Unit 2 Flashcards
(33 cards)
What type of colonies were established in the Chesapeake region?
Joint-stock colonies (charter colonies or corporate colonies)
These colonies were funded by independent contractors seeking a return on investment.
What was the headright system established by the Virginia Company in 1618?
A policy offering 50 acres of land for every person a settler paid to bring over
This system led to the establishment of large estates worked on by indentured servants.
What was the primary labor force in the Chesapeake colonies initially?
Indentured servants
These were generally single, young, poor Englishmen who hoped to acquire land after their servitude.
What was the significance of the Virginia House of Burgesses established in 1619?
It was the first representative government in English North America
Members were elected by white men with property, reflecting the gentry’s interests.
What major event led to Virginia becoming the first royal colony?
The Uprising of 1622
This conflict between English colonists and Native Americans resulted in the Virginia Company losing its charter.
What was Nathaniel Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 primarily about?
Frustration over Governor William Berkeley’s lack of support against Native Americans
The rebellion led to a shift from indentured servant labor to African slave labor.
What did the 1705 slave code enacted by the House of Burgesses signify?
It embedded white supremacy into Virginia law
Virginia transitioned from a society with slaves to a slave society.
Who founded the Maryland colony and in what year?
Cecilius Calvert (Lord Baltimore) in 1632
He aimed for Maryland to be a haven for both Catholics and Protestants.
What was the Maryland Act of Toleration of 1649?
It granted religious freedom to all Christian colonists
This was an early attempt at religious tolerance in the colonies.
What was the outcome of the Pequot War in 1637?
Massacre of the Pequot tribe and enslavement of survivors
This conflict marked a significant escalation in violence between English colonists and Native Americans.
What did the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639) establish?
The first constitution in America
It created a representative government with a legislature elected by popular vote.
What was the primary belief of the Puritans regarding church and government?
Church membership was required to vote or hold office
Puritan societies prioritized religious conformity over individual freedoms.
What was the significance of the Mayflower Compact?
It established a framework for self-governance among the Pilgrims
They agreed to obey laws enacted by democratically-elected representatives.
Who was Roger Williams and what did he advocate for?
He founded Rhode Island and advocated for the separation of church and state
Williams welcomed religious diversity and rejected the Puritan mission to spread faith.
What was the main economic activity in the Chesapeake and Southern colonies?
Large-scale plantation farming
Cash crops like tobacco, indigo, rice, and cotton were cultivated for trade.
What was the Stono Rebellion of 1739?
An uprising of enslaved Africans against their owners
This rebellion led to stricter slave codes in the colonies.
What was the impact of the English takeover of New Amsterdam in 1664?
Growth in population but reduced freedoms
The English rule limited economic rights previously enjoyed by women and free blacks.
What was the role of tobacco in Virginia’s economy?
It became the main cash crop and substitute for gold
Tobacco farming attracted more settlers and shaped the colony’s economy.
What was the significance of the Halfway Covenant of 1662?
It allowed ancestry to determine voting rights
This was a response to declining church membership in Massachusetts.
What was the Dominion of New England?
A super-colony combining several New England colonies
It was ruled by Sir Edmund Andros and aimed to centralize control.
What were the Salem Witch Trials of 1692?
A series of prosecutions for witchcraft in Massachusetts
These trials reflected the extremes of Puritan fanaticism and societal tensions.
What was the realization of the long-feared idea regarding slaves?
That slaves would rise up and rebel
This rebellion was significant because slaves vastly outnumbered slaveowners.
What happened to the rebels after the uprising?
They were either killed or returned to slavery.
What resulted from the slave rebellion?
A stricter slave code.
