Question 1

Who would most admire today's America with its constitutional protections of equal rights for all?

Accepted Answer

The Levellers were a political movement during the English Civil War that advocated for equal rights and protections under the law for all individuals, regardless of social status or wealth. This aligns with the constitutional protections of equal rights in today's America.

Question 2

Which of the following lists these colonies in the proper chronological order by the dates they were founded, from the earliest to the latest?

Accepted Answer

Jamestown, Virginia, was founded in 1607, making it the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. Plymouth, Massachusetts, was established in 1620 by the Pilgrims. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded in 1630, and Rhode Island was established in 1636 by Roger Williams. This sequence places these colonies in chronological order from earliest to latest as Jamestown, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, and Rhode Island.

Question 3

The Virginia Company can be called a failure primarily because:

Accepted Answer

The Virginia Company ultimately did not make money, which is the primary reason it can be called a failure. Despite the success of the tobacco trade, the company faced numerous financial setbacks and never turned a profit. While Jamestown did suffer Native American attacks, this was not the only or primary reason for the company's failure. Pocahontas's death and King James's criticism of tobacco were also not the main factors contributing to the Virginia Company's failure.

Question 4

The 104 settlers who remained in Virginia after the ships that brought them from England returned home:

Accepted Answer

The Virginia Company initially focused on economic gain, particularly the search for gold, rather than establishing a stable society, which is why the initial group of settlers were all men.

Question 5

At the heart of the English Civil War was:

Accepted Answer

The English Civil War was essentially a power struggle between the King (who believed in absolute monarchial sovereignty) and Parliament (who believed in limited monarchy and representing the people's voice). The war ultimately resulted in Parliament's victory and solidification of their power. While A and B may have been contributing factors, the main issue was the question of sovereignty and decision-making power within the government. D is incorrect, as there wasn't any major alliance with Spain during this time, and it was primarily a domestic conflict within England.

Question 6

When comparing English colonies to Spanish ones:

Accepted Answer

England indeed sent more people to the Americas in the seventeenth century, focusing on establishing permanent settlements populated by families, laborers, and indentured servants, in contrast to the Spanish emphasis on conquest and extraction of wealth.

Question 7

Anne Hutchinson's trial demonstrated that:

Accepted Answer

Anne Hutchinson's trial demonstrated that church elders lacked tolerance for different religious views, specifically those of women. She was accused of preaching and teaching antinomianism, which challenged the established Puritan doctrine, and ultimately banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Question 8

Letter from an Indentured Servant (1765)
Elizabeth Sprigs
Honored Father
My being forever banished from your sight, will I hope pardon the Boldness I now take of troubling you . . ., my long silence has been purely owning to my undutifullness to you, and . . . knowing I had offended in the highest Degree, put a tie to my tongue and pen, for fear I should be extinct from your good Graces and add a further Trouble to you, but too well knowing your care and tenderness for me so long as I retain'd my Duty to you, induced me once again to endeavor if possible, to kindle up that flame again.
O Dear Father, believe what I am going to relate the words of truth and sincerity, and Balance my former bad Conduct my sufferings here, and then I am sure you'll pity your Destress Daughter. What we unfortunate English People suffer here is beyond the probability of you in England to Conceive, let it suffice that I . . . am toiling almost Day and Night, and very often in the Horses drudgery . . . and then tied up and whipp'd to that Degree that you'd not serve an Animal, scarce anything but Indian Corn and Salt to eat and that even begrudged nay many Negroes are better used. [I am] almost naked no shoes nor stockings to wear, and the comfort after slaving during Masters pleasure, what rest we can get is to wrap ourselves up in a Blanket and ly upon the Ground.
(T)his is the deplorable Condition your poor Betty endures, and now I beg if you have any Bowels of Compassion left show it by sending me some Relief, Clothing is the principal thing wanting.
-Elizabeth Sprigs describes her experience as an indentured servant as

Accepted Answer

Elizabeth Sprigs describes her experience as an indentured servant as one of deprivation, with long hours of toiling almost day and night, being whipped, having almost nothing to eat, no proper clothing, and having to sleep on the ground.

Question 9

In regard to geography, English colonies:

Accepted Answer

English colonies were generally located in colder climates than Spanish colonies, especially in New England and the Mid-Atlantic regions. This climate made agriculture more challenging, but the colonies were able to develop other industries such as fishing and shipbuilding thanks to their proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.

Question 10

The Half-Way Covenant of 1662 addressed:

Accepted Answer

The Half-Way Covenant of 1662 was a form of partial church membership created by New England Puritans. It was designed to address the issue of declining church membership by allowing the children of baptized but unconverted church members to be baptized and thus become church members themselves. This policy was primarily aimed at resolving generational conflicts within the church, as it provided a way to maintain some level of church involvement for the offspring of members who had not experienced a conversion experience.

Question 11

Compared to the Chesapeake colonies, New England had more economic equality because it had more:

Accepted Answer

New England had a more diverse economy with smaller farms and a greater number of landowners who operated their own farms, which led to a more equal distribution of wealth compared to the Chesapeake colonies, which relied heavily on tobacco plantations and the labor of indentured servants and slaves.

Question 12

For Native Americans along the Atlantic Coast, disease and:

Accepted Answer

The answer of For Native Americans along the Atlantic Coast,...

Question 13

In 1607, the colonists who sailed to Jamestown on three small ships:

Accepted Answer

The colonists chose an inland site partly to avoid the possibility of attack by Spanish warships.

Question 14

When comparing the Chesapeake colonies to the New England settlements:

Accepted Answer

Indentured servants were much more prevalent in the Chesapeake colonies, where labor was needed for the cultivation of tobacco, than they were in the New England settlements, where a more diverse economy developed.

Question 15

________ describes best the actions of the Puritan leaders in Massachusetts Bay.

Accepted Answer

The Puritan leaders in Massachusetts Bay were known for their strict adherence to religious doctrine and their intolerance of anyone who did not share their beliefs. They were quick to punish those who were perceived as deviating from the norm, such as Quakers and other non-Puritan groups. This often included public shaming, fines, banishment, and in extreme cases, execution. Therefore, option C (intolerant) describes best the actions of the Puritan leaders in Massachusetts Bay.

Question 16

Religious dissension in England during the first half of the seventeenth century resulted in:

Accepted Answer

Religious dissension in England during the first half of the seventeenth century led to a civil war known as the English Civil War, fought between 1642 and 1651.

Question 17

Letter from an Indentured Servant (1765)
Elizabeth Sprigs
Honored Father
My being forever banished from your sight, will I hope pardon the Boldness I now take of troubling you . . ., my long silence has been purely owning to my undutifullness to you, and . . . knowing I had offended in the highest Degree, put a tie to my tongue and pen, for fear I should be extinct from your good Graces and add a further Trouble to you, but too well knowing your care and tenderness for me so long as I retain'd my Duty to you, induced me once again to endeavor if possible, to kindle up that flame again.
O Dear Father, believe what I am going to relate the words of truth and sincerity, and Balance my former bad Conduct my sufferings here, and then I am sure you'll pity your Destress Daughter. What we unfortunate English People suffer here is beyond the probability of you in England to Conceive, let it suffice that I . . . am toiling almost Day and Night, and very often in the Horses drudgery . . . and then tied up and whipp'd to that Degree that you'd not serve an Animal, scarce anything but Indian Corn and Salt to eat and that even begrudged nay many Negroes are better used. [I am] almost naked no shoes nor stockings to wear, and the comfort after slaving during Masters pleasure, what rest we can get is to wrap ourselves up in a Blanket and ly upon the Ground.
(T)his is the deplorable Condition your poor Betty endures, and now I beg if you have any Bowels of Compassion left show it by sending me some Relief, Clothing is the principal thing wanting.
-Indentured servants in colonial America differed from enslaved people in which key respect?

Accepted Answer

The key difference between indentured servants and enslaved people was that indentured servants could eventually be freed from their bondage after a set number of years, while enslaved people were considered property for life. The letter from Elizabeth Sprigs describes her as an indentured servant who is suffering under the harsh conditions of her servitude. This indicates that she is not enslaved but rather has a limited term of service. Choice A is incorrect because indentured servants were often sold or traded, although they were not considered property in the same way that enslaved people were. Choice C is incorrect because indentured servants did not have the same rights as free people, and marriage was often a decision made by their owners. Choice D is incorrect because as Elizabeth Sprigs' letter clearly illustrates, indentured servants could be subject to physical punishment.

Question 18

Who was most likely to build the best relationships with the Native Americans?

Accepted Answer

The Pilgrims were known to have built strong relationships with the Wampanoag tribe and even signed a peace treaty with them, resulting in the first Thanksgiving. The other groups had more conflicts with Native Americans.

Question 19

As the sixteenth century progressed in New England, the growing commerce:

Accepted Answer

As commerce grew in New England, it brought religious and economic values into conflict. The Puritan Church saw material success as a sign of God's favor, but commercial success often required compromising religious beliefs or conducting business on the Sabbath. This tension led to debates over the role of business in society and the proper way to balance religious and economic values.

Question 20

The separation of church and state in Massachusetts during the seventeenth century:

Accepted Answer

The separation of church and state in Massachusetts during the seventeenth century was not strictly enforced, and the government was deeply intertwined with religious institutions, unlike the clear separation seen in today's U.S. government.

Quiz 2: Beginnings of English America, 1607-1660