AP U.S. History Unit 2 Review

May 31, 2024

AP U.S. History Unit 2 Review (1607-1754)

Introduction

  • Time period: 1607-1754
  • Focus: European colonization of the Americas

European Colonization Goals and Methods

Spanish Colonization

  • Extract wealth (gold, silver, cash crops)
  • Subject native populations; mixed success in conversions to Christianity
  • Introduced a caste system based on racial ancestry

French Colonization

  • Interested in trade (fish, fur) rather than conquest
  • Few settlers; established trading settlements
  • Intermarriage with American Indians (kept kinship ties)

Dutch Colonization

  • Fur trading center (Hudson River, 1609)
  • Economic goals; little interest in converting natives
  • Established New Amsterdam (1624), a trade hub

British Colonization

Motivations

  • Economic opportunities (e.g., inflation, enclosure movement)
  • Religious freedom and improved living conditions

Regional Colonies

  • Chesapeake (Jamestown, 1607): Profit-seeking, Joint-stock company, rough start, tobacco cultivation (John Rolfe), indentured servitude, tensions with Native Americans (Bacon's Rebellion)
  • New England (Plymouth, 1620): Family units, religious goals, agriculture and commerce, initial hardships
  • British West Indies and Southern Atlantic Coast: Warm climate, tobacco and sugarcane, increased African slavery, stringent laws for black population
  • Middle Colonies (e.g., New York, Pennsylvania): Diverse population, export economy (cereal crops), social inequality, Quaker and pacifist influences (William Penn)

Governance and Trade

Colonial Governance

  • Generally democratic; self-governing structures (e.g., Mayflower Compact, House of Burgesses)
  • Dominated by elite classes

Atlantic Trade System

  • Triangular Trade: Rum to West Africa, slaves to West Indies, sugarcane to New England
  • Mercantilism: Favorable balance of trade, colonies crucial for raw materials
  • Navigation Acts: Ensured trade through English-owned ships and ports

Slavery in British Colonies

  • 1700-1808: 3 million enslaved Africans transported
  • Variability in slave populations among regions
  • Slave Codes: Slaves as property (chattel), perpetual institution, resistance (e.g., Stono Rebellion)

Relations with Native Americans

Conflict Examples

  • Metacom's (King Philip's) War (1675): Wampanoag and other groups vs. British settlers

Colonial Society and Enlightenment

Religion and Enlightenment

  • Enlightenment emphasized rational thinking, natural rights (John Locke, Voltaire), social contract
  • Ideas of governance: Checked and balanced power, three branches (legislative, executive, judicial)

Great Awakening

  • Massive religious revival; notable leaders: Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield
  • Connected colonists, sowed seeds for rejecting British authority

Anglicization and Colonial Frustration

  • Gradual adopting of British political models
  • Growing mistrust with British (e.g., Impressment: Seizing colonial men for Royal Navy)

Conclusion

  • Importance of understanding colonial motivations, regional differences
  • Manifestation of enlightenment ideas, growing colonial unity, and dissent against Britain