Chapter 3 Flashcards
What caused the population spike (from 250,000 to 2,500,000) in the Americas within the 18th century?
-Immigration of almost a million people
-A sharp natural increase, caused chiefly by a high birthrate among colonial families
What attracted thousands of European settlers each year and also supported the raising of large families?
-An abundance of fertile American land
-A dependable food supply
Who and from where were the many immigrants coming to America from?
They were Protestants from France and German-speaking kingdoms and principalities
Why did people go to the Americas?
-To escape religious persecution and wars
-Economic opportunity either by farming new land or setting up shop in a colonial town as an artisan or a merchant
How many English people were coming to the Americas?
A continual rate;
There were fewer problems back home though so their numbers were relatively small compared to the Germans and Scotch-Irish
What did the Germans do in America?
-They maintained their German language, customs, and religions (i.e., Lutheran, Mennonite, etc.)
-While obeying colonial laws, they showed little interest in English politics
Why did the Scotch-Irish go to America?
Had little respect for the British government, compelling them to leave Ireland
What were the largest single group of non-English immigrants in the Americas?
The Africans
How did the African Americans (both enslaved and free) live in the 18th century?
-Some were granted their freedom after years of forced labor
-Outside the South, thousands of them worked at a broad range of occupations (laborer, bricklayer, blacksmith)
-Some were enslaved and others were free wage earners and property owners
Where were the African Americans densely located?
In the South, especially in South Carolina aand Georgia
How were the thirteen colonial societies similar in nationality?
Most of the population was English in origini, language, and tradition;
However, non-English immigrants brought diveerse influences of their own
How were the thirteen colonial societies similar in government?
The government of each colony had a representative assembly that was elected by eligible voters (limited to white male property owners)
In what two colonies was the governor also elected by the people?
Rhode Island and Connecticut
In what colonies were the governors either (1) appointed by the Crown or (2) by a proprietor?
(1) New York and Virginia;
(2) Pennsylvania and Maryland
How were the thirteen colonial societies similar in religious toleration?
All colonies permitted the practice of different religions, but with varying degrees of freedom,
With Massachusetts as the most conservative and Rhode Island and Pennsylvania as the most liberal
How were the thirteen colonial societies similar in aristocracy?
-No nobility that inherited special privileges
-No masses of hungry poor
-Yes to a narrower class system, based on economics, with wealthy landowners at the top and craft workers and small farmers in the majority
How were the thirteen colonial societies similar in social mobility?
With exception of the African Americans, all people had an opportunity to improve their standard of living and social status by hard work
How did men live in the colonies?
-Most of them did the work
-Landowning was primarly reserved to them
-They were given almost unlimited power
How did women live in the colonies?
-They did household work (i.e., cooking, cleaning, making clothes, and providing medical care)
-They educated the children
-They had limited legal and political rights
How did people get rich in the colonies, which were very profitable?
The quickest route to welath was through the land though regional georgaphy often provided distinct opportunities
How was farming done in New England, and why?
Due to New England’s rocky soil and long winters, farming was limites to subsistence levels, meaning that farms were small and that farming was usually done by and for family members
How did New England colonists make profit in the colonies?
From logging, shipbuilding, fishing, trading, and rum-distilling;
Basically by being active in the industries
How was farming done in the Middle colonies, and why?
Because of rich soil, people could profit off of wheat and corn for export to Europe and the West Indies;
Indentured servants and hired laborers worked with a farm family
Were there manufacturing efforts in the Middle colonies?
Yes but they were small;
Examples include iron-making and trading, the latter of which led to thr growth of Philadelphia and New York
How was farming done in the Southern colonies, and why?
Because of the diverse geography and climate of the colonies, most people lived on small subsistence family farms with no slaves, but few lived on large plantations that relied on slave labor
What were the agricultural products of the Chesapeake and North Carolina colonies?
Tobacco
What were the agricultural products of the Carolinas?
Timber and naval stores (tar and pitch)
What were the agriultural products of South Carolina and Georgia?
Rice and indigo
How did Britain economically control their colonies’ economy?
By limiting the use of money;
The gorwing colonies were forced to use much of limited hard currency (gold and silver) to pay for the imports from Britain that increasingly exceeded colonial exports
How was transportation of goods done in the colonies?
It was mainly done by water because it was easier, so trading centers (including Boston and Charleston) were located on the sites of good harbors and navigable rivers
What did taverns provide?
-Food and lodging for travelers
-Social centers where news was exchanged and politics discussed
What did the mid-18 century postal system within and between the colonies use?
Horses on overland routes and small ships on water routes
To what type of religious denominations did an overwhelming majority of colonists belong to?
The Protestants denominations
Why was the Church of England’s development in the colonies hindered?
Because there was an absense of Church of England bishops in America to ordain ministers and its existence in America was seen as a symbol of English control in the colonies
What are “established churches”?
Churches financed through the government
How did colonial governments in the 17th century support churches?
By taxing people to support one particular Protestant denomination
Why did governments gradually reduce their support of the churches, and when?
As various immigrant groups increased the religious diversity of the colonies;
By the 1730s
What was the Great Awakening?
A movement characterized by fervent expressions of religious feeling among masses of people
When was the Great Awakening strongest?
During the 1730s and 1740s
What did Jonathan Edwards teach in his sermon entitled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”?
Invoking the Old Testament scriptures, he argued that God was rightfully angry with human sinfulness;
Each individual who expressed deep penitence could be saved by God’s grace, but the souls who paid no heed to God’s Commandments would suffer eternal damnation
Where were Jonathan Edwards’ teachings most impactful?
In New England
