American Colonization and Settlement History

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Questions and Answers

What was the Virginia Company?

A private business organization sponsoring the founding of Jamestown (correct)

A military organization

A public organization to establish a trading post

A religious institution

What happened to the Roanoke settlement?

It was mysteriously abandoned.

What is 'A Discourse Concerning Western Planting'?

1584 writings by Richard Hakluyt advocating for the establishment of colonies.

What was the enclosure movement?

A process where landlords evicted small farmers and fenced commons. Signup and view all the answers

What is an indentured servant?

A person who worked for 5-7 years in exchange for passage to the New World. Signup and view all the answers

Who was John Smith?

One of Jamestown's first leaders known for his authoritarian rule. Signup and view all the answers

What was the headright system?

A system granting land to colonists who paid their passage. Signup and view all the answers

What was the House of Burgesses?

The first elected assembly in colonial America. Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the Uprising of 1622?

An uprising that led to the massacre of settlers and further conflict. Signup and view all the answers

How did tobacco become significant for Virginia?

It became the colony's substitute for Gold and increased demand for labor. Signup and view all the answers

What are dower rights?

Rights giving a married woman 1/3 of her husband's property if widowed. Signup and view all the answers

What was Puritanism?

A religious reform movement within the Church of England. Signup and view all the answers

Who was John Winthrop?

Governor of Massachusetts who discussed liberty in 1645. Signup and view all the answers

What is moral liberty?

'Liberty to do only what is good.' Signup and view all the answers

Who were the Pilgrims?

The first Puritans to emigrate to America, also known as Separatists. Signup and view all the answers

What was the Mayflower Compact?

The first written frame of government in the U.S. Signup and view all the answers

What was the Great Migration?

(1629-42) A period when 21,000 Puritans migrated to Massachusetts. Signup and view all the answers

What are captivity narratives?

Stories of individuals captured by enemies they viewed as 'uncivilized'. Signup and view all the answers

What is 'The Sovereignty and Goodness of God'?

A book by Mary Rowlandson about her captivity during an Indian war. Signup and view all the answers

What led to the Pequot War?

A colonial fur trader was killed by the Pequot tribe. Signup and view all the answers

What was the Halfway Covenant?

A religious agreement to facilitate church admission for grandchildren of emigrants. Signup and view all the answers

What does English Freedom refer to?

The concept that the king is subject to the rule of law. Signup and view all the answers

What did the Act Concerning Religion accomplish?

Guaranteed free exercise of religion for all Christians. Signup and view all the answers

What challenges did early English settlers face?

Disease, lack of food, and high death rates. Signup and view all the answers

How did the English Civil War affect the colonies in America?

It caused divisions between loyalists and free colonies. Signup and view all the answers

What made the English settlement of New England distinctive?

The emergence of a religious movement known as Puritanism. Signup and view all the answers

What were the main sources of discord in early New England?

Religious controversies and relations with Native Americans. Signup and view all the answers

When was Jamestown established?

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What were the reasons for colonization?

National glory, imperial purpose, religious mission, and profit. Signup and view all the answers

What inspired anti-Catholicism in England?

Attempts at invasion of British Isles and reports of Spanish atrocities. Signup and view all the answers

How did the English view the New World?

As a land of opportunity for the laboring classes. Signup and view all the answers

How many people left England between 1607 and 1700?

More than half a million. Signup and view all the answers

Which colonies were known for tobacco production?

Virginia and Maryland. Signup and view all the answers

How did English attitudes towards Indians differ from Spanish attitudes?

English wanted to displace Indians while Spanish sought to organize their labor. Signup and view all the answers

What characterized England's approach towards Indians?

Treaties, trade, failed attempts at conversion, and armed conflict. Signup and view all the answers

What justification did England give for taking Indian land?

Indians had no claim because they did not cultivate or improve the land. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Powhatan?

A prominent Indian leader in Virginia. Signup and view all the answers

What caused changes in Indian farming and cooking practices?

The introduction of European metal goods. Signup and view all the answers

How many Indians were present in Jamestown when the English arrived?

15,000 to 25,000. Signup and view all the answers

Who introduced tobacco cultivation from the West Indies?

John Rolfe. Signup and view all the answers

How did the introduction of tobacco shift social status?

Wealthy gentry rose to the top of the social hierarchy. Signup and view all the answers

What does 'female sole' refer to?

A woman who could enjoy legal independence. Signup and view all the answers

When was Maryland established?

<ol start="1632"> <li></li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

Who were the Congregationalists?

Puritans who felt the church and nation fell short of their ideals. Signup and view all the answers

What were John Calvin's beliefs?

The world is divided between the elect and the damned. Signup and view all the answers

What was the Plymouth Colony?

An English colony founded by Puritans in 1620. Signup and view all the answers

By 1700, how did New England's white population compare to Chesapeake?

New England's white population outnumbered Chesapeake and West Indies. Signup and view all the answers

What rights were included in English Freedom?

Habeas Corpus, trial by jury, and protection against illegal imprisonment. Signup and view all the answers

When did the English Civil War break out?

<ol start="1642"> <li></li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

In what years did the English's new idea of freedom emerge?

1640-1660. Signup and view all the answers

How did the English Empire expand in America in the mid-17th century?

Through mercantilism and increased focus on trade and wealth. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Virginia Company

A private business organization established to fund the colonization of the Americas.
Shareholders included merchants, aristocrats, and members of Parliament.
Sponsored the founding of Jamestown in 1607, the first permanent English settlement in the U.S.

Roanoke

Founded by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1585 off the North Carolina coast.
The first settlement was abandoned in 1586; the second settlement mysteriously disappeared by 1590.

A Discourse Concerning Western Planting

Written by Richard Hakluyt in 1584.
Presented 23 reasons for Queen Elizabeth I to support American colonization, highlighting the need to protect land and people from Spanish tyranny.

Enclosure Movement

Took place in the 16th and 17th centuries in England.
Landlords evicted small farmers and enclosed common lands, pushing poor inhabitants into poverty.

Indentured Servant

Individuals who contracted to work for 5-7 years in exchange for passage to America.
Constituted about two-thirds of English settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries.

John Smith

A leader of the Jamestown settlement who enforced strict labor policies.
His autocratic leadership style caused friction with settlers; he returned to England following a 1609 gunpowder explosion.

Headright System

Established in 1618 after early Jamestown struggles highlighted the need for marketable crops.
Granted 50 acres of land to settlers who paid their own passage and employed laborers.

House of Burgesses

The first elected assembly in colonial America, established in 1618 and convened in 1619.
Voting was limited to landowners, and decisions could be nullified by the Virginia Company.

Uprising of 1622

Led by Opechancanough, Powhatan's brother, against the Virginia colonists.
Resulted in the deaths of a quarter of the settler population, with subsequent retaliation against Native villages.

Tobacco

Became the primary cash crop for Virginia, replacing gold as the key to economic survival.
Increased demand for labor, contributing to the rise of slavery and social stratification.

Dower Rights

Legal provision ensuring that a married woman received one-third of her husband's property upon his death.

Puritanism

A religious reform movement from the Church of England in the late 16th century.

John Winthrop

Governor of Massachusetts, noted for distinguishing between "natural" liberty (to do evil) and "moral" liberty (to do good).

Moral Liberty

The concept of liberty aligned with doing what is morally right.

Pilgrims

The first group of Puritans to emigrate to America, known as Separatists.

Mayflower Compact

The first written framework of government in the United States, established by Pilgrims in 1620.

Great Migration

Between 1629 and 1642, approximately 21,000 Puritans migrated to Massachusetts.

Captivity Narratives

Accounts of individuals captured by perceived "uncivilized" enemies, highlighting tensions between cultures.

The Sovereignty and Goodness of God

A book by Mary Rowlandson detailing her experiences during captivity, illustrating her resolve to return to a Christian society.

Pequot War

Conflict in 1637 triggered by the killing of a colonial trader by the Pequot tribe.
Resulted in the massacre of over 500 inhabitants of the Pequot's main village at Mystic.

Halfway Covenant

Introduced in 1662 to increase church membership by allowing partial church enrollment for the grandchildren of original Great Migration settlers.

English Freedom

Concept asserting that the king was subject to the law and all individuals were entitled to security of person and property.

Act Concerning Religion

Instituted in 1649, guaranteeing religious freedom to all Christians in Maryland.

Early English Settlers' Challenges

Faced diseases, food shortages, high mortality rates, and leadership changes, especially in tobacco production.

English Civil War Impact on Colonies

Created divisions between loyalists of the English Parliament and colonies seeking self-governance.

Distinctiveness of New England Settlement

Emerged from a religious movement (Puritanism) that emphasized a different social order compared to other colonies.

Sources of Discord in Early New England

Stemmed from religious controversies and complex relations with Native Americans, often exacerbated by language barriers.

Jamestown Establishment

Founded in 1607, marking the dawn of permanent English settlement in the New World.

Reasons for Colonization

Driven by national glory, imperial aspirations, religious missions, and profit motives.

Anti-Catholicism in England

Fueled by foreign invasion attempts, reports of Spanish atrocities, writings of Bartolomé de las Casas, and the Pope's refusal to annul Henry VIII’s marriage.

England's Views of the New World

Seen as an opportunity for laboring classes to gain economic independence.

Migration from England (1607-1700)

Over 500,000 individuals emigrated to America during this period.

Tobacco Colonies Demand for Labor

Virginia and Maryland became notable for their reliance on cheap labor for tobacco production.

Different Approaches to Native Americans

English settlers aimed to displace Native Americans, while Spanish methods involved marriage and labor organization.

England's Interactions with Native Americans

Involved trade, failed Christianization attempts, forced treaties, and contributed to recurrent warfare and epidemics.

Justification for Land Appropriation

Based on the premise that Native Americans did not cultivate or improve the land.

Powhatan

An influential Indian leader in Virginia, known as Pocahontas's father.

Changes in Indian Practices

European metal goods transformed Native farming, hunting, and cooking methods.

Native American Population in Jamestown

Estimated between 15,000 and 25,000 upon the English settlers' arrival.

John Rolfe's Contribution

Introduced the cultivation of tobacco from the West Indies, which became Virginia's economic foundation.

Wealthy planters gained upper social status; former indentured servants moved to middle status, while many remained landless.

Female Sole

Refers to women who had independent legal identities, especially in the absence of a husband.

Maryland Colony

Established in 1632 as the second Chesapeake colony; offered refuge for persecuted Catholics under Cecilius Calvert's authority.

Congregationalists

Puritans who believed that both the church and nation were failing to uphold their religious ideals.

John Calvin's Beliefs

Divided the world into the elect and the damned, associating prosperity with divine favor and idleness with damnation.

Plymouth Colony

Established between 1620 and 1691 as a settlement for Puritans.

New England Population Growth by 1700

The white population had significantly outnumbered that of Chesapeake and the West Indies, totaling 91,000.

English Freedoms Secured

Included habeas corpus, the right to confront one’s accuser, and trial by jury.

Start of the English Civil War

Broke out in 1642, marking a significant conflict in English history.

Expansion of the English Empire in America

Mid-17th century saw intensified European interest in American colonies as sources of wealth through mercantilism and careful regulation of trade.

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Description

Explore key concepts in the early colonization of America, focusing on the Virginia Company, Roanoke, and the Enclosure Movement. This quiz covers important settlements and documents that shaped the New World, including Richard Hakluyt's advocacy for colonization. Test your knowledge on the factors that influenced American settlement.