Chapter 4 Discussion Questions
- What types of disease did Chesapeake settlers experience? What did that do to life expectancy in the region?
- Describe what family life was like in the Chesapeake region during the 17th Century and how that impacted demographics.
- What types of people were drawn to indentured servitude? Why?
- Explain how the headright system worked. How did that benefit the masters?
- How did Bacon’s Rebellion begin? Describe what happened during the rebellion. What effect would Bacon’s Rebellion have on labor in the southern colonies?
- What were some factors that led to an increase of African slave labor in the colonies?
- Describe the process of taking a slave from freedom in Africa to slavery in the North American colonies. What was the main distinction that separated slaves from indentured servants? What were slave codes?
- Explain the social hierarchy of the Southern colonies during the 17th century. What were the “first families of Virginia?”
- How did New Englanders fare compared to their Southern counterparts? Give some examples why.
- What was a significant cause of death to New England women? How did women in New England differ from women in the South economically? Were women considered equal to men during the 17th century? Explain.
- Explain how New England towns were more organized than the South. What role did the Puritan church have in government?
- What was a Half-Way Covenant? How did this affect the church?
- Why did the Salem Witch trials happen? What did they reflect? What brought about the end to the hysteria?
- How did the soil and climate of New England play a role in its economic development?
- Why did class distinctions not really take hold in the middle and New England colonies like they had in Europe in the 17th Century? What was Leisler’s Rebellion?
Chapter 5 Discussion Questions
- Explain how the population of the 13 colonies grew throughout the early 1700s. What were the four most populous colonies? Most populous cities?
- Describe how America was a melting pot. What push factors brought Germans to America, where did they settle? Why did the Scots-Irish immigrate, what region did they predominantly settle? What were some common traits of the Scots-Irish?
- Explain the meaning of this phrase from the book, “Life for slaves was everywhere terrible, though not everywhere the same.”
- What happened with the New York slave revolt of 1712? What was the Stono Rebellion?
- Explain the economic system of the colonies during the 18th Century. Explain how the triangular trade system worked. What was the Molasses Act and why was it passed?
- Describe the differences between the Anglican and Congregational churches and what regions did they have the most prominence?
- What were the two burdens of the Puritan churches? What were some things that led to the First Great Awakening?
- How did Jonathan Edwards have an affect on the Great Awakening? What about George Whitefield?
- What were the lasting effects of the Great Awakening?
- What were the English viewpoints on education? How did education differ from the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies? What was the predominant purpose of most early American colleges?
- What was Poor Richard’s Almanack? What contributions did Benjamin Franklin make to science?
- Explain the details and significance of the Zenger Trial.
- Describe how government was set up and carried out throughout the colonies. Who had voting rights? How was America more democratic than Europe at the time?
- Despite their differences, by the mid-18th Century, what commonalities did the 13 English colonies share?