? (Disease, disorganization, and disposability)
It had a negative effect, they were exposed to diseases and a decrease in crops they needed to survive due to European expansion taking over
What was different about the Dutch settlements compared to the British?
The Dutch settlements were less populated and more commercial based compared to the British, who colonized for more religious reasons
How did interactions with Europeans change life for the Native Americans?
It caused the introduction of new diseases and the conquering of their ancestral homes and lands, the Europeans introduced new crops and weaponry that benefited the Native Americans
How did the introduction of tobacco to Virginia by John Rolfe change the fate of that colony?
It saved the colony, they experienced an economic boom, and it rescued them from the brink of collapse and lack of resources
What was the House of Burgesses’s relevance?
Its part in the birth of Representative self-government, the first of many future mini parliaments to come
What was the economic and religious significance of the colony of Maryland?
The colony of Maryland was very prosperous with tobacco, being the second plantation colony, religiously, it focused on Christianity, with the threat of death for those who denied Jesus’ divinity, at the end of the colonial era, Maryland was a main shelter for Roman Catholics
What was the economy of the islands in the West Indies?
Sugar crops, for labor, they used black slaves for the land clearing, extensive planting, and refining through a sugar mill
What was the Barbados Slave Code and how did it eventually affect the American colonies?
It was the settlers way of controlling the slaves, denying them basic human rights, which affected the American colonies later on when there was a growth of governing slavery
Why was the Carolina created, and how did the relationship with the West Indies impacted the colony and its economy?
It was created after the king granted eight in his court a stretch of wilderness across the continent to the Pacific, Carolina and the West Indies were very close, the slave system was introduced to the colony, and their economy prospered with the flourishing sugar islands in the West Indies
What people settled the area that became North Carolina?
A group of poverty-stricken outcasts and religious dissenters
What distinguishes North Carolina from its neighbors Virginia and South Carolina?
They were regarded as poor riffraff, and didn’t participate in the slave trade quite as much at first
What was the relationship between the settlers of North Carolina and natives in the area?
It was a violent relationship, including the Tuscarora War, when North Carolina absolutely demolished the Tuscarora Indians and sold hundreds of them into slavery, and they also fought the Yamasee Indians
What were the two major reasons Georgia was created?
To be a buffer between Carolinians and the Spaniards and French, and a safe haven for those imprisoned for debt
What was the ideas of John Calvin and how did they impact the Puritans and other American settlers?
John Calvin believed that since God was all-knowing, good works were pointless to try to save those predestined to go to hell, which made the Puritans and American settlers question their own salvation and call for faster reformation, some of them broke away from the Church of England, and became Separatists
What’s the difference between Puritans and Separatists?
The Puritans undertook a purification of English Christianity, close to the English church but still a little separate, while the Separatists broke away from the church entirely
What were the steps in the journey the Separatists, or Pilgrims, took from England to eventually end up in the New World?
They were on the Mayflower for 65 days, with many deaths and landed in the wrong location, Plymouth Bay
What is the significance of the Mayflower Compact?
It was written by the pilgrim leaders, and set the precedent for future constitutions and was their first self-government
What were the first two years of the Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony like?
It was very difficult, they were starving and beaten down by the elements, only 44 of them survived, yet the Pilgrims kept up their hope and faith in God
What factors allowed Pilgrims to survive after the first winter?
Fur, fish, lumber, a bountiful harvest, the beaver, the Bible, and strong leaders
How were Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth different from the beginning?
Plymouth’s settlers were separatists while Massachusetts Bay’s were just Puritans, blessed with many people and resources, unlike Plymouth and their small population and unfortunate luck
Why was Governor John Winthrop’s influence on Massachusetts Bay so important?
He made them believe that they had a call from God on their settlement, and inspired them to be “a city on a hill”
Who got to vote in Massachusetts Bay? Who paid taxes? What power did a congregation have over its minister?
Adult males in the Puritan congregation got to vote and nonbelievers and believers paid taxes, a congregation’s powers over its master included the right to hire and fire its minister and set his salary
What was the significance of clergymen like John Cotton and Michael Wigglesworth?
They were very influential, John Cotton defended the government’s right to enforce religious rules, and Michael Wigglesworth taught the truth about hell
What was Puritan life in Massachusetts Bay like, both at work and at play?
It was based on a covenant they believed they had with God to build a holy society that was a model for humankind, very prosperous, males who belonged to the Puritan congregations got to enjoy freedoms such as voting and being a representative in the government, the Puritans enjoyed many simple freedoms, indulging themselves often and extravagantly, but they took life very seriously
What happened to Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams and what were their beliefs?
Ann Hutchinson believed that she had had her own encounter and revelation with God, she was banished and attacked by Indians, and Roger Williams believed the Church of England was corrupt, challenged Bay colony’s legality, and denied the civil government’s authority to regulate religion, he fled to Rhode Island after threat of banishment, and continued preaching his beliefs
Explain how the ideas of Roger Williams are seen in the colony of Rhode Island. What makes Rhode Island so different from Massachusetts Bay?
Roger William’s ideas inspired them to be stubbornly independent, and a statue was made of him. Rhode Island is so different from Massachusetts Bay in the way that they are much more individualistic, and they questioned the views of the church, not just going along blindly
How did New England spread out in the 17th century? In the case of Connecticut, what is the significance of their “Fundamental Orders”?
A trailblazing document called the Fundamental Orders. In the case of Connecticut, their “Fundamental Orders” are important because it created a new settlement there and it prospered for a bit
What was the evolution of the relationship between the Native Americans in the Puritans?
It evolved from peaceful to hostility, they tried to be friends at first, but as more and more Puritans arrived, so did more conflicts, the first big one being the Pequot War
What is the lasting significance of “King Philip’s War”?
It was a lasting defeat of the New England’s Indians
What was the significance of the New England Confederation?
It was a military alliance between the Indians, the French, and the Dutch and was an early intercolonial cooperation experiment
What was the purpose of the creation of the Dominion of New England?
To embrace all of New England, and expand to include New York and New Jersey
Following the Glorious Revolution, how did the royal government deal with the American colonies?
By starting a “salutary neglect,” only weakly enforcing the Navigation Laws and appointing new royal governors. More English officials entered English America and its courts
What was the settlement of New Netherland and New Amsterdam by the Dutch like?
It was constantly under threat from English colonies, and they weren’t heavily defended
How does New Amsterdam turn into New York?
When the Duke of York showed up and took over and the Dutch had to surrender
What was the beliefs of the Quakers?
They were peace-loving, modern, provided economic opportunity, religious freedom, and civil liberty, a people of deep convictions, simple and devoted to their beliefs
How does William Penn create Pennsylvania, and what tactics does he use to promote settlement of the area?
He secured a land grant from the king, bringing up a monetary debt the king owed to his father, promoting it through paid agents, pamphlets, and welcoming people looking for change
How does Penn’s treatment of Native Americans differ from his New England neighbors?
He was very amiable and friendly, peacefully interacting with them, while his New England neighbors had constant conflicts with the Native Americans
What was the government and laws of Pennsylvania like under Penn’s leadership?
Very lax, and very equalized for most citizens, based upon freedom and equal representation
What did the group of colonies from New York to Delaware, known as the Middle Colonies, have in common?
They had fertile soil, broad land, heavy exports of grain, fluid streams, and a surprising amount of industry
What differentiated the Middle colonies from its neighbors in New England to the north and the Plantation colonies to the South?
They were smaller than the Plantation colonies but bigger than the New England colonies, the Middle Colonies local government was somewhere in between their two neighbor’s, and they had fewer industries than New England but more than the South
What was life like in the Chesapeake colonies during the seventeenth century?
It was a struggle, diseases ran rampant, lifespans were short, there were very few families, and life was overall a struggle, nevertheless, the colonists pushed through
What was the expansion of tobacco production in the Chesapeake colonies?
It began small with settlers looking to get rich quick, but it spread very quickly and presented a need for new land constantly and more laborers, which they found through indentured servants
What labor source worked the tobacco plantations during most of the seventeenth century, and why were they the preferred source at that point?
Indentured servants, in taking them in and paying for their passage, the settlers gained land and a laborer, and they weren’t as costly as African American slaves nor as exhaustible as Indians
What was the headright system?
Whoever paid for the passage of a laborer was granted 50 acres of land and gained a new servant indebted to them
What was the life of an indentured servant in the new Chesapeake settlements like?
They had their passage paid to America, but had to work for the person who paid it for four to seven years, and, once they arrived, they were given “freedom dues.” They lived a life of hopefulness and yearning for a free life of their own
What factors led to Bacon’s Rebellion?
Young bachelors, called freemen, who sought to acquire land and a wife, were forced to the untamed backlands of the New land, and their anger towards these situations led to it
What is the major effect of Bacon’s Rebellion?
It shook the patriarchy’s foundation of traditional authority within Virginia
What was the expansion of slavery in the American colonies from 1619 to 1750 like?
It started with a small number of Africans in Jamestown to them being half the population in Virginia, the need for laborers grew dramatically within this time, and it was spurred on by Bacon’s Rebellion. Slave trade was very lucrative and boosted the economy of Virginia
How did laws distinguish between slave and servant in the American colonies?
The “slave codes,” making blacks and their children the property of their masters for life
What was the hierarchy found in the Southern social structure?
It was based on great planters, the harder-working you were, the higher up you were on the social ladder. The small farmers were the biggest social group, a step down from the top, then the landless whites, the indentured servants, and, lastly, black slaves.
How was life in New England different from life in the Chesapeake colonies?
It was much more successful than the Chesapeake colonies, as they were mostly free from diseases, had higher life spans, lived more permanently, and they had a higher population. The Chesapeake colonies struggled a bit, disease-ridden and fragile families were common themes, but their economic security for Southern women was more equal than New England’s
What was the family structure and life that could be found in New England during the early colonial period?
A very strong one, with longer life spans, higher populations, and a booming birth rate, their children were raised in nurturing environments and stable homes, gaining wisdom and guidance from their elders
What was life like for women in the New England colonies?
Life was tiring for them, they gave birth frequently, but they raised very nurturing homes, denied many rights, surrendering them to their husbands when married
What was the typical New England town like?
Tightly-knit and unified through Puritanism, and they had many small villages and farms
In what ways do we see the importance of education in Puritan life?
The way they valued literacy as the key to understanding the Bible, towns of 50 or more were required to provide education at the elementary level, and many colleges, including Harvard, were founded
What is the Half-Way Covenant, and why is it so important to the evolution of the Puritan congregations?
It was a change in the church’s covenant that allowed the children of baptized but unconverted church members to become baptized and become church members with political rights, important because it diluted the original settlers godly community’s spiritual purity, and women became a majority of churchgoers
How did the Salem witch trials show turmoil in social and religious conditions in Massachusetts?
It showed the social stratification of New England, just how easily the Puritans could be influenced, that the religious conditions in Massachusetts were very fragile and unstable as their superstitions grew, taking it out on many young women
How did New Englanders use the land, and in what ways did their commerce differ from the South?
They used it as their duty, to improve it, completely different from the ways of the Natives whose commerce differed from the South in that they used harbors and utilized many of the natural resources such as timber, instead of the South who mainly planted tobacco
How was seventeenth century colonial American society different from Old World society?
It was much more abundant, with a different social hierarchy and new ideas beginning to form
What are some examples of the attempts to recreate European social structure in the colonies, as well as examples of the effects of resentment against “upper-class pretension” in colonial America?
Bacon’s Rebellion in which the people struggling tried to put gaining more land and climbing the social ladder into their own hands, and Leisler’s Rebellion, with New York’s landholders and aspiring merchants fighting over the aristocracy and the hierarchy higher-ups
