APUSH Chapter 4 Flashcards

Labor Systems and Social Conflicts

• Indentured Servants: Migrants contracted for 4-7 years of labor in exchange for passage to America.
• Headright System: Granted 50 acres of land to individuals who paid for servants' passage, promoting tobacco cultivation.
• Bacon's Rebellion (1676): Uprising by Virginia's backcountry farmers against Governor Berkeley's policies; highlighted class tensions.

Slavery and Trade

• Royal African Company: English monopoly on slave trade (1672-1698); decline led to increased slave supply.
• Middle Passage: Gruesome transatlantic journey for slaves, with high mortality rates.
• New York Slave Revolt (1712): A rebellion resulting in the deaths of 9 whites and execution of 21 blacks.
• Stono Rebellion (1739): South Carolina revolt by enslaved Africans attempting to escape to Spanish Florida, suppressed by militia.

Religion and Society

• Congregational Church: Self-governing Puritan congregations fostering local democracy.
• Jeremiad: Sermons addressing declining religious fervor among Puritans, named after the biblical prophet Jeremiah.
• Half-Way Covenant (1662): Allowed partial church membership for the unconverted, indicating waning religious zeal.

Colonial Life and Gender Roles

• Chesapeake Settlers: Faced harsh living conditions, significantly lower life expectancy due to diseases like malaria.
• Gender Dynamics: Women's roles varied; southern women had more property rights due to men's early deaths. In contrast, New England women faced stricter restrictions.
• Puritan Marriage Laws: Rare divorces, strict codes of conduct; adulterous women faced public punishment.

Education and Community

• Harvard College (1636): Established by Massachusetts Puritans as the oldest institution for training ministers.
• Community Infrastructure: New England towns organized around meetinghouses, serving both social and civic functions.
• Legislation for Education: Towns with over 50 families required to provide elementary education.

Social Hierarchy in the South

• Planter Elite: Wealthy landowners at the top of the social ladder, influencing politics and economy through slave ownership.
• Landless Whites and Slaves: Lower on the hierarchy, struggling for economic stability amid competition for jobs.

Cultural Development

• African American Culture: Emergence of unique cultural practices like Gullah, a language blending English with African roots.
• Jazz Origins: Influenced by West African dance and music, contributing to American cultural landscape.

Slave Work Conditions

• Plantation Labor: In South Carolina, rice and indigo plantations contrasted with easier tobacco farming in Chesapeake for enslaved Africans.
• Work Diversity: Enslaved individuals also took roles as artisans, contributing to community functions beyond agriculture.

Resistance and Control

• Slave Revolts: Instances like the New York and South Carolina revolts demonstrated resistance, yet showcased intense control over enslaved populations compared to indentured servants.
• Economic Conditions: Wealth increasingly defined in agrarian terms, leading to a stratified society shaped by labor demands and slave systems.

Settlement Patterns

• New England vs. Chesapeake: New England communities were organized with familial and communal ties, while Chesapeake experienced more random, isolated settlement.

Family Dynamics

• Reproductive Patterns: New England families tended to marry earlier and have more children, fostering longer life spans and cohesive family units compared to the Chesapeake.

Summary of Key Concepts

• Cultural and Social Structures: The interplay between labor systems, religious beliefs, and community organization shaped early American society.
• Colonial Challenges: Conflicts, both violent and systemic, emerged from economic disparities, class tensions, and cultural differences among colonial populations.### Church Membership Changes
• The formula for church membership was modified, allowing for a new understanding of the covenant between the church and its adherents.
• This change blurred distinctions between the elect and non-elect.
• Resulted in broader participation in religious activities.
• Women became the majority in Puritan congregations.

Salem Witch Trials

• In Salem, Massachusetts, girls claimed to be bewitched by older women, leading to a "witch hunt."
• Nineteen individuals were hanged, while others were pressed to death; two dogs were also executed.
• Fear arose over puritan heritage being overshadowed by rising Yankee commercialism.
• The witch trials ended in 1693 following the governor's wife's accusation, which halted further trials.

Causes of Fear in Salem

• Superstitions surrounding witchcraft heightened community fears.
• Ongoing wars with Native Americans added to societal tensions.
• Social and religious instability contributed significantly to the atmosphere of fear.

Accusers and the Accused

• Witches often hailed from families connected to Salem's commercial growth, while accusers were mainly from agrarian families.

Metaphor of Witch Hunting

• "Witch hunting" symbolizes the human tendency to seek scapegoats amid social grievances.

New England's Character and Industry

• The story of New England is symbolically written on its rocky terrain, shaping the character of its inhabitants.
• New Englanders gained renown for their hard labor on land and became esteemed for their industriousness.
• Connecticut earned the nickname "Nutmeg State" due to the notorious trade in wooden nutmegs by Yankee traders.

Progress Stages for New Englanders

• New Englanders' progress can be seen in three stages: striving to get on, earn honor, and become honest.

Ethnic Composition

• New England maintained a less ethnically diverse population due to reluctance among outsiders to settle the region.

Climate Influence

• New England's climate features hot summers and harsh winters, significantly influencing agricultural practices.

Agricultural Development

• The region's soil and climate fostered diversified agriculture, with settlers clearing land extensively.

Influence of Native Americans

• Native Americans played a crucial role in shaping New England through established trails for hunting and fishing, as well as land management practices.
• Indigenous peoples used the land effectively but did not adhere to concepts of land ownership.

Perception of Land Use

• New Englanders perceived Indigenous practices of forest management as wasteful, believing in their responsibility to "improve" the land.

Environmental Impact

• Continuous land clearing for livestock led to erosion and flooding due to soil compaction from animals.

Specialization in Shipbuilding

• New Englanders became adept in shipbuilding and commerce due to deforestation efforts.

Economic Resources

• Codfish off the coast of Newfoundland were referred to as "fishy gold mines," providing wealth that surpassed even that of treasures from the Aztecs.

Boston's Significance

• Boston was considered the "hub of the universe," reflecting the Puritan belief of its inhabitants being a chosen people.

Emigration Patterns

• New England settlers migrated to regions like Ohio, Oregon, and Hawaii for new opportunities.

Agricultural Cycles

• The rhythms of American life were dictated by cycles and seasons; most colonists engaged in farming activities throughout the year.

Roles of Women Colonists

• Women in colonial society primarily focused on domestic tasks, including weaving, cooking, cleaning, and childcare.

Roles of Men Colonists

• Men were chiefly responsible for land clearing, fencing, planting, harvesting, gathering firewood, and tending to livestock.

Test your knowledge on key concepts from APUSH Chapter 4 through these flashcards. This quiz includes important terms like indentured servants and the headright system, which played crucial roles in the development of colonial America. Perfect for reviewing essential themes in U.S. History.