Chapter 2 history tenents.docx

7/27/2019 Chapter 2 history tenents.docx

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Chapter: 2

Name of Chapter: Britain and its Colonies

Group Members: Liz Wood, Megan Hendricks, Herti King

Class Period: 8th

Due Date: September 16, 2010

Politics of the Time Period Liz Wood

Politics in Britain and its Colonies was more control of the land. People strived to be

Ditches of land and make colonies. William Penn inherited Pennsylvania. He made it

a safe zone and encouraged people of different religions to move there, as long asthey believe in God, even though John Winthrop in Massachusetts wanted just

Puritans. Leaders tried to control more then just the land, but also the people in it.

Winthrop even took the steps to hide the charter of the Massachusetts Bay

Company. In 1643 he was taken to the General Court. Even after trying the lead the

Puritans the be the purist. The leaders even determined the crops in their land and

the prices for them. William Berkely only catered to the wealthiest planters. Charles

II had the throne of England in 1660, but was not respected as much because he

openly avowed Catholicism. People then began to self-rule and more went to the

New World to express more free religion. People fought for more control of

themselves.

Economics of the Time Period Liz Wood

Economics in the chapter Britain and its Colonies were mostly trade with the

Indians and other colonies as well as learning to grow crops from the Indians too.

Tobacco became an addictive trade and lust for land. Tensions caused by depression

of tobacco prices, rising taxes and roaming livestock. Berkeley even displaced the

Indian to grow more tobacco. The Indians showed the Pilgrims how to grow maize

and catch fish. Later the Pilgrims were trading fur and making ships. Many English

proprietors had the colonies focusing on commercial crops. They even tradedenslaved Indians and Africans. They developed trade with the Indians, after turning

different tribes against each other. English merchants began traveling south and

traded with the Catawba Indians. English traders also started trading firearms and

rum.


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Impact of Religion on the Time Period Liz Wood

Civil war erupted in Scotland when Charles I directed persecution of Puritans.

Puritans arrived in America claiming to be on a divine mission to create a model for

Christian societies and to clean up the Catholic Church. The Puritans also wanted

to help with the Anglican rituals. They tried to help with the Church of England after

saying they retained too many vestiges of Catholicism. Even colonies were made upof whatever religion the governors wanted. Massachusetts Bay Company was made

up of people who wanted to worship God and pursue their callings John Winthrop

even told the Puritans they were the chosen people and need to act as if they were

a city on a hill as if everyone looked up to them like they were the closest to God.Winthrop and Roger Williams questioned each other about God. Weather he chose

who joined him in heaven when the person was born or if it was between God and

the individual. Between all the people picking what religion was in their colony,

William Penn inherited Pennsylvania and let all people, as long as they believe in

God, worship in his colony. The first safe colony for religion

Social Issues of the Time Period Megan Hendricks

Wars such as the Pequot War and King Phillips War affected society during thistime period. The Pequot War started because one Pequot was accused of killing a

colonist. The colonists enacted their revenge on the entire Pequot tribe killing men,

women, and even children. This settling the score nearly wiped out all the Peqouts.

All but seven escaped. Many of these escapees were caught and sold into slavery to

Bermuda. This move sparked some uncertainty within the colonists. They wondered

if their lust for land was out of their control. Like the Pequot War, King Phillips

started much the same. A colonist was murdered and the Wampanoags wereblamed. Three Wampanoags were tried, found guilty and executed for the crime. A

British spy nicknamed the Praying Indian infiltrated and informed the English that

Metacom, the Chief of the Wampanoags, had forged an alliance with the surrounding

Indian tribes. Metacom or Phillip planned to attack in revenge of the three

Wampanoags executed. The Native Americans attacked and burned colonial

settlements throughout Massachusetts. All the fighting caused destruction in New

England. The Native Americans had little supplies and heavy casualties. They fell to

the British. Many of the other tribes had surrendered already. Some fell to disease

while others fled. The English controlled those who stayed. The English made the

Native Americans live on white run settlements with the British overseeingprogress. This war dropped the Native American population down to one nine

thousand in the region.


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Important Documents and Legislation Megan Hendricks

This time period was influenced by documents and legislation such as the Magna

Carta, Bill of Rights, Act of Toleration, Act of Union and the Mayflower Compact. The

Magna Carta, or the Great Charter, of 1215 was a statement of privileges wrested by

certain nobles from the King but it became part of a broader and larger assumptionthat the people as a whole had rights that the monarch could not violate even with

all his power. It further safeguarded English tradition and common law. Common

law had been developing since the twelfth century in royal courts to establish to

check the arbitrary power of local nobles. Without laws cover ever single minor law

and detail judges had to use their own ideals of what was right and wrong, while

using precedents of other before them. In the Bill of Rights of 1689 William and

Mary gave up erecting courts, suspending laws, keeping a standing army, and

levying taxes by Parliamentary consent. They also agreed to gold legislature

sessions, freedom of speech in Parliament, no excessive bail, or cruel and usual

punishments. Also under William and Mary was the Act of Toleration of 1689. Thisact extended religious toleration to every Christian faith but excluded Unitarians

and Catholicism. Catholics and Unitarians were still persecuted by other religious

sects for their beliefs. In 1701 the Act of Settlement ensured Protestant successions

through Queen Anne. The Mayflower Compact was not exactly a constitution but

more of recourse the pilgrims agreed upon. The colonists agreed to for a church and

believe God had made a covenant with them to provide a way to salvation.

Artistic Aspects Megan HendricksA map drawn in 1624 by John Smith showed the landscape of Virginia. It depicts

Chief Powhatan in the upper left had corner dressed in furs and feathers. This

drawing shows woodlands, streams, bays, and rivers. It also labels Native American

tribes and their locations. Another piece of art is a list of provisions sent down by

the Virginia Company in 1622. It lists various things that a noble plantation must

have. Most of the things on the list are possessions that wealthier people would

own. More art would be the picture of Pocahontas in a European dress. By 1616 she

was formally known as Lady Rebecca. In one 17th century cartoon four men are

fighting over the bible. They are holding each corner. Each of the men stood for their

own faith. A friar is shown in his robes griping tightly onto the bible.

Technology Herti King

The Native Americans were never fond of technology until the settlers came along.

Natives are often well known for being very nature dependent. They felt all the

materials they needed were to come from the Earth. As the settlers changed their

way of life as they knew it, they also introduced the Native Americans to many man


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made materials. These man made materials proved to be one of the many downfalls

for the natives towards the end of the time period. The settlers brought many

trinkets and guns, along with disease, and bad intentions. Although reluctant to

embrace any form of European life initially, just like with every other aspect of life,

whether out of force or desperation, the Natives began to embrace their weapons

more and more. In a desperate act to survive, and support their tribes the Nativesbecame dependent on weapons, ammunition and finished goods, the Europeans

were able to bribe them. In most cases this would mean capturing neighboring

tribes to be sold as slaves, fighting against them, or becoming allies with one of them

to help out the Europeans. Ironically enough what the natives thought they were

doing for the better good of their tribe and themselves ended up to be their demise.

The Europeans not only cheated them out of goods, but killed with the same guns

they were sold as well. Not to mention the Europeans still fought viciously among

each other. Overall, technology had a very negative effect on this time period.

Conflicts Herti King

In every chapter of history there are bound to be many conflicts. The main point of

conflict in this time period was land control and religion. Initially, the conflicts were

between the Native Americans and the Europeans. Although the natives were

obviously there first, many of the settlers felt it was their divine destiny to have the

land of the middle colonies. There were many battles which the Native Americans

tragically lost. They were either driven out of their land, or were victims of almost

genocide. As the settlers began to colonize there were many different religions and

forms of governments to be established. Long before toleration and freedom ofrights, there were many conflicts on which system of religion was correct to follow,

how to follow to follow it, and exactly who would follow it. One of the main goals of

the colonists was to spread Christianity, even if that meant they had to force it upon

the tribes and immigrants. But just like anything else in life, there were people who

chose to break away. Persecution broke out among the colonies. The lack of

toleration for peoples beliefs resulted in many deaths simply because people chose

to believe what they wanted to believe.

Unique Points Herti King

There are many unique similarities between some aspect of the society of this time

period and modern day society. The General Court acted as our Parliament,

Supreme Court and President wrapped in one. The General Court was the supreme

judicial and legislative body, and had final authority on all cases. Also like our

modern day government, there were two houses. The House of Assistants and the


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House of Lords acted as the House of Representatives and the Senate. The General

Court along with voters elected the Governor and the assistants. The Quakers

were way before their time in with individual inspiration and interpretation. They

embraced pacifism. They believed in religious freedom for everyone, no matter the

belief or sex. Also, they believe in full participation of women in affairs. In

conclusion, there were many similarities between our modern day society and earlycivilization.