Chapter 2 questions

1) What was the impact of England's defeat of Spanish Armada?

1588 - Defeat of the Spanish Armada left the British in sole power of the sea. This made sea travel safer allowing investors to feel more comfortable about investing their money in oversea travel. It also provided English Pride and nationalism; the general population put more faith into their government.

2) What was the status of England as it began colonization?

After the defeat of the Spanish Armada English Pride was souring, the general population were more faithful to their government, and everyone was eager to expand their nation. 

3) How was the first permanent English settlement financed?

Jamestown was funded by a Joint Stock Company titled the Virginia Company. The Joint Stock company had many investors; this made it so that the investors would not lose everything if the company bankrupted. The profit if the company didn’t bankrupt was well worth the risk so many investors joined together to form the Virginia Company.



4) How were Virginia, Maryland, the Carolinas, and Georgia similar?  Different?

They were all dependent on one main export crop for their economy because it was only one crop their economy was unstable at times, rising and falling with the fate of the crop.

5) Why was it important that all English settlers in the New World retained the rights of Englishmen?

The rights of Englishmen provided the role model for American rights today. 

6) How would one characterize the early years at Jamestown?

The Settlers were dying from starvation and disease; one man even, in an act of desperateness, murdered, salted, and ate his wife. They did not find the gold that they came to find, and they would have all died had John Smith not cracked down on the remaining settlers. 

7) How did Captain John Smith "save" Jamestown?

John Smith forced Jamestown Colonists to begin to farm and grow their own food. The colonists only wanted to look for gold causing them to starve to death. However, with John Smith's policy everyone began to work for their own food. 

8) What were the factors leading to the downfall of the Powhatans?

The Indians fell due to the “three D’s”: disease (smallpox ), disorganization (since they were not united, the whites could fight one tribe at a time), and disposability (since the whites had no use for Indians, they were simply pushed out).

9) What was the impact of the tobacco industry on Jamestown?

It made Jametown profitable. This allowed for the continuation of the town; without a purpose, Jamestown would have completely fallen apart. 

10) What was the House of Burgesses an important precedent in the American colonies?

The House of Burgesses was the first "mini parliament" to convene in America. It was a role model for other self government establishments to take place and allowed the colonists to distance themselves from the crown. 

11) Why was Maryland established?  Who founded it?

Maryland was established by Lord Baltimore to provide religious tolerance to Roman Catholics whom were persecuted in England. 

12) What was the Barbados slave code?

The Barbados slave code was created in 1661 to deny fundamental rights to slaves and give them wholey to their masters. This was the basis for slavery during the time of the civil war. 

13) Why was Georgia founded?  By whom?

James Oglethorpe helped found Georgia to do two things: provide a buffer between the money making states and the vicious Spaniards and to populate it with prisoners from debtors prisons so that they could work off their debt. 

14) What were the similarities/differences in the southern plantations colonies by 1750?

Southerns plantations resided in very rural populations because landowners needed a lot of space for crops they did not congregate closely, therebye cities were hard to come by. The economy was based on agriculture and slave labour. Wealth was based in a few aristocratic landowners rather than the general population.