#AP US History: Colonial America (1607-1754) - Your Ultimate Study Guide 🚀

Hey there, future AP US History rockstar! This guide is designed to be your go-to resource for acing the exam, especially when you're down to the wire. Let's jump right in and make sure you're feeling confident and ready to go! 💪

#1. Setting the Stage: Colonial Context (1450-1754)

#1.1. Global Competition 🌍

• European Powers: Britain, Spain, France, and the Netherlands were all vying for land, resources, and power.
• Colonies as Prizes: The Americas became a major battleground for this competition. 💰
• Impact: This rivalry shaped the interactions between colonists and Native Americans, and influenced how colonies were established and governed.

#1.2. The Big Question 🤔

• Guiding Question: How did both Europeans and Americans influence the origins of colonial life?
• Key Areas: Motives for settlement, government evolution, economic systems, religious practices, and cultural development.

#1.3. Timeline Overview

• Start: 1607 - Jamestown, the first permanent English colony, is founded.
• End: 1754 - The Seven Years' War begins, marking the end of the colonial period. 👉👈

#2. Colonial Economies: Trade, Crops, and Mercantilism

#2.1. Mercantilism and Navigation Acts ⚓

• Mercantilism: The economic system where colonies exist to benefit the mother country (England).
• Navigation Acts: Laws enforcing mercantilism, requiring colonies to trade primarily with England.
• Salutary Neglect: England's policy of loosely enforcing these laws, allowing colonies some economic freedom. 😌
• End of Neglect: When England needed money, they cracked down, causing tension. 😠

#2.2. Regional Specialization 🧑‍🌾

• Southern Colonies (Chesapeake): Focus on cash crops like tobacco (Virginia, Maryland), rice and indigo (South Carolina, Georgia), and tar and pitch (North Carolina).
• Middle Colonies: Wheat production and trade (New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey).
• New England Colonies: Timber🌲, beaver, shipbuilding, and cod fishing 🎣.

#Image from Wikipedia

#3. Colonial Governments: Seeds of Democracy

#3.1. Representative Assemblies 🏛️

• House of Burgesses (Virginia): First representative assembly in the colonies (white male landowners could vote).
• Town Hall Assemblies (New England): Local decision-making (white male church members).
• Written Constitutions: Each colony developed its own, laying the groundwork for future governance. 📜
• John Locke's Influence: His ideas impacted the constitution of South Carolina. 🔒

#4. Colonial Religion: Faith and Awakening

#4.1. Regional Differences ✝️

• New England: Primarily Puritan (Massachusetts Bay Company, founded by John Winthrop as a “city on a hill”), with many Calvinists and Separatists.
• Southern Colonies: Mostly Anglican (Virginia, South Carolina).
• Maryland: Founded as a Catholic refuge but became mostly Protestant, leading to the Act of Toleration (religious freedom for Christians).
• Middle Colonies: Diverse religions, with Pennsylvania being a Quaker colony founded by William Penn.

#4.2. The First Great Awakening 🔥

• Enlightenment Influence: Led to the rise of Deism, emphasizing reason over faith.
• Key Preachers: Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield sparked religious revivals.
• Impact: Encouraged individual Bible study and challenged traditional church authority, laying the foundation for challenging monarchical government. 😴

#5. Colonial Societies: Family, Education, and Labor

#5.1. Contrasting Regions 🏘️

• Southern Colonies: Unstable families due to the headright system, which favored male laborers. 🌿
• New England Colonies: Stable families, equal gender ratio, emphasis on education (e.g., Harvard University founded in 1636).

#6. Native American Conflicts: A Clash of Worlds

#6.1. Varying Relationships ⚔️

• Pennsylvania: Fewest conflicts due to Quaker beliefs.
• Virginia: Conflicts with the Powhatan.
• New England: Battles with the Wampanoags, culminating in King Philip's War, which drove natives westward. 💥

#7. Key People and Events

#7.1. Important Figures 👤

• John Smith: Jamestown leader.
• Lord Calvert: Founder of Maryland.
• William Penn: Founder of Pennsylvania.
• John Rolfe: Developed tobacco in Jamestown.
• Powhatan: Native tribe near Jamestown.
• Puritans: Religious group in New England.
• Separatists: Broke away from the Anglican Church.
• John Winthrop: Puritan leader of Massachusetts Bay.
• Nathaniel Bacon: Led Bacon's Rebellion
• Jonathan Edwards & George Whitefield: Great Awakening preachers.
• Roger Williams & Anne Hutchinson: Dissenters banned from Massachusetts.
• John Peter Zenger: His acquittal supported freedom of the press.

#7.2. Key Terms 📜

• Act of Toleration: Religious freedom in Maryland.
• Holy Experiment: Pennsylvania's Quaker colony.
• Jamestown: First permanent English colony (1607).
• Mayflower Compact: Governing document for Plymouth.
• King Philip's War: Conflict between New England colonists and natives.
• Bacon’s Rebellion: Virginia settlers protesting Governor Berkeley.
• Joint Stock Company: Investment organization for exploration.
• Mercantilism: Economic system favoring the mother country.
• Navigation Acts: Laws enforcing mercantilism.
• Headright System: Land grants for settlers.
• Triangular Trade: Trade system between the New World, Europe, and Africa.

#7.3. Timeline of Events 📅

• 1607: Jamestown founded.
• 1619: House of Burgesses, first African slaves in Virginia.
• 1620: Pilgrims on the Mayflower.
• 1636: Harvard founded.
• 1649: Act of Toleration.
• 1675: King Philip’s War.
• 1676: Bacon’s Rebellion.
• 1692: Salem Witch Trials.
• 1730s-1750s: First Great Awakening.
• 1754: French and Indian War begins.

#8. Exam Skills and Trends

#8.1. Exam Skills 🎯

• Compare and Contrast: Different colonial systems, economies, and societies.
• Analyze Change: How salutary neglect changed after the Seven Years War.
• Trace Themes: Westward migration, religious and social development.
• Understand Causation: Colonial challenges to authority.

#8.2. Major Trends 📈

• European Competition: Different motives and settlements.
• Colonial Identity: Blending European and American influences.
• Labor Systems: Shift from indentured servants to African slaves.
• Native Alliances: Native Americans trying to preserve their way of life.
• Colonial Independence: Growing desire for self-governance.

Focus on the economic and social differences between the colonies, and the impact of the First Great Awakening. These are high-value topics that frequently appear on the exam.

#9. Final Exam Focus

#9.1. High-Priority Topics 🔥

• Colonial Economies: Mercantilism, regional specialization, and the impact of the Navigation Acts.
• Colonial Governments: Development of representative assemblies and the influence of Enlightenment ideas.
• First Great Awakening: Its impact on religious and social life, and its connection to challenging authority.
• Native American Conflicts: Causes and consequences of conflicts like King Philip's War.

#9.2. Common Question Types ❓

• Multiple Choice: Focus on specific events, people, and terms.
• Short Answer Questions (SAQs): Analyze specific aspects of colonial life or compare different regions.
• Free Response Questions (FRQs): Evaluate major trends, such as the development of colonial identity, economic systems, or the impact of religious movements.

#9.3. Last-Minute Tips ⏰

• Time Management: Don't spend too long on one question. Move on and come back if needed.
• Common Pitfalls: Don't confuse key terms or events. Review your notes one last time.
• Strategies for Challenging Questions: Break down complex questions into smaller parts. Look for clues in the question itself.

#10. Practice Questions

Practice Question

#Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following best describes the economic relationship between England and its North American colonies during the 17th and 18th centuries?

   (A) A system of free trade with minimal government intervention (B) A system of mercantilism where colonies provided raw materials and markets for English goods (C) A system of mutual economic benefit with equal trade opportunities (D) A system of protectionism where colonies were restricted to trading only with each other

2. The First Great Awakening is best described as a:

   (A) Political movement that sought to establish democratic governments in the colonies (B) Social movement that emphasized the importance of education and intellectualism (C) Religious revival that emphasized personal faith and emotional experience (D) Economic movement that sought to improve trade relations with England

3. Which of the following was a major cause of Bacon's Rebellion in 1676?

   (A) Religious persecution of Puritans by the Anglican Church (B) Restrictions on colonial trade imposed by the Navigation Acts (C) Conflicts between colonists and Native Americans over land (D) Disagreements over the establishment of representative government

#Free Response Question (FRQ)

Prompt:

Analyze the ways in which economic, religious, and social factors shaped the development of the British colonies in North America during the period from 1607 to 1754. Scoring Breakdown:

• Thesis (1 point): Presents a clear, historically defensible thesis that addresses the prompt.
• Economic Factors (2 points): Discusses the impact of mercantilism, cash crops, and regional specialization on colonial development.
• Religious Factors (2 points): Explains the role of Puritanism in New England, the diversity of religious practices, and the impact of the First Great Awakening.
• Social Factors (2 points): Analyzes the impact of the headright system, family structures, and the development of social hierarchies.
• Synthesis (1 point): Connects the colonial period to later developments in US history or uses other historical examples to illustrate the point.

You've got this! Go get that 5! 🌟