Question 1

The law shaped sex roles and sexual conduct in Puritan New England by
A) recognizing equality of property rights between men and women.
B) defining adultery as occurring only when a married woman was involved.
C) restricting divorce to childless couples.
D) giving married women the right to own businesses.

Accepted Answer

The law in Puritan New England defined adultery as only occurring when a married woman was involved, which reinforced the belief that women were responsible for maintaining sexual purity and fidelity in marriage. This reinforced traditional gender roles of women as virtuous and responsible for maintaining the moral order in society. It also meant that men who committed adultery with unmarried women or with other men's wives were not legally punished for their actions.

Question 2

How were midwives viewed and treated in New England society?
A) They were considered dangerous women who were most likely practicing witchcraft.
B) They were paid high wages and were some of the wealthiest women in the village.
C) They were dismissed as less competent than physicians.
D) They were highly respected and often tended to other ailments with herbal remedies.

Accepted Answer

In New England society, midwives were highly respected and often tended to other ailments with herbal remedies. While they were not as formally trained as physicians, their skills and knowledge were valued in their communities. There were some instances of midwives being accused of practicing witchcraft, but this was not a widespread view of them. Additionally, midwives were not typically paid high wages and did not become wealthy through their work.

Question 3

Englishwomen who migrated to the Chesapeake in the seventeenth century as indentured servants found that they
A) were generally confined to household duties while men did agricultural labor.
B) often labored in the tobacco fields because necessity overrode gender distinctions.
C) could avoid hard labor because they were so scarce that males treated them with deference.
D) were pressured to marry at a much younger age than would have been the case in England.

Accepted Answer

Englishwomen who migrated to the Chesapeake as indentured servants were expected to work in the tobacco fields alongside men because the economic necessity of producing tobacco overrode traditional gender distinctions.

Question 4

Most of the women accused of witchcraft during the New England witch hunts were
A) either older, poor, and powerless or in a position of some authority and prestige.
B) women whose fathers or husbands held political power.
C) young women suffering from mental illness.
D) previously held captives of Native Americans.

Accepted Answer

Most of the women accused of witchcraft in New England were either older, poor, and powerless or women in a position of some authority and prestige, such as Rebecca Nurse and Bridget Bishop. Women who held political power, like Ann Hutchinson, were also accused. Mental illness, age, and captivity by Native Americans were not significant factors in who was accused of witchcraft during this time.

Question 5

What was a contributing factor in the Virginia Company's importation of 150 "tobacco brides" to Jamestown in 1620 and 1621?
A) The settlers in the Chesapeake colonies were mostly male, so there was a lack of available spouses.
B) There was a growing need for domestic servants on Chesapeake farms.
C) Virginia's Puritan leadership hoped the addition of women would produce more marriages.
D) Leaders wanted to prevent a preponderance of mixed-race children in the colony.

Accepted Answer

The lack of available spouses was a major contributing factor in the Virginia Company's decision to bring over the "tobacco brides." The ratio of men to women in the Chesapeake colonies was heavily skewed towards men, leading to a shortage of suitable partners for the male settlers. Bringing over women from England was seen as a way to address this issue and promote more stable family units in the colony.

Question 6

Nearly three-quarters of Puritan settlers who migrated to New England were
A) indentured servants.
B) single men seeking opportunity.
C) members of families.
D) members of the church hierarchy.

Accepted Answer

Puritan settlers in New England placed a strong emphasis on family life and values, so it is likely that a large proportion of them were members of families migrating together. Indentured servitude was not as common in New England as it was in some other colonies, and single men seeking economic opportunities were more likely to migrate to other regions with more job opportunities. While church hierarchy was important in Puritan society, it is unlikely that the majority of migrants were high-ranking church officials.

Question 7

Between the mid-sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries,the number of African women imported into American slavery
A) surpassed the number of African males imported to America as slaves.
B) plummeted due to women's inability to do farm work as effectively as men.
C) increased to fill the desire for domestic servants to serve the growing upper class.
D) was nearly 40 percent of the overall number of African slaves imported to America.

Accepted Answer

During the specified period, the proportion of African women imported into American slavery was significant, but it did not surpass the number of African males. The demand for labor, especially in agriculture, meant that men were often preferred for their perceived physical strength. However, women were indeed a substantial part of the slave population, with their roles extending beyond farm work to include domestic service and other tasks. The figure of nearly 40 percent reflects historical estimates of the gender composition among the enslaved African population brought to America.

Question 8

What impact did Bacon's Rebellion have on Virginia?
A) The colonial legislature passed a series of laws further limiting the social mobility of poor white Virginians.
B) Bacon's followers succeeded in liberating Virginia from royal rule for a period of time.
C) Virginia's upper class solidified its hold on political power and began to conspicuously display wealth and power.
D) Virginia's social structure was completely reversed because the poor appropriated the land of the wealthy aristocrats.

Accepted Answer

Bacon's Rebellion led to the Virginia elite consolidating their power and wealth, as they sought to prevent future uprisings by strengthening their control over the colony.

Question 9

When an Englishwoman had the legal status of feme sole,she
A) had the right to participate in her husband's legal decisions.
B) was prohibited from marrying.
C) had some individual rights before the law.
D) could execute her children's legal documents.

Accepted Answer

When an Englishwoman had the legal status of feme sole, she had some individual rights before the law, meaning she was able to enter into legal contracts, own property, and sue or be sued in court without needing her husband's consent.

Question 10

How did the lives of women in New Netherland differ from those in the British colonies?
A) Dutch women had more legal rights and economic authority than British women.
B) Dutch women did not have slaves to help with domestic work as the British did.
C) Very few Dutch women came to New Netherland, and most Dutch men married Native Americans.
D) Most Dutch women came as nuns intent on converting Native Americans.

Accepted Answer

Dutch women in New Netherland had more legal rights and economic authority than British women in the neighboring colonies. Dutch women could own property, businesses, and inherit land, while British women were not allowed to do so.

Question 11

Why did Quaker women in Pennsylvania enjoy relatively equal status with Quaker men?
A) Quakers hated all forms of discrimination.
B) The earliest Quaker theologians were women.
C) Quakers believed "the Inner Light of Christ" was available equally to all.
D) Quakers did not believe in controlling social behavior in any way.

Accepted Answer

Quakers believed in the concept of "the Inner Light of Christ," which taught that every individual had access to the divine and could communicate directly with God. Therefore, Quakers believed in equality and did not differentiate between male and female in terms of their ability to connect with God. This theory led to an ethos of gender equality, as women were regarded as equally capable of receiving divine inspiration and performing important roles within the Quaker community.

Question 12

What development is an example of the syncretic African American culture that had emerged in the Chesapeake by the early eighteenth century?
A) The dominance of West African traditions in most slave communities
B) The fusion of African and English words into a pidgin language
C) African Americans' rejection of African religions for Christianity
D) The use of African and English women to work in fields together

Accepted Answer

The fusion of African and English words into a pidgin language is an example of the syncretic African American culture that emerged in the Chesapeake by the early eighteenth century. This language, known as Gullah or Geechee, combined English words with African grammatical structures and vocabulary.

Question 13

How were Native American women's lives affected by participating in a "French country marriage"?
A) They became French citizens and were forced to convert to Catholicism.
B) They retained the right to easily divorce while gaining access to trade goods.
C) They were taken to urban centers, where they had access to education.
D) They were taken back to France, where they succumbed to European diseases.

Accepted Answer

Participating in a "French country marriage" was a tradition in which Native American women married French fur traders and settlers. These women retained the right to easily divorce, which gave them more agency than European women at the time. They also gained access to trade goods through their husbands' connections. However, they often remained in rural areas and did not have access to education or become French citizens. While some Native American women did travel to France, it was not common enough to be a significant factor in their overall experience. Disease did impact Native American populations, but it was not necessarily tied to "French country marriages" specifically.

Question 14

When did the sex ratio between white men and women come into balance?
A) After the war for independence, which brought high casualties to the male population
B) Once African slavery took hold and white women ceased jeopardizing their health with farm labor
C) After 1650, when the legal rights of married women were better protected, enticing more women to emigrate
D) After 1700, when the rate of male immigration slowed and the birthrate among the white population increased

Accepted Answer

After 1700, many factors contributed to the balance of the sex ratio between white men and women in British North America. The rate of male immigration slowed down, the birthrate among the white population increased, and the number of female immigrants rose. Moreover, more women were staying alive due to improved living standards, reduced exposure to diseases, and better healthcare facilities. As a result, the ratio of men to women became nearly equal in the late 1700s.

Question 15

What step was among the series of developments in Virginia that led to the legal distinction between African slaves and white free laborers?
A) Imposition of a tax on the labor of African women but not on white women
B) A legal prohibition on African Americans from owning land
C) The death penalty for any white men who chose to marry African women
D) Deportation of babies born to white masters and black slave women

Accepted Answer

The imposition of a tax on the labor of African women but not on white women was a significant step in creating a legal distinction between African slaves and white free laborers in Virginia. This action institutionalized a racial difference in economic value and legal status, contributing to the development of a racially based system of slavery.

Question 16

In challenging religious doctrine and the clergy who interpreted it in Massachusetts,Anne Hutchinson also contested the
A) existence of God.
B) need for organized religion.
C) inferior role of women in the Bible.
D) subordinate status of women in religious discussions.

Accepted Answer

Anne Hutchinson specifically challenged the subordinate status of women in religious discussions, arguing that they should have the right to interpret scripture and express their own beliefs. While she did question certain aspects of traditional Puritan theology, such as the idea of predestination, she did not deny the existence of God or reject the need for organized religion altogether. Additionally, while she advocated for greater freedom and agency for women in religious matters, it is unclear if she directly challenged the representation of women in the Bible.

Question 17

Why did women in the Chesapeake colonies tend to die at an earlier age than men throughout the seventeenth century?
A) The prevalence of deadly diseases in the household
B) The hazards of childbirth
C) Overwork in a harsh climate
D) Women's poor physical constitutions

Accepted Answer

Women in the Chesapeake colonies tended to die at an earlier age than men due to the hazards of childbirth. The lack of medical knowledge and care made childbirth a risky and dangerous process for women, leading to high mortality rates among them.

Question 18

Chesapeake women who achieved wealth did so mostly
A) through marriage, and often remarriage, to wealthy men.
B) through grants of land from the governor.
C) by running businesses and trading concerns.
D) by managing inns and taverns.

Accepted Answer

Wealth accumulation for women in the Chesapeake region during the colonial period was primarily through marriage and, in many cases, remarriage to wealthy men. This was due to the societal and legal structures of the time, which limited women's direct access to wealth and property ownership.

Question 19

The story of Hannah Swarton,a colonist who was captured by the Abenaki Indians in a punitive incursion against the British settlers,is remarkable because Swarton
A) survived her captivity by Native Americans, which was rare for European hostages.
B) married into the Abenaki group and became a diplomatic go-between in New England.
C) was sold by the Abenaki to French Canadians who tried, unsuccessfully, to convert her to Catholicism.
D) subsequently returned to the Indians as a Protestant missionary and was welcomed.

Accepted Answer

Hannah Swarton's story is notable because she was sold by the Abenaki to French Canadians, who attempted to convert her to Catholicism, but she resisted these efforts.

Question 20

Why did South Carolina planters use African women to establish rice as a staple crop?
A) Women had been key participants in cultivating rice crops in Africa.
B) Women's hands were best adapted to the fine tasks required for that crop.
C) Women were more docile as a labor force than were men.
D) Rice required relatively little physical labor to grow and harvest.

Accepted Answer

South Carolina planters used African women to establish rice as a staple crop because women had been key participants in cultivating rice crops in Africa. These women brought with them the knowledge and skills required to cultivate rice and were crucial in the success of rice cultivation in South Carolina.

Quiz 2: Colonial worlds

The law shaped sex roles and sexual conduct in Puritan New England by

How were midwives viewed and treated in New England society?

Englishwomen who migrated to the Chesapeake in the seventeenth century as indentured servants found that they

Most of the women accused of witchcraft during the New England witch hunts were

What was a contributing factor in the Virginia Company's importation of 150 "tobacco brides" to Jamestown in 1620 and 1621?

Nearly three-quarters of Puritan settlers who migrated to New England were

Between the mid-sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries,the number of African women imported into American slavery

What impact did Bacon's Rebellion have on Virginia?

When an Englishwoman had the legal status of feme sole,she

How did the lives of women in New Netherland differ from those in the British colonies?

Why did Quaker women in Pennsylvania enjoy relatively equal status with Quaker men?

What development is an example of the syncretic African American culture that had emerged in the Chesapeake by the early eighteenth century?

How were Native American women's lives affected by participating in a "French country marriage"?

When did the sex ratio between white men and women come into balance?

What step was among the series of developments in Virginia that led to the legal distinction between African slaves and white free laborers?

In challenging religious doctrine and the clergy who interpreted it in Massachusetts,Anne Hutchinson also contested the

Why did women in the Chesapeake colonies tend to die at an earlier age than men throughout the seventeenth century?

Chesapeake women who achieved wealth did so mostly

The story of Hannah Swarton,a colonist who was captured by the Abenaki Indians in a punitive incursion against the British settlers,is remarkable because Swarton

Why did South Carolina planters use African women to establish rice as a staple crop?