significance of North America and Jamaica

Question 1

what way was much of the trade from the New world + why

Answer 1

• much of the trade was one-way
• as imports of raw materials from the New world vastly outnumbered any exports

Question 2

when did Columbus discover America + who was interested in the content

Answer 2

• Columbus discovered America in 1492
• much of the early interest in the continent was from the Spanish and Dutch

Question 3

what constituted to an atmosphere suited to expansion westwards

Answer 3

• defeat of the Spanish Armada
• growth of puritanism

Question 4

what did the establishment of Jamestown colony in Virginia 1607 mark

Answer 4

marked the beginning of a lucrative tobacco trade with England

Question 5

give an example of how tobacco became an important part of life in the colony

Answer 5

in 1669, crimes of adultery were punished in Virginia by a fine of 1,000lbls of tobacco

Question 6

how was tobacco important for the British

Answer 6

• helped them compete with other European powers in North America, particularly the Dutch
• Stuart economy was boosted as custom duties could be levied on tobacco when it was transported back to England
• became crucial in funding William III’s military campaigns

Question 7

what were the two methods of providing workers for the tobacco trade

Answer 7

• vagrants
• indentured servants

Question 8

what was the consequence of using vagrants and indentured servants for providing workers for tobacco trade

Answer 8

• went some way towards solving the problems of unemployment and vagrancy
• but the amount paid in poor relief were still high

Question 9

who were the majority of settlers in Virginia and Maryland

Answer 9

• Anglican
• catholic refugees

Question 10

by 1700, how much tobacco was being exported from North America

Answer 10

22million lbs

Question 11

give an example of a puritan colony in America

Answer 11

Providence Island company 1629

Question 12

how were prominent puritans, such as Pym, involved in the Providence Island company

Answer 12

they had financial interests in the company

Question 13

how many puritans did the Massachusetts Bay Colony receive in the 1630s and why

Answer 13

• received 20,000 puritans
• at the height of Laud’s persecutions

Question 14

what did the Puritan New England colonies emerge as and how did they strengthen the British economy

Answer 14

• as farming and fishing communities
• they were able to create markets for the trade of fur

Question 15

what was the primary motive for the establishment of the Puritan and catholic colonies

Answer 15

contempt for religious policies of Charles I

Question 16

what northern colonies continued to grow and what fuelled their economic growth

Answer 16

• Rhode Island, Maine and Massachusetts
• farming, fishing and shipbuilding became an essential industry

Question 17

how did Newfoundland, established in 1583, become important for England

Answer 17

provided useful economic resources, especially fish, which were transported to England and traded on the continent

Question 18

what was a positive effect of these colonies

Answer 18

high church, catholic and Anglican settlers were running large plantations for the export of tobacco

Question 19

what was a negative effect of these colonies

Answer 19

largely puritan colonies attempted to implement a deeply religious society where all were equal under the eyes of God

Question 20

what was the initial colonial success in the Caribbean a result of

Answer 20

result of the Spanish conquest

Question 21

when was Bermuda and St Kitts influenced by Britain and how was it influenced

Answer 21

• Bermuda was occupied by British in 1612
• small number of settlers moved to St Kitts in 1624

Question 22

what did Sir Thomas Warner begin to do and how did this benefit the economy

Answer 22

• Warner began growing tobacco on the island
• some limited trade with Europe took place

Question 23

why did Spanish sea power decline after 1620 + how did this benefit Britain

Answer 23

• declined due to regular incursions by pirates
• economic depression in Spain
• gave British colonists the opportunity to occupy Montserrat, Barbados and Antigua

Question 24

what crop became Antigua’s primary crop after 1674

Answer 24

sugar

Question 25

what did the large plantations needed to support the sugar trade lead to

Answer 25

the expansion of the Atlantic slave trade

Question 26

what increased during the interregnum + what did Cromwell’s protectorate commit itself to

Answer 26

• British interest in the Caribbean increased
• Cromwells protectorate committed itself to expanding foreign trade and influence

Question 27

what was the ‘Grand Western Design’

Answer 27

• to expand foreign trade and influence
• disrupt the Spanish monopoly on trade in the region

Question 28

what did massive investment in the navy result in between 1646-1659

Answer 28

• 109 vessels being built
• 111 vessels being captured by the British

Question 29

what did the British try to do to rid the Caribbean of the Spanish + what was the result when this failed

Answer 29

• British tried to capture Hispaniola
• but when that failed, Jamaica was seized

Question 30

when were the Spanish defeated

Answer 30

1660

Question 31

what happened once Jamaica was secure

Answer 31

the English government granted patents to wealthy merchants and members of the gentry for most of the land was fit for cultivation

Question 32

how much did the slave population increase in between 1670-1713

Answer 32

• in 1670 there were 7,000 slaves
• rose to 55,000 in 1713

Question 33

what crop was suited to Jamaicas climate and environment + what other crops became popular outputs

Answer 33

• sugar was dominant
• but cocoa and coffee became popular

Question 34

how many British settlers were there in Jamaica by 1662

Answer 34

4,000

Question 35

what were the two reasons as to why Jamaica was important between 1655-1688

Answer 35

• English capture of Jamaica and Cayman Islands led to the Treaty of Madrid with Spain in 1670. Spain recognised English possessions in the Caribbean and English ships were permitted to sail freely between the Caribbean islands
• sugar trade became extremely successful, especially after slaves replaced the indentured servants from Britain. This success became especially dramatic after 1688