Ap Us History Unit 2 Review

AP US History Unit 2 Review: Mastering Colonial America and the Road to Revolution

Unit 2 of AP US History delves into the complex tapestry of colonial America, exploring the diverse societies that emerged, the evolving relationship with Great Britain, and the burgeoning seeds of revolution. This comprehensive review will equip you with the knowledge and understanding necessary to ace your exams, from multiple-choice questions to Document-Based Questions (DBQs) and Long Essay Questions (LEQs).

Colonial Foundations: Diverse Societies and Economies

The thirteen colonies, far from being a homogenous entity, represented a spectrum of social, economic, and political landscapes. Understanding these regional differences is crucial.

New England Colonies: Puritanism, Commerce, and Community

• Religion: Dominated by Puritanism, which emphasized communal living, strict moral codes, and the importance of education. Key figures include John Winthrop, who envisioned Massachusetts Bay as a "city upon a hill."
• Economy: A mixed economy centered on shipbuilding, fishing, lumbering, and small-scale farming. Boston emerged as a major trading hub.
• Society: Relatively egalitarian compared to other regions, with a strong emphasis on family and community. Town meetings fostered participatory democracy.
• Key Events/People:
  • Mayflower Compact (1620): An early example of self-government in the colonies.
  • The Great Migration (1630s): The mass migration of Puritans to New England.
  • Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams: Dissenters who challenged Puritan orthodoxy and advocated for religious freedom, leading to their banishment and the founding of Rhode Island.
  • Pequot War (1636-1638): An early and brutal conflict between colonists and Native Americans.
  • King Philip's War (1675-1676): A major conflict that devastated New England and weakened Native American resistance.
  • Salem Witch Trials (1692): A period of mass hysteria and persecution, highlighting the dangers of religious extremism.

Middle Colonies: Diversity, Tolerance, and Agriculture

• Diversity: A melting pot of cultures and religions, including English, Dutch, German, and Swedish settlers. Pennsylvania, founded by William Penn, became a haven for Quakers and other religious minorities.
• Economy: Focused on agriculture, particularly wheat and other grains, earning the region the nickname "breadbasket colonies." Philadelphia and New York City grew into major commercial centers.
• Society: More diverse and tolerant than New England, with a mix of urban and rural lifestyles.
• Key Events/People:
  • William Penn and the Founding of Pennsylvania: Emphasized religious freedom, fair treatment of Native Americans, and democratic principles.
  • The "Holy Experiment": Penn's attempt to create a society based on Quaker ideals of peace, equality, and tolerance.
  • Zenger Trial (1735): A landmark case for freedom of the press in colonial America.

Southern Colonies: Plantation Economy and Slavery

• Economy: Heavily reliant on cash crops such as tobacco, rice, and indigo. The plantation system dominated the economy and society.
• Slavery: The institution of slavery became deeply entrenched in the Southern colonies, providing the labor force for plantation agriculture. The slave codes, which varied from colony to colony, codified racial hierarchies and denied enslaved people basic rights.
• Society: Hierarchical, with a small elite of wealthy planters at the top and a large population of enslaved Africans at the bottom.
• Key Events/People:
  • Bacon's Rebellion (1676): An uprising of indentured servants and poor farmers against the colonial government in Virginia, highlighting social tensions and the growing demand for labor.
  • The development of the plantation system: This dramatically reshaped the South's economy and social structure.
  • Stono Rebellion (1739): A major slave revolt in South Carolina, leading to stricter slave codes.

The Impact of Mercantilism

Mercantilism was the economic policy adopted by Great Britain and other European powers. It aimed to increase national wealth and power by controlling trade and accumulating gold and silver.

• Navigation Acts: A series of laws passed by the British Parliament to regulate colonial trade. These acts required that colonial goods be shipped on English ships and that certain goods could only be exported to England.
• Colonial Response: While mercantilism provided some benefits to the colonies, such as protected markets for certain goods, it also stifled colonial economic development and fostered resentment towards British control. Salutary neglect was a period where the British relaxed enforcement of these acts.

Colonial Governance and Political Development

The colonies developed distinct forms of government, often characterized by a degree of self-rule.

Colonial Assemblies

• Each colony had its own elected assembly, which had the power to pass laws and levy taxes.
• The assemblies gradually gained more power and autonomy, challenging the authority of the royal governors.

The Dominion of New England (1686-1689)

• An attempt by the British government to consolidate the New England colonies under a single royal governor, Sir Edmund Andros.
• The Dominion was highly unpopular with the colonists, who resented the loss of their self-government.
• The Dominion was dissolved after the Glorious Revolution in England.

The Glorious Revolution (1688-1689)

• The overthrow of King James II in England and the ascension of William and Mary to the throne.
• The Glorious Revolution had a significant impact on the colonies, leading to the overthrow of the Dominion of New England and the restoration of colonial self-government.

The Great Awakening and Enlightenment

These two major intellectual and religious movements profoundly influenced colonial society.

The Great Awakening (1730s-1740s)

• A series of religious revivals that swept through the colonies.
• Key figures included Jonathan Edwards, who preached fiery sermons on the need for repentance, and George Whitefield, a charismatic preacher who toured the colonies.
• Impact:
  • Increased religious enthusiasm and participation.
  • The rise of new denominations, such as Baptists and Methodists.
  • A greater emphasis on individual religious experience.
  • A challenge to traditional religious authority.
  • Promoted a sense of shared identity among the colonists.

The Enlightenment

• An intellectual movement that emphasized reason, science, and individual rights.
• Key Enlightenment thinkers included John Locke, who argued for natural rights and limited government, and Montesquieu, who advocated for the separation of powers.
• Impact:
  • Influenced colonial leaders, such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.
  • Promoted ideas of liberty, equality, and self-government.
  • Challenged traditional hierarchies and authority.
  • Contributed to the growing sense of American identity.

The French and Indian War (1754-1763)

This war was a pivotal event that dramatically altered the relationship between Great Britain and the colonies.

Causes

• Competition between Britain and France for control of North America.
• Disputes over land in the Ohio River Valley.

Key Events

• Fort Necessity (1754): George Washington's first military engagement, resulting in a British defeat.
• The Albany Congress (1754): An attempt to unite the colonies under a common government, proposed by Benjamin Franklin. It ultimately failed due to colonial rivalries.
• British victories: The British, under the leadership of William Pitt, eventually gained the upper hand, capturing key French forts.
• The Treaty of Paris (1763): Officially ended the war, with Britain gaining control of Canada and all French lands east of the Mississippi River.

Consequences

• Increased British debt: The war significantly increased Britain's national debt.
• New British policies: To pay off the debt, the British government imposed new taxes and regulations on the colonies.
• Increased tensions between Britain and the colonies: The colonists resented the new taxes and regulations, arguing that they were being taxed without representation.
• Proclamation of 1763: Forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. This angered colonists who had hoped to expand westward after the war.
• Pontiac's Rebellion: A Native American uprising against British rule in the Great Lakes region, further straining relations between the colonists and the British government.

The Road to Revolution: Growing Tensions with Great Britain

The French and Indian War set the stage for a series of events that led to the American Revolution.

Key Acts and Events

• Sugar Act (1764): Imposed taxes on sugar, wine, and other goods imported into the colonies.
• Stamp Act (1765): Required colonists to purchase stamps for legal documents, newspapers, and other printed materials.
  • Colonial Response: Widespread protests, including boycotts of British goods and the formation of the Sons of Liberty.
  • Stamp Act Congress (1765): Representatives from nine colonies met to protest the Stamp Act, arguing that it violated their rights as British subjects.
  • Repeal of the Stamp Act (1766): The British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act due to pressure from British merchants, but also passed the Declaratory Act, asserting its right to legislate for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever."
• Townshend Acts (1767): Imposed taxes on tea, glass, and other goods imported into the colonies.
  • Colonial Response: Renewed boycotts of British goods and increased smuggling.
  • The Boston Massacre (1770): British soldiers fired on a crowd of colonists, killing five people. This event was used as propaganda to fuel anti-British sentiment.
• Tea Act (1773): Granted the British East India Company a monopoly on the tea trade in the colonies.
  • Colonial Response: The Boston Tea Party, in which colonists disguised as Native Americans dumped tea into Boston Harbor.
• Intolerable Acts (1774): A series of laws passed by the British Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party. These acts included:
  • Closing the port of Boston.
  • Reducing the power of the Massachusetts legislature.
  • Allowing British troops to be quartered in colonial homes.
• First Continental Congress (1774): Representatives from twelve colonies met in Philadelphia to discuss the Intolerable Acts and to coordinate a response. They agreed to boycott British goods and to form a Continental Army.
• Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775): The first battles of the American Revolution.

Key Figures

• Samuel Adams: A radical leader in Massachusetts who helped to organize the Sons of Liberty and the Boston Tea Party.
• John Adams: A lawyer and politician who defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre and who later became a leading advocate for independence.
• Thomas Jefferson: The author of the Declaration of Independence.
• Patrick Henry: A fiery orator who famously declared, "Give me liberty, or give me death!"
• George Washington: Commander of the Continental Army.

Ideological Foundations of the Revolution

• Natural Rights: The belief that individuals have inherent rights, such as the right to life, liberty, and property.
• Republicanism: The belief that government should be based on the consent of the governed and that citizens should be virtuous and participate in public life.
• "No Taxation Without Representation": The argument that the colonists should not be taxed by the British Parliament because they had no elected representatives in that body.

Analyzing Historical Perspectives

Understanding the various perspectives surrounding these historical events is crucial for critical analysis.

• British Perspective: The British government believed it had the right to tax and regulate the colonies to pay for the cost of the French and Indian War and to maintain order in the empire.
• Colonial Perspective: The colonists believed they had the right to self-government and that the British government was violating their rights as British subjects.
• Loyalist Perspective: Loyalists, also known as Tories, remained loyal to the British crown and opposed independence. They believed that British rule was necessary for stability and order.
• Native American Perspective: Native Americans were caught in the middle of the conflict between Britain and the colonies. They often allied themselves with one side or the other, depending on which they believed would best protect their interests.
• Enslaved African American Perspective: The Revolution presented a complex dilemma for enslaved African Americans. While some saw an opportunity to fight for their freedom, others feared that independence would only strengthen the institution of slavery.

AP US History Unit 2: Essential Themes and Concepts

• American Identity: How did the diverse colonial societies contribute to the development of a distinct American identity?
• Economic Development: How did mercantilism and the growth of the plantation system shape the colonial economy?
• Political Development: How did colonial assemblies and the Great Awakening contribute to the development of democratic ideals?
• Imperialism and Colonial Resistance: How did British policies after the French and Indian War lead to increased tensions with the colonies?
• The Causes of the American Revolution: What were the long-term and short-term causes of the American Revolution?

Practice Questions

To solidify your understanding, consider these practice questions:

1. Compare and contrast the social and economic characteristics of the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies.
2. Analyze the impact of mercantilism on the development of the American colonies.
3. Explain the causes and consequences of the French and Indian War.
4. Evaluate the extent to which the colonists were justified in their grievances against the British government.
5. Analyze the role of ideas, such as natural rights and republicanism, in the coming of the American Revolution.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Q: What is the significance of Salutary Neglect?
  • A: It refers to the British policy of avoiding strict enforcement of parliamentary laws, especially trade laws, as long as the American colonies remained loyal to the government of Great Britain. This period of relaxed control allowed the colonies to develop a sense of autonomy, which made later attempts at stricter control more contentious.
• Q: How did the Great Awakening contribute to the American Revolution?
  • A: By challenging traditional religious authority and promoting individual religious experience, the Great Awakening helped to foster a spirit of independence and self-reliance that would later be applied to political issues. It also created a sense of shared identity among the colonists, which helped to unite them against British rule.
• Q: What was the main purpose of the Proclamation of 1763?
  • A: To prevent further conflict between colonists and Native Americans by prohibiting colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. However, it was widely resented by colonists who desired westward expansion.
• Q: What were the key differences between Federalists and Anti-Federalists?
  • A: This question pertains more to Unit 3, but it's relevant to understand the legacy of the Revolution. Federalists supported the Constitution and a strong central government, while Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution, fearing it gave too much power to the federal government and lacked a bill of rights to protect individual liberties.
• Q: How did the institution of slavery influence colonial society and economy?
  • A: Slavery was fundamental to the economy of the Southern colonies, providing the labor force for cash crop production. It also shaped social hierarchies and racial ideologies, leading to the development of strict slave codes and a system of racial oppression.

Conclusion: A Foundation for Revolution

Unit 2 of AP US History covers a crucial period in American history, laying the foundation for the American Revolution. By understanding the diverse characteristics of the colonial societies, the evolving relationship with Great Britain, and the intellectual and religious movements that shaped colonial thought, you will be well-prepared to analyze the causes and consequences of the Revolution and to understand the birth of the United States. Remember to focus on the key themes and concepts, practice your analytical skills, and review primary and secondary sources to deepen your understanding. Good luck!