The Colonial Period (1500-1763)

Question 0

What is the “Line of Demarcation”?

Answer 0

A line dividing the heathen world into two equal parts: that east of the line for Portugal and that west of the line for Spain.
The pope made this decision (urged by Spain).

Question 1

In which years did the Colonial Period take place?

Answer 1

1500-1763

Question 2

What is the Treaty of Tordesillas and when was it made?

Answer 2

Because the line was more favorable to Spain, but Portugal had the stronger navy, they made a treaty that moved the Line of Demarcation farther west.

It was later ignored by other colonies.

Question 3

What are conquistadors?

Answer 3

Independent Spanish adventurers

Question 4

How did the conquistadors destroy the population of the Caribbean Islands?

Answer 4

They brought European diseases with them, which the natives had no immunity to.

Question 5

Who is Vasco Nunez de Balboa, what is he known for, and when was this accomplished?

Answer 5

He was a conquistador who was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean in 1514.

Question 6

Who is Juan Ponce de Leon, and what is he known for? When did this happen?

Answer 6

He was a conquistador who explored Florida in search for gold and a “fountain of youth”. He never found them. But he claimed Florida for Spain around 1510.

Question 7

Who was Hernando Cortes, and what is he known for? When did this happen?

Answer 7

In 1519 he led the expedition against the Aztecs. At first the Aztecs thought he was a god due to his horses, weapons, armor, etc. which were all new in the Americas. Something else that was new was his diseases. This destroyed the Aztec empire.

Question 8

What did Hernando de Soto do?

Answer 8

He led a 600 man expedition from 1539-1541 through the southeastern United States. He went as far as Oklahoma and discovered the Mississippi River. He was buried on its’ banks.

Question 9

What did Francisco Vasquez de Coronado do?

Answer 9

He led an expedition from 1540-1542 from Mexico to several US states.
Some of his men were the first to see the Grand Canyon.

Question 10

How did Spain control their new lands?

Answer 10

Harshly. They were very controlling, suffocating. EVERYTHING was to benefit the parent country. Every year riches were sent to Spain.

Question 11

Few Spaniards were coming to America. How did Spain deal with the small population, which meant a shortage in labour?

Answer 11

Spain developed a system called encomiendas (large manors or estates with Indian slaves who were treated ruthlessly). This was also a reward for conquistadors.
The Indians eventually died off, and they started importing African slaves.

Question 12

What great accomplishment did John Cabot make, and when?

Answer 12

In 1497 he was the first European since the Vikings more than 4 centuries earlier to reach the mainland if North America, he claimed it for England.

Question 13

What all did Jacques Cartier do?

Answer 13

Beginning in 1534 he led 3 expeditions to the area of the St. Lawrence River. He had hoped it would be the coveted North West Passage. He went up the River but was stopped by rapids (or so he thought) from continuing to China. He did however clams the area for France. He abandoned his last expedition.

Question 14

What was noticeable in the 16th centuries for America?

Answer 14

Both France and England showed little interest in America during this time.
The 16th century was very violent however, for both America and Europe.

Question 15

Who were the Huguenots and what happened to them?

Answer 15

They were French Protestants who attempted to escape persecution in Catholic France by settling in the new world. They were massacred by the Spaniards.

Question 16

The Spaniards were getting nervous about losing their land. What did this result in?

Answer 16

They built a fort that would be the beginnings of settlement in St. Augustine, Florida. It is the oldest European settlement in what is now the USA.

Question 17

_____ & _____ sea captions made sport and profit from plundering the Spaniards.

Answer 17

French and English

Question 18

One of the most successful sea captions, Francis Drake, did what? And who was secretly supporting him?

Answer 18

• Raided the Pacific Coast
• Claimed California for England
• Returned to England by sailing around the world.
• Queen Elizabeth quietly invested in his voyages. When he returned, she openly showed her approval.

Question 19

Who were Sir Humphrey Gilbert and Martin Frobisher?

Answer 19

Sir Humphrey Gilbert, an English nobleman, thought that England should be founding colonies and find the Norther Passage.
He got Martin Frobisher to attempt both. He went along Canada’s coast and brought back what ended up being fools gold. His attempt to start a colony failed.
He died at sea.

Question 20

Martin Frobisher’s brother, with support from the queen, accomplished what?

Answer 20

Sir Walter Raleigh founded the colony which he named Virginia (the unmarked English queen’s name) and firsts settled in Roanoke Island.

Question 21

What happened to the colony in Roanoke?

Answer 21

• The first attempt failed. But the second voyage brought 114 people to Roanoke in July 1587.
• Virginia Dare was the first English child born in America.
• the expedition’s leader, John White returned to England for supplies. He was delayed by war, and when he returned everyone was gone.

Question 22

After the failure in Roanoke, how long was it until the English tried to colonize in America again?

Answer 22

15 years

Question 23

In the first decade of the 1600s Englishmen ________.

Answer 23

Once again undertook to plant colonies.

Question 24

Two groups if merchants gained charters from James I. What were they? How were they joined?

Answer 24

1) Based in London. Charter: between (what is now) the Hudson and the Cape Fear rivers.
2) based in Plymouth. Charter: Potomac to the northern border of present day Maine.

They were joint stock companies; raised their capital by the sale of shares of stock.

Question 25

What happened to the Plymouth company who attempted to start colonies in the first decade of the 1600s?

Answer 25

1) The Plymouth Company in 1697 got discouraged after one winter and returned to Britain.

Question 26

What (and when) was the first English settlement in North America?

Answer 26

Jamestown, Virginia in 1607.

Question 27

How were conditions for the first settlers in Jamestown?

Answer 27

At first it looked as though they might have the same fate as many of the other attempts. The majority of settlers died from starvation, disease, or hostile actions from the Indians.
However their losses were continuously replaced.

Question 28

In Jamestown, how were profits shared? What was the effect?

Answer 28

Because the entire colony was owned by the company, all members shared profits regardless of how much or little work they did. This resulted in a lack of incentive. Some thought they were “too good” to work on raising the crops they needed to survive.

Question 29

For purpose of defense, the settlement was sites on a peninsula. What problems did this cause?

Answer 29

• It was low and swampy, making a great breeding ground for diseases.
• at high tide their water was contaminated by sea water.

Question 30

Who was John Smith and what did he do?

Answer 30

• In 1608 & 1609 he came to lead the colony. He basically saved them with his leadership.
• his rule: “He who works not, eats not.”
• he returned in 1609 and the colony’s condition became critical again.

Question 31

In 1612 a resident discovered something valuable that would give Virginia a major cash crop. What was it?

Answer 31

A superior strain of tobacco

Question 32

In the early 1600’s the popular crop if tobacco was discovered. Many indentured servants were shipped to Virginia. To control the workers, the company gave it’s American Governors what?

1. Excessive Funding
2. Servants to govern over the lower indentured servants
3. Dictatorial powers, allowing harsh rule.

Answer 32

3. Dictatorial powers, allowing harsh rule.

Question 33

In the early 1600’s, Virginia’s indentured servant program gained the reputation as being a (1)__________ which attracted (2) less or more immigrants?

Answer 33

1) Death trap. It was terrible and abusive!

2) Less immigrants. This caused a big problem.

Question 34

Edwin Sandy made changes in Virginia to attract more settlers. What were the settlers promised?

Answer 34

The settlers were promised the same rights they had in England.

Question 35

What was the first representative assembly in America? When was it founded?

Answer 35

The House of Burgesses

Founded in 1619

Question 36

When we’re the first Africans brought to Virginia? How were they treated?

Answer 36

First brought to America (Virginia) in 1619.

They were treated as indentured servants rather than slaves.

Question 37

King James 1 made Virginia a Royal Colony. What was his opinion on political eighths and the Representative Assembly?

Answer 37

He did not believe in them and he revoked them from the colony of Virginia.

His son Charles 1, 15 years later, restored these rights.

Question 38

Why were the French on such good terms with the Indians?

Answer 38

There were so few of them.

Question 39

How and when was the Hudson River discovered?

Answer 39

In 1609 Holland sent Henry Hudson in search of a North-West Passage. He discovered the river now named The Hudson River after himself.

Question 40

In the Colonial Period, describe the New Netherlands briefly.

Answer 40

Internally weak and unstable.

A mixed population forming “unstable pluralism”.

Question 41

How are Puritans and Separatists different?

Answer 41

Though very similar, Separatists believed that the Church of England was beyond saving and so they felt they must separate from it, unlike the Puritans.

Question 42

Why did the Pilgrims come to the US and who were they?

Answer 42

They were Separatists who were being harassed by the government. They fled to Holland, which didn’t workout, so they fled to America.

Question 43

When did the Pilgrims depart for the Americas? And who were they led by?

Answer 43

They departed in 1620.

They were led by William Bradford.

Question 44

The Pilgrim’s ship (The Mayflower) made landfall where?

Answer 44

Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

Question 45

In the Massachusetts Bay Colony were there more Puritans or Separatists?

Answer 45

More Puritans.

Question 46

How did King James 1 deal with the Puritans?

How did Charles 1 deal with the Puritans?

Answer 46

King James 1 had no use for them, but did nothing with or to them.

Charles 1 determined to persecute them in 1629.

Question 47

How was the Pilgrim’s journey to the America’s funded?

Answer 47

Charles 1, eager to get rid of them, funded the joint-stock company called the Massachusetts Bay Company.

Question 48

The Pilgrims were under the leadership of whom, and what were his views?

Answer 48

John Winthrop

He believed that the colony should provide the world with a model of what a Christian society should be.