Heimler's History: AP U.S. History Unit 2 Overview

Time Period: 1607 to 1754

Major Themes:

• European Colonization Motives and Methods: Different European powers had varying reasons and methods for colonizing the Americas.

European Colonization

Spain:

• Goals: Extract wealth (cash crops, gold, silver).
• Impact: Subjected natives, mixed success in converting them to Christianity, implemented a caste system based on racial ancestry.

France:

• Goals: Trade over conquest (fish and fur).
• Methods: Established trading settlements, married American Indian wives for alliances, cultural exchanges with the Ojibwe Indians.

Dutch:

• Goals: Economic gains (fur trading center in present-day New York).
• Approach: Little interest in converting natives, established New Amsterdam as a trade hub.

British:

• Motivations: Economic opportunities, religious freedom, better living conditions.
• Economic Context: Inflation and enclosure movement in Britain, leading to economic hardship.
• Types of Colonies:
  • Chesapeake Region: Jamestown (1607) was profit-seeking, financed by joint stock companies; rough beginnings with disease and famine; tobacco cultivation by John Rolfe reversed fortunes.
  • New England: Settled by pilgrims for religious reasons, family economies, faced initial hardships but eventually thrived.
  • British West Indies & Southern Atlantic Coast: Grew tobacco and later sugarcane; high demand for African slaves; strict laws governing slaves.
  • Middle Colonies: Diverse populations, export economy, social inequality; Pennsylvania: Founded by Quakers, religious freedom, land obtained by negotiation.

Governance:

• Democratic Structures: Mayflower Compact, House of Burgesses.
• Dominated by Elites: Wealthy classes controlled assemblies.

Atlantic Trade and Mercantilism:

• Triangular Trade: New England, West Africa, West Indies; involved rum, enslaved people, sugar cane.
• Mercantilism: Aimed for a favorable balance of trade; colonies provided raw materials.
• Navigation Acts: Trade only through English ships and ports.

Slavery in British Colonies:

• All Colonies Participated: Most slaves in Chesapeake and Southern colonies.
• Labor Force: Shift from indentured servants to African slaves.
• Rebellion and Resistance: Covert (cultural customs, sabotage) and overt (Stono Rebellion).

Relations with Native Americans:

• Conflicts: Metacom's War (King Philip's War) exemplified tensions due to British encroachment.

Colonial Society and Religion:

• Enlightenment Influence: Rational thinking, ideas like natural rights and social contracts spread.
• Great Awakening: Religious revival, democratic principles in Christianity emphasized.

Tensions with Britain:

• Anglicanization: Colonies mimicking British political systems, rising frustration.
• Impressment: Seizing colonial men for the Royal Navy, led to resistance and unrest.

Conclusion:

• Overall Understanding of Unit 2: Emphasis on the varied colonial activities of European powers, the development of colonial societies, and the shaping of early American identity.

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• Call to Action: For further study and in-depth understanding, explore the resources linked in the description.