CHAPTER 2
England’s Colonies
TRUE/FALSE
1. Beginning in the thirteenth century with the Magna Carta that established the tradition
of a parliamentary monarchy, power in England did not rest with the monarchy alone but
also with the nobility and a lesser aristocracy, the gentry.
2. As a result of the Glorious Revolution, England abolished the monarchy and became a republic.
3. Known as Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell established freedom of religion in England,
allowing Puritans, Roman Catholics, and Anglicans to live in relative harmony.
4. Investors seeking to make a profit from the establishment of a colony established joint-stock
companies.
5. All indentured servants came to America voluntarily and comprised only the secondary source of laborers in the
English colonies during the colonial period.
6. Sir Edwin Sandys made the Virginia Company more profitable by creating the headright
system and shifting ownership of land from joint to private.
7. By the mid-1670s, even Virginia’s poorest free white adult males owned land, so squatting was rare.
8. Because of its harsh winters, New England was generally the least healthy place to live in the Americas.
9. Roger Williams founded his own colony after being banished from Massachusetts for his
religious opinions.
10. The Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina established a formal nobility and provided for
religious toleration.
11. Although New Netherland became one of the most ethnically diverse American colonies,
the Dutch did not exhibit tolerance toward Native Americans.
12. Quakers underwent intense persecution in New England because their beliefs conflicted
dramatically with Puritanism.
13. King Philip’s War arose as a result of a significant decrease in English settlers and the
prosperity of Native Americans due to the rising beaver population.
14. King Philip’s War required the passing of America’s first conscription laws and cut the
Native American population of New England in half.
15. The Iroquois League played the French and English powers against one another during the
first half of the eighteenth century while they, meanwhile, created a successful fur trade.
16. As a result of their forced conversion to Christianity, the religion of enslaved Africans
emphasized themes of deliverance found within Christianity.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following did the diverse English colonies all have in common?
a.
They managed to rely on other forms of labor besides slavery up until the eighteenth century.
b.
They prevented religious conflict from reaching the Americas and guaranteed equality for all
groups.
c.
They were comprised largely of uninhabited wilderness when the English first arrived.
d.
To some extent, they all participated in the enslavement of other peoples, whether Native American
or African.
e.
They differed from the Spanish and French colonies in their refusal to participate in joint-stock
companies.
2. Since the thirteenth century, what was one key difference between the political practices and governing principles on
the island nation of England and those on the continent of Europe?
a.
English society had more tightly controlled hierarchies than the continent of Europe did, with the
monarchy holding all political power.
b.
The national legislature in England was merely a formality and had no say whatsoever in matters
such as tax revenue.
c.
The English had a tradition of parliamentary monarchy that enabled the national legislature to
exercise some leverage over the monarchy.
d.
The English traditionally stressed the absolute power of the monarchy, whereas continental Europe
embraced the idea that everyone had rights.
e.
The aristocracy in England had only social rather than political power, with members of Parliament
solely elected by the common people rather than appointed.
3. Why was there so much division within the Anglican Church under James I?
a.
Although he was a Catholic, the church remained Protestant.
b.
Dissenters believed the church needed “purifying” from Catholic rituals.
c.
He granted special privileges to Puritans that were not extended to Catholics and Anglicans.
d.
He was atheist, yet as king, he was also head of the church.
e.
He promoted the Separatist cause and sought to appease its demands.
4. Which of the following statements accurately describes the English Puritans?
a.
They successfully converted James I to their beliefs.
b.
They rejected the doctrines of Martin Luther.
c.
They wanted to simplify religion to its most basic elements.
d.
They believed in religious freedom.
e.
They believed people could be saved by their own actions, not just by God’s grace.
5. What is the concept of divine right?
a.
As opposed to governing through constitutional monarchy, the monarch derives power from God
and answers only to God.
b.
England is destined to dominate the New World, justifying any actions against any peoples
currently inhabiting the New World.
c.
The citizens of a country have God-given rights that their government must respect and defend
regardless of official religion.
d.
The head of the Anglican Church will never declare any doctrine or teaching that is against the will
of God.
e.
Kings and queens could no longer suspend Parliament, create armies, or impose taxes without
Parliament’s consent.
6. What led to a civil war in England?
a.
Charles I tried to return England to Catholicism as the official religion.
b.
Under Charles I, tensions over the legitimate powers of the king and Parliament escalated into war.
c.
Following the invasion of England, the country was divided over which side to support.
d.
Charles I levied new taxes that were so unpopular that the nation rebelled.
e.
Charles I gave all power to Parliament to avoid the bureaucratic responsibilities of the throne.
7. What was a result of the Glorious Revolution of 1688?
a.
It reasserted the power of Parliament.
b.
It delayed English colonization for several decades.
c.
It ultimately kept Oliver Cromwell in power.
d.
It gave the monarchy absolute power.
e.
It caused Catholicism to spread across England for years to come.
8. In 1688, during what became known as the Glorious Revolution, King Charles II was forced
from the throne and replaced by his daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange.
Why did Parliament prefer William and Mary to Charles II?
a.
William and Mary were Protestant.
b.
William and Mary were Quakers.
c.
William and Mary would restore Oliver Cromwell to power.
d.
William and Mary wanted to temporarily abolish the monarchy to write a new constitution.
e.
William and Mary would delay the American Revolution.
9. The English used Ireland as one model of settlement for North America. The English
Occupation of Ireland is characterized by the
a.
humane and just treatment of the Irish population.
b.
legal purchase and acquisition of land from the locals.
c.
refusal to allow non-natives to move into Ireland.
d.
cruel and inhumane treatment of Protestants.
e.
brutal “planting” of Protestant plantations among a Catholic population.
10. The stockholders who invested in the Virginia Company were motivated primarily by
a.
religion.
b.
a desire to preserve natural landmarks.
c.
curiosity about the New World.
d.
personal loyalty to James I.
e.
financial profit.
11. How did the enclosure movement foster England’s desire to colonize?
a.
The enclosure movement created products that could be marketed and sold in the New World, so
colonization was seen as necessary for the English economy.
b.
The enclosure movement needed the resources of the New World to produce its products, as sheep
were only found in North America at that point in history.
c.
The enclosure movement led to landless, unemployed farmers wandering England, and sending
them to colonies was seen as a way to relieve the problems this trend created.
d.
The enclosure movement reduced the amount of space in prisons in favor of creating additional
housing and, thus, the New World was seen as a place to send the prisoners.
e.
The enclosure movement caused the population in England to fall dramatically, so there were many
opportunities for employment and little reason for Englishmen to travel to New England.
12. In what way was Chief Powhatan similar to the English and Spanish?
a.
He was as much an imperialist as the English or Spanish, conquering other chieftains and making
them give him and his people corn.
b.
He refused to trade with other groups of people outside the Powhatan Confederacy, including the
English and Spanish.
c.
He held little power along the Virginia coast and relied on selling his own people as servants to
neighboring tribes.
d.
He and his people had little knowledge of agricultural practices in Virginia and, as a result, suffered
famine and disease.
e.
He initiated the development of joint-stock companies and used them to fund exploration of
neighboring areas in New England.
13. How did the colony of Jamestown manage to survive?
a.
the large sums of money that the colonists there used to bring in additional
supplies regularly
b.
the preparedness of the colonists and their eagerness to sacrifice for the good
of the whole colony
c.
the dynamic leadership of John Smith and his bargaining with the Native Americans
d.
the lack of the diseases and hardships that afflicted other colonies
e.
the relocation of the Virginia Company to New York
14. Which of the following did John Smith do as Jamestown’s leader?
a.
He rescued the colonists from the lax governance of Sir Thomas Gates.
b.
He tried to wipe out the Powhatan Confederacy in a series of major battles.
c.
He helped the colony to persist by demanding more work from the colonists.
d.
He argued in letters back to England that the colony should be abandoned.
e.
He discovered deposits of gold and silver that ensured the colony’s survival.
15. One characteristic of Jamestown in its initial years was
a.
the high percentage of slaves in its population.
b.
complete freedom of religion.
c.
the influence of women in its government.
d.
intense competition over the gold found there.
e.
the high mortality rate among its settlers.
16. The Jamestown colony finally attained a measure of prosperity from
a.
land sales.
d.
tobacco.
b.
trade with Indians.
e.
trade with Spanish Florida.
c.
gold discoveries.
17. Although frequently taught to schoolchildren, the story of Pocahontas has often been subject
to distortion through the years. Which of the following statements accurately describes
Pocahontas?
a.
She embraced the lifestyle of her English captors and had a platonic friendship with John Smith.
b.
She refused to convert to Christianity and turned down an invitation to journey to England.
c.
She defended John Smith because they were lovers and went on to marry him.
d.
She played virtually no role in the relationship between the natives and the English.
e.
She led a plot to kill John Smith because his people had trespassed on her people’s land.
18. The headright system adopted for the Virginia colony consisted of
a.
giving fifty acres of land to anyone who would transport himself to the colony
and fifty more for any servants he might bring.
b.
“selling” wives to single male settlers.
c.
auctioning black slaves to settlers.
d.
giving free land to all servants who came to the colony.
e.
giving free land in return for five years of military service.
19. In 1624, the Virginia Company declared bankruptcy and
a.
was merged with New England to ensure stability and profitability.
b.
was taken over by the crown and made a royal colony.
c.
saw the end of the wealthy planter class in Virginia.
d.
henceforth prevented settlers from owning their own property.
e.
saw its land conquered by nearby Native American tribes.
20. Why was Nathaniel Bacon enraged by Governor Sir William Berkeley?
a.
Berkeley represented the common man in Virginia, especially small farmers.
b.
Berkeley opposed the economic dominance and political influence of the large planters.
c.
Berkeley led a revolt of the poor against the well connected and wealthy.
d.
Berkeley ran against Bacon for the office of governor of Maryland.
e.
Berkeley refused to punish the Native Americans for raiding white settlements.
21. Which of the following statements accurately describes Bacon’s Rebellion?
a.
It brought indentured servants and small farmers together against the colony’s rich planters and
political leaders.
b.
It had the support of nearby Indian tribes, who joined forces with Bacon’s rebel group of small
farmers.
c.
It was a result of changes in the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina that discriminated against
Puritans.
d.
It continued the absence of new settlers in Virginia and, as a result, forced Governor Berkeley to
abandon the colony and return to England.
e.
It sought to make Virginia independent of England due to unfair taxes and the desire for religious
freedom.
22. Maryland was established in 1634 as a refuge for
a.
debtors.
d.
Anglicans.
b.
Puritans.
e.
English Catholics.
c.
ex-convicts.
23. In what way did Cecilius Calvert intend for Maryland’s colonists to be “more committed” to the colony than the
colonists at Jamestown?
a.
The colony remained unconcerned with converting Native Americans.
b.
The colonists all came from the same church congregation in England and already knew each other.
c.
The colony recruited families intending to stay rather than single men seeking quick riches.
d.
The colony focused solely on tobacco exports in order to perfect the process.
e.
The colony accepted only Catholics, fearing that they would clash with Protestants.
24. The early settlers of New England differed from those of the Chesapeake by being primarily
a.
English.
d.
middle class.
b.
Protestant.
e.
male.
c.
white.
25. The Pilgrims had abandoned the Church of England, fled to Holland, and then went on to
a.
establish the Plymouth colony despite a difficult “starving time.”
b.
achieve democracy in action, even among their inferiors.
c.
turn against the Separatists.
d.
achieve immediate prosperity in America.
e.
reject the simple life of the earliest Christians.
26. Which of the following accurately describes the Mayflower Compact?
a.
It completely separated civil and church governments.
b.
It prevented the colonists from experiencing any major adversity.
c.
It was a covenant that granted civil rights to some but not all.
d.
It called for total religious toleration.
e.
It originated in the House of Commons.
27. Throughout New England, Congregational churches were
a.
open to everyone.
d.
morally opposed to slavery.
b.
self-governing.
e.
financially supported by the king.
c.
tolerant of other religions.
28. When Massachusetts leader John Winthrop spoke of “a city upon a hill,” he was referring to
that colony’s desire to
a.
be financially successful.
d.
establish a democracy.
b.
become independent of England.
e.
embrace religious toleration.
c.
serve as a model Christian community.
29. Anne Hutchinson was kicked out of Massachusetts for
a.
challenging the authority of male ministers.
b.
championing equal rights for women.
c.
insufficient knowledge of the Bible.
d.
believing good works would earn a place in heaven.
e.
refusing to uphold the Sabbath.
30. Roger Williams believed that
a.
Puritanism was the only suitable religion for Massachusetts.
b.
strict government and clerical authority far outweighed individual liberty.
c.
Native Americans should be forcibly Christianized.
d.
church and state must be closely bound together.
e.
it was wrong to mistreat the Native Americans.
31. The English Civil War affected the American colonies by
a.
essentially causing the mother country to leave its colonies alone.
b.
requiring Puritanism to be adopted in every colony.
c.
placing members of Oliver Cromwell’s family as colonial governors.
d.
allowing them to pledge their loyalty to Spain during the crisis.
e.
devastating the Native American culture in New England.
32. Which of the following was the crop from the Caribbean that the British had become
“addicted” to and hoped to grow in the Carolinas?
a.
cotton
d.
sugar
b.
rice
e.
opium
c.
tea
33. A large number of South Carolina’s original settlers were British planters from
a.
Barbados.
d.
Georgia.
b.
Maryland.
e.
North Carolina.
c.
Jamaica.
34. Which of the following statements accurately describes how Native Americans fared in relation
to the slave trade in the American colonies?
a.
In the Southeast, English settlers enslaved many Native Americans due to their realization of the
profitability of captive Native American workers.
b.
Until the eighteenth century, Native Americans fared relatively well because the majority of
enslaved workers in the American colonies were Africans.
c.
Especially in the Carolinas, English settlers initially prohibited trade with the Native Americans
because Native Americans were treated solely as slaves.
d.
Unlike Africans, Native Americans were rarely forcibly taken to areas such as the Caribbean and
were restricted to working in New England.
e.
The Carolina proprietors in London were largely responsible for the Native American slave trade,
forcing English colonists to meet a quota of slaves.
35. What was a result of the focus of the Dutch administration of New Netherland on making money?
a.
The Dutch were particularly tolerant toward Native Americans by preventing violence toward
them.
b.
Compared to most of the other European colonies in the Americas, the Dutch embraced ethnic and
religious diversity.
c.
The Dutch formed tight partnerships with Jewish settlers, making the Jewish population the fastest
growing of the seventeenth century.
d.
The Dutch concentrated their efforts on trade within the colonies rather than other parts of the
world such as China, India, and Africa.
e.
The Dutch gave work strictly to Dutch laborers to guarantee that money would remain within the
Dutch economy.
36. The first Jews in the colonies arrived in
a.
Maryland.
d.
Massachusetts Bay.
b.
New Netherland.
e.
Rhode Island.
c.
Pennsylvania.
37. What was one reason New Netherland fell to the English with little difficulty?
a.
Much of the population of Manhattan was not even Dutch and was contemptuous of the colonial
government.
b.
The Dutch Empire had failed to expand quickly enough to achieve a place on the world stage.
c.
The New Netherland governors focused too much of their attention on building positive Indian
relations.
d.
The Catholic faith of the Dutch nation meant they avoided the use of violence, even in times of war.
e.
Compared to New Netherland, England had a far superior position as a continental financial power.
38. Quakers suffered frequent and violent persecution for their beliefs. A key feature of their
worship was
a.
insisting on the supremacy of Puritanism to all who would listen.
b.
sitting quietly and waiting for the “Inner Light” of the Holy Spirit to move them to speak.
c.
proclaiming the fundamental depravity of others and the inferiority of women.
d.
limiting the experience of the gospel to a select few members of the community.
e.
treating William Penn as saint due to the emphasis they placed on religious authority.
39. The colony of Pennsylvania was
a.
based upon lands seized from the Indians.
b.
open to all religious believers.
c.
populated solely by the English.
d.
governed by Quaker ministers.
e.
considered part of New England.
40. Georgia served as a military buffer against the Spanish in Florida. What was another reason
for the settlement of Georgia by the English?
a.
It was initially a utopian colony designed to help debtors avoid prison.
b.
It was so rich in resources that it was already economically self-sufficient within
the first year.
c.
It was a haven for escaped slaves.
d.
It was the first piece of land the English had the opportunity to colonize.
e.
It had already been successful as a social experiment for the common man.
41. What was the first commodity that was a major source of trade between the Native
Americans and Europeans in the New World?
a.
lumber
d.
fish
b.
furs
e.
wheat
c.
tobacco
42. Puritans sought to have Indians
a.
executed when convicted of even minor crimes.
b.
pushed farther to the north and west.
c.
move to “praying towns.”
d.
move into English settlements.
e.
relocate to Rhode Island with Roger Williams.
43. Which of the following statements accurately describes the experiences of the Pequot Indians following the 1637
war with New England?
a.
The Pequots retained most of their traditional lands.
b.
The Pequots faced a religious crisis due to prophesies of victory that had been made.
c.
The Pequots suffered huge losses in the war, and many survivors were enslaved.
d.
The Pequots launched another war in revenge that was more successful.
e.
The Pequots ruled all other Indian tribes in the region as puppets of the English.
44. A major cause of King Philip’s War was
a.
Indian resentment over forced conversions to Christianity.
b.
King Philip’s desire for territorial expansion.
c.
Indian anger over their destruction from European diseases.
d.
Indian feelings of racial superiority over the English.
e.
the need of Indian warriors to prove themselves in battle.
45. Which of the following statements accurately describes the historical figure Metacom?
a.
He was known to the British colonists as King Philip and was the Wampanoag chief during King
Philip’s War, which resulted in his gruesome defeat and decapitation.
b.
He confessed to the murder of John Sassamon, a Christian Indian, which convinced the British
colonists to pursue missionary work and trade agreements with his people rather than violence.
c.
He survived King Philip’s War by successfully escaping west with his Narragansett tribe to lands
not yet known or explored by the colonists.
d.
He was the leader of the Iroquois League who led such targeted and stealthy attacks against the
Dutch and French that the Native Americans suffered few casualties.
e.
He was a devout Christian opposed to the primacy of the Puritan Church who started a widespread
conflict among competing churches in New England.
46. What was one way the Iroquois League was unique?
a.
It was hardly an alliance because it was so weak and ineffective.
b.
Its set of overarching laws emphasized the value of war and destruction.
c.
It was made up of clans led by women and guided by a constitution.
d.
It was ruled by a monarchy, following the tradition of the English.
e.
It controlled territory in the Bahamas as well as Florida.
47. Which of the following statements is true of the institution of slavery in the American colonies?
a.
Slavery was not a factor north of the Chesapeake region during the colonial period.
b.
Slaves did not achieve a self-sustaining rate of reproduction in the colonies prior to the American
Revolution.
c.
Slavery in New England tended to be “family slavery,” with slaves and masters living under the
same roof.
d.
Slaves made up nearly 50 percent of the colonial population by the time of the American
Revolution.
e.
Most slaves were working in cotton during the colonial period.
48. Which of the following statements accurately describes the Middle Passage?
a.
Some enslaved Africans sought to journey on the transatlantic voyage known as the Middle Passage
because slavery in Africa was more brutal than in the Americas.
b.
Widespread racist beliefs that viewed Africans as “beasts of burden” rather than human beings
helped bring about and perpetuate the transatlantic voyage known as the Middle Passage.
c.
Only a couple of European nations—England and Spain—actively participated in running the
Middle Passage and owned “slave forts” in Africa.
d.
The Middle Passage was a deceptively pleasant experience in which enslaved Africans had a great
deal of room and freedom compared to what they would experience in the Americas.
e.
The Middle Passage was a unique trade route in that it focused on enslaved peoples and remained
uninfluenced by other types of trade, such as that of rum, clothing, guns, and other goods.
49. By the early eighteenth century, the English colonies in North America
a.
extended beyond the Appalachians.
b.
had eliminated their French and Spanish rivals.
c.
were the most populous and prosperous on the continent.
d.
were on the verge of independence from England.
e.
remained tiny outposts of civilization.
50. What was one of the significant effects geography had on the British colonies leading into the
eighteenth century?
a.
Mountainous terrain and other geographical barriers such as rivers made it so that the English
colonies would be highly spread apart from one another and, thus, ensured that Puritans would have
control of the full length of the east coast.
b.
Much like the land that had been claimed by the Spanish, the sprawling land claimed by the English
was best suited to the control of vast estates by wealthy men who intended to return to Europe
eventually.
c.
The small swath of land to which the English colonists had access at that point in time stifled
innovation and allowed British rulers to monitor them more closely than French and Spanish rulers
had ever controlled their colonists.
d.
The ocean separated the “old” and “new” worlds in such a way that new ideas about political
liberties and economic freedom were better able to develop and emerge in the colonies in the
eighteenth century.
e.
The fact that the British colonies were so far north and had such brutal winter weather greatly
limited the number of nationalities and religions willing to migrate there, causing the French and
Spanish colonies to prove far more diverse.
ESSAY
1. What common factors or patterns existed among the colonies that succeeded and among the
colonies that failed?
2. Describe the general pattern of white–Indian relations in the British colonies.
3. Discuss Indian relations with Virginia, Massachusetts, and Carolina colonists, making sure to
examine European motivations.
4. How did climate and geography shape the development of the colonies, including their
economies, the prevalence of slavery, and the life expectancy of settlers?
5. Discuss the various ways in which domestic political affairs in Britain affected colonization in
the New World.
6. “The lack of planning was the genius of British colonization.” What does this statement mean?
How accurate is it?
7. Discuss the impact Bacon’s Rebellion had on indentured servitude and African slavery.
8. Describe the relationships between Indians and the colonists of New England. What were some common causes of
conflict?
9. Explain the concept of separatism as it related to the pilgrims who settled at Plymouth.
10. Discuss the settlement of the Carolinas. How and why did they divide into two separate colonies?
11. Discuss the transition of New Netherland into New York. Detail the negotiations that led to the transfer.
12. Georgia’s colonial beginnings are remarkably different from those of other colonies. Discuss
what was unique about Georgia and how those unique features affected the colony’s
development.
13. By the early eighteenth century, the British had outstripped both the French and the Spanish in
the New World by becoming the most populous, prosperous, and powerful. Explain how this
happened.
14. Discuss how North American English colonies’ patterns of settlement and development
differed from that of France, the Netherlands, and Spain.
MATCHING
Match each historical figure with the corresponding colony below.
a.
Carolina
f.
New Netherland
b.
Georgia
g.
Pennsylvania
c.
Maryland
h.
Plymouth
d.
Massachusetts Bay
i.
Rhode Island
e.
New Jersey
j.
Virginia
1. William Bradford
2. Cecilius Calvert
3. John Locke
4. George Carteret
5. Peter Stuyvesant
6. James Oglethorpe
7. William Penn
8. Pocahontas
9. Roger Williams
10. Anne Hutchinson