C4 - American life in the 17th Century 1607-1692

Question 1

William Berkeley

Answer 1

1670: Governor of VA. Dealt with Bacon’s Rebellion. Berkeley crushed it with brutal cruelty…hanging 20 rebels.

Question 2

Slave codes

Answer 2

1662: laws passed in VA said blacks and their children were property (chattels) for life of their white masters. Other colonies made it a crime to teach slaves to read/write.

Question 3

jeremiads

Answer 3

Mid 1600s Puritan preachers started a new form of sermon…scolding people for being less holy/pious than earlier generations.

Question 4

middle passage

Answer 4

Slaves’ trip by ship from Africa to America. Terrible, hot conditions. Sometimes 20% would die on this trip.

Question 5

headright system

Answer 5

VA and MD had this system to encourage importation of servants. If a colonist paid for passage of a laborer, that colonist got right to buy 50 acres of land. This motivated colonists to bring large amounts of servants to the region so they could acquire large amounts of land. In 1600s, indentured servants made up more than 3/4 of all immigrants in VA and MD.

Question 6

indentured servitude

Answer 6

Poor English farmers worked for years for a colonist who needed a laborer. The colonist paid for their travel from england. After years of work they were paid “freedom dues”…small amount of food/clothes and may small piece of land.

Hard but hopeful life.

Question 7

Bacon’s Rebellion

Answer 7

1676: 1000 rebels (poor freemen, former indentured servants, discontented at lack of land, opportunity, women, and lack of help dealing with unfriendly Indians). Murdered Indians, went to VA capital and burned buildings. Ran Gov. William Berkeley out of Jamestown .

Question 8

Nathaniel Bacon

Answer 8

1670. poor VA planter that led Bacon’s Rebellion. Suddenly died of disease during the rebellion.

Question 9

Leisler’s Rebellion

Answer 9

1689-1691 in New York City. Bloody fight between New York’s lordly aristocratic landholders and merchants who were trying to start out.

Question 10

Half-Way Covenant

Answer 10

1662: New arrangement in Puritan church to admit a members (but not full members) unconverted children. Started to erase distinction between “elect” and other members.

Question 11

Royal African Company

Answer 11

1672-1698: Charter given by King of England to capture/trade slaves. Charter ended in 1698 and some colonists quickly got into this profitable business.

Question 12

Ringshout

Answer 12

W. African religious dance brought to colonial America by slaves - contributed to start of jazz music.

Question 13

New York City Slave Revolts of 1712

Answer 13

12 whites were killed and 21 blacks executed. Slaves revolted because they longed for freedom.

Question 14

Stono River Rebellion

Answer 14

1739: 50 blacks revolted and tried to go to Florida (ruled by Spain at the time).

Overall Slaves were more manageable labor force than white indentured servants.

Question 15

First Families of VA (FFVs)

Answer 15

Families that had owned land in VA for decades. They owned huge amounts of land and held the most political power. 70 percent of VA legislature came from these families.

Question 16

“New England Conscience”

Answer 16

New Englanders developed tightly-knit society - they were concerned about moral health of their communities. First to lead crusade to banish black slavery.

Question 17

Harvard

Answer 17

Founded in 1636 by MA puritans to train boys for ministry.

New England society was more planned/tight/educated. By contrast the first southern college, William and Mary, was formed 80 years later.

Question 18

William and Mary

Answer 18

Founded in 1693. First college in Virgina/South

Question 19

Salem Witch trials

Answer 19

1692: 20 women killed. Large scale witch hunts were happening in Europe at the time.

Also a result of unsettled social conditions and changing economy of Massachusetts at that time. Growing market economy vs. subsistence farmers. All accused witches were from families involved in the Market economy.

1693 - ended by governor after his own wife was accused.

Question 20

Unhealthy Chesapeake (Virginia & Maryland)

Answer 20

Short life spans for early settlers. Diseases: Malaria, dysentery, typhoid.

Few women - family life fragile - few families - most marriages ended with early death of spouse.

Better by 1700. Children born in area developed immunity to diseases. More women came allowing for more families. VA and Maryland grew large populations.

Question 21

Tobacco

Answer 21

Grew very well in Chesapeake area (VA & Maryland/southern colonies). sold for huge profits.

Tobacco ruins soil, so growers continued moving, taking more land, provoking fights with Indians.

Created need for lots of labor. Chesapeake colonists reproduced too slowly to provide lots of workers, Indians died quickly, African slaves expensive. England still had economic problems, so poor farmers would come to Chesapeake as indentured servants.

Question 22

South Carolina

Answer 22

Main crop was rice. SC known as rice basket of British Empire. Tough life/conditions for slaves on Rice plantations.

Question 23

Slave conditions: Chesapeake area vs. deep south (S. Carolina)

Answer 23

Chesapeake: Tobacco - somewhat easier life - Tobacco fields less physically demanding. plantations closer together/smaller, so slaves had more contact with other slaves. Life was healthy enough that slave numbers were maintained by families/babies.

Deeper south: Rice and indigo plantations huge/far apart - no ability to see other slaves/friends. Work unhealthy and so physically demanding. Only way to maintain slave population was to bring in new slaves.

In healthier areas, African Americans born on American soil - African customs mixed with American in language, music, etc.

Question 24

New England vs. Southern colonies: family life

Answer 24

New England: Environment was healthier (clean water, cooler temps kept disease rates lower), so men & women lived longer, stayed married, had many children - moms raised children. Divorce was rare, pregnancy before marriage - rare. Puritan New England had laws to defend integrity of marriage. Women convicted of adultery had to wear “A” sewed on to all garments (basis for Nathanial Hawthorne’s 1850 tale, “The Scarlett Letter”.

South: climate more unhealthy. People owned huge plantations - not many towns/cities/roads for people to gather. People died young, so family life was harder to establish. pregnancy before marriage common - family unit not strong.

Question 25

New England town meetings/early example of democracy

Answer 25

Puritans had democracy in running their churches and government. Adult men discussed/voted on local political matters and elected leaders. These examples/ideas helped in forming of a US government later.