Exam of United States History to 1877

Exam 1 Study Guide Complete answers including specific time period (decade) or date, reference to the origin of an event/person/term, and a discussion of what changes took place after the event/person/term took action, as well as significance (Why did the event/person/term matter in the course of history? Possible ID Terms: Bacon’s Rebellion  As the lower class started expanding west to get away from the higher classes they asked the government to get rid of the natives who owned the land. However, Governor William Berkley refused and the colonists thought he favored the Indians over them. As a result, Nathaniel Bacon leads a rebellion in 1676, where he fights the natives along other rebels, defying the governor’s orders. After Bacon defeats the Indians, he then leads his followers to Jamestown and burns the city to the ground. Once Bacon dies, the movement collapses. It is important to note that Berkley and Bacon are cousins. Plantations went from indentured servants to slaves in order to prevent rebellions in the future. Cape Coast Castle  This castle was built by Europeans in Ghana in 1727. It was created as fortification and a dungeon where slaves were kept until they get onto boats to be sold in the New World. Equiano describes his experience in this holding place, which existed because of the large call for slaves. It was the 1st step in middle passage. Eastern Woodland Peoples  This title is a broad designation of many small tribes living up against east coast of the United States during the 15th to 16th century. They were made up of both Iroquois and Algonquian language groups. It is important to understand that native Americans belonged to hundreds of different and varied groups across the whole continent as colonists just viewed them as one. And unlike the colonists had claimed, they had a developed society that included religion and community gatherings. French and Indian War  Started from 1754 to 1756, in Fort Necessity, where George Washington, a young leader at the time, made a military mistake because of the fact that he did not understand native culture. In 1756, the war escalated into the Seven Years’ War during the ambush in Fort Duquesne. The wars were between the French and the English mainly, but they both had native groups who fought with them. The French were allied with the Algonquians while the British were allied with the Iroquois. The war ended with the Treaty of Paris of 1763, where the French had surrendered their land in the Americas to the British. French Empire  In the mid 18th century, the French were very involved in the fur trade in North America. The French usually did not settle in large numbers as their focus was more on trade than creating settlements. They also had missions, where they would send people to convert the natives. The Algonquians were allies with the French and were enemies to the Iroquois and the English. The French and the Algonquians intermarried frequently as it gave them security for trade. They were in the middle ground, they were not dominant over the natives, they adapted to native culture. The French were extremely friendly with the natives. Unlike the English, they created meaningful relationships with them and took part in their gift giving rituals. Indentured Servant  This term was used for people who wanted to go to United States in the 1600s, which became a great opportunity for the lower class in England. They would sell their labor for around 4 to 7 years in exchange for their passage. While they were not full members of their community, they were not slaves either. Once they gained their freedom, they could even become landowners. However, there were limits to their lives during their indentured servitude as they could not marry. Nevertheless, nothing marked theses servants as being any different than the other colonists, which allowed many of them to run away. James Oglethorpe  In 1733, James Oglethorpe lead the first group of colonists to Savannah. He sent many of England’s lower class there and gave them land. This colony was very different from the others as it was founded much later and there was no slavery. John Smith  He was the leader of the Virginia colony in 1607. He had a very strict discipline because the colonists were lazy and needed to farm. He is also famous because of the tale where he was captured while hunting and met Powhatan, a native chief. Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan, then saves him from execution. Later on, Pocahontas even becomes a great help in building an alliance between the colonists and the natives. King Philip’s War  This war occurred in 1675 and ended in 1676. It was the bloodiest of wars between colonists and natives. When a native man is accused of being an informant, he gets captured and killed by Wampanoag men and left in a river. The English hung the Wampanoag men in return. The natives then begin burning the settlers’ houses. The English fight back, but they cannot distinguish between the different native groups so they assume that Metacom, a local leader, has created an Indian alliance between the groups. The natives end up destroying 12 out of 90 towns of the colonists. This led to an end in cooperation between the English and the natives. Little Commonwealth  This was created in the 1600s in order to give the father and husband the ultimate authority in the household over his wife, children, and servants. This showed the different societal gender roles at that time. It also represented G-d’s authority over everyone and how the household was an example of the state, it was a state practice. Like the king was the head of the state, the father was the head of the household. Maryland Act Concerning Religion In 1649, Maryland was the most religiously diverse of the English colonies. It allowed freedom for both Catholics and Protestants. In 1644, the act was created in order to make blasphemy and harming Christians because of their religion or beliefs illegal. The punishment for those who violated this law had to pay a fine, but if they refused or were not able to pay the sum required, they were subjected to public whipping and imprisonment. The significance of this is that it portrayed religious tolerance for Christians only, which means that non-Christians were excluded and not accepted into society. Middle Passage  In 1500s, the middle passage was the journey slaves experienced until they arrived in the Americas. It extremely deadly as 20% of people died from illness, malnutrition, bad sanitation, or jumping off ship. People of different language groups and ethnicities were mixed together, they were profoundly disoriented, and they were tightly packed on the ships for economic reasons. Mississippian Culture  In 1400-1500 AD, Cahokia was a major settlement in Mississippi. They built giant earth mounds, and produced a lot of food. They were a hierarchal society with a lot of religious activity and a complex belief system, but no written language. New Amsterdam  In 1625, New Amsterdam was created. The Dutch had taken control of it, but there was not only Dutch on the land, there were many different religions. The English were upset with the great control Dutch had so they created Navigation Acts, which allowed only English ships to trade with British colonies and only British goods to be traded. This act sparked a war with the Dutch. In 1664, the English seized new Amsterdam and renamed it New York after the King’s brother. However, many Dutch colonists stayed after the English took over the colony. The British even started incorporating non-English communities, and promoting religious tolerance and diversity. Olaudah Equiano  In 1789, Equiano reported his capture in Africa, where he was brought to an American colony and was later freed in London by his owner. Pequot War In 1637, the English stormed the Pequot fort and burned it with men, women, and children inside. The Pequot people were defeated and, in 1638, a treaty was created which stated that no survivor can live in the territory and that no one will be able to call the natives Pequot again. This showed the strong European presence and power in the New World. Pontiac’s War  After the Treaty of Paris of 1763, where the English took the French’s land after the Seven Years’ War, the British’s western expansion of the Americas threatened the natives. In 1763, Pontiac led a rebellion against the British rule. The Indians seized several British forts and killed hundreds of settlers who had intruded on the natives’ land. When the British launched a counterattack, the tribes slowly made peace, but the groundwork for future resistance was already created. Many native groups slowly started moving farther west. Powhatan  In 1607, he became powerful as he used the English’s need for food in order to trade with them. Tensions arose when English livestock started destroying crops and reducing food for everyone. Pueblo Revolt  In the 1670s, the Spanish restricted the Puebloans from doing religious practices. However, Popé, a native, preaches going back to past practices and wants to get all Pueblo villages together. In 1680, the natives lead a rebellion that kills over 6000 Spaniards. Puebloans want to undo everything the Spanish brought in. In the end, the Puebloans are successful in removing the Spaniards for 12 years. This shows how the natives came together, it gave them a sense of Pan-Indian identity. Puebloans In 1200s, the Puebloans, a group of many cultures, built the largest buildings in North America until the 1980s. As they lived in a harsh environment, the burden on their resources and the ecological circumstances caused the society to collapse. While there were no written records, there were archeological ones, which showed that they were large-scale, monument-building groups, had a complex society, and that they had been established in the Americas long before Columbus arrived. Redemptioners  They were a kinder, new form of indentured servitude, usually for German families. They came to the Americas as a family. The law stated that they must be kept together and that they had to serve 4 to 5 years. However, there was a grace period where they could ask other people to pay the money they owed in order for the family to be free, but if they were unsuccessful, they had to work on farms. Roger Williams  He was born in England 1603 and was the minister of the Church of England. However, he believed the church to be too Catholic. In 1631, he sailed to Boston, where he gets in conflicts with many people as he says the ministers are not Puritan enough and that the religion has to be stricter. Yet, he was still for religious tolerance even though Puritans believed everyone has to preach to their religion. When he stated his belief that the state and church had to be separated, he was kicked out of the Plymouth Colony and he went to New England, where the was no religious tolerance. Roger Williams’ tolerance was the exception not the rule, he was an example of showing the limits for tolerance. Virginia Slave Laws  In 1662, this law stated that the condition of child was based on the race of the mother, and there were fines put on people in interracial relationships. In 1667, a new law was added about converted slaves to Christianity, which stated that just because child converted did not mean he/she was free; freedom was not based on religion. In 1669, a law was added stating that if a servant was lazy or disobedient, his owner can use violence to discipline them as they cannot prolong servitude if they are slaves for life. Additionally, if the slave dies from punishment it is not a felony because the reliance on slave labor and the ever-increasing demand for slaves excused their actions. William Penn  He was an elite, a religious radical, and a Quaker. As the king owed him money, he gave William Penn a proprietary colony in 1680 in order to cancel the debt. In 1667 to 1671, he was in and out of jail because of his beliefs, and so his colony became an example for religious tolerance and diversity. He acknowledges that the natives own land, which leads to natives from other lands to flock there because of the better treatment they are subjected to. Later, regional conflicts arise between Quakers and non-Quakers. Quakers end up seizing the opposite ends of the Church. In 1684 to 1699, Penn leaves the state and sends letters with instructions, but the colonists don’t listen. Penn ends up in debtors prison as he owes too much money. Essay Section (90 points possible): Clear argument, supported with specific examples form reading assignments and lectures (including primary source documents). Direct quotations are not necessary, but students should use the document author’s name or reference the specific context in which the document was created. POSSIBLE ESSAY QUESTIONS FOR EXAM #1 1. How did England’s North American colonies fit into the larger world? Choose at least 3 non-English groups and explain their impact on the formation of the English American colonies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Did these groups help or hinder the growth of the English colonies? A. Dutch  trade with natives, religious tolerance, Dutch keep breaking navigation acts  attack on new Amsterdam i. In 1625, New Amsterdam was created. The Dutch had taken control of it, but there was not only Dutch on the land, there were many different religions. The English were upset with the great control Dutch had so they created Navigation Acts, which allowed only English ships to trade with British colonies and only British goods to be traded. This act sparked a war with the Dutch. In 1664, the English seized new Amsterdam and renamed it New York after the King’s brother. However, many Dutch colonists stayed after the English took over the colony. The British even started incorporating non-English communities, and promoting religious tolerance and diversity. ii. Hinder  widespread control over the world, broke Navigation Acts B. Natives  Pontiac’s War i. After the Treaty of Paris of 1763, where the English took the French’s land after the Seven Years’ War, the British’s western expansion of the Americas threatened the natives. In 1763, Pontiac led a rebellion against the British rule. The Indians seized several British forts and killed hundreds of settlers who had intruded on the natives’ land. When the British launched a counterattack, the tribes slowly made peace, but the groundwork for future resistance was already created. Many native groups slowly started moving farther west. ii. Helped  food iii. Hinder  took up land, westward expansion iv. Pontiac’s Speech C. French  French and Indian War + Treaty of Paris of 1763 i. Hinder  took up land, better relationships with natives 2. How did ideas about religious freedom and toleration influence the development of the English American colonies? Choose at least three colonies and explain how religion influenced the development of each colony differently. Was the main goal of the colonists in each of these colonies religious tolerance, religious freedom, or neither? How were these concepts different? A. Maryland  religious tolerance for Christians i. Maryland Act Concerning Religion In 1649, Maryland was the most religiously diverse of the English colonies. It allowed freedom for both Catholics and Protestants. In 1644, the act was created in order to make blasphemy and harming Christians because of their religion or beliefs illegal. The punishment for those who violated this law had to pay a fine, but if they refused or were not able to pay the sum required, they were subjected to public whipping and imprisonment. The significance of this is that it portrayed religious tolerance for Christians only, which means that non-Christians were excluded and not accepted into society. B. Massachusetts Bay Colony  Puritans seeking religious freedom, but no actual religious tolerance i. In 1630, this colony was founded with John Winthrop, a Puritan, as the leader. Once they arrived at the colony, Winthrop made the “A City Set Upon A Hill” speech, wanting the people to be unified and for the colony to be an example for others to follow. It was a rich land filled with friendly native people and the settlers took it upon themselves to help the natives by converting them. The colony was founded with religious motives as Puritans sought religious freedom, but not for the purpose of exercising religious tolerance. C. Pennsylvania  religious tolerance for all religions i. Failed in the end ii. colony became an example for religious tolerance and diversity. He acknowledges that the natives own land, which leads to natives from other lands to flock there because of the better treatment they are subjected to. Later, regional conflicts arise between Quakers and non-Quakers. Quakers end up seizing the opposite ends of the Church. In 1684 to 1699, Penn leaves the state and sends letters with instructions, but the colonists don’t listen. Penn ends up in debtors’ prison as he owes too much money.