Prompt 1: Migration

* According to anthropologists, where did the first human beings live? Why did they leave that place? How did they get to North America?

According to anthropologists the first human beings lived in Ethiopia, Africa around 2 million years ago for example: Lucy known as the oldest human found there. The most probable reason why the first human left Africa is because of the Ice Age. The cold made life so difficult to survive and somehow reduced in their population. They went through a land bridge, which existed to connect North America and Asia during the Ice Age.

* What was the Columbian Exchange? How did the Columbian Exchange affect Europe? How did it affect North America?
The Columbian Exchange is basically understand as the exchange in foods, animals, plants as well as diseases between the New World (North America) and the Old World (Europe) followed after the discovery of America by Columbus. The Columbian Exchange affected both world in many ways.

For Europe, it brings avocado, potato, tomato, corn, beans, tobacco, turkeys as positive effects and the negative effect are diseases like tuberculosis and syphilis.

For North America, positive effects: coffee beans, olive, banana, sugar cane, grape, sheep, pig, horse. And the negative effects impact North America are: smallpox, chickenpox, measles etc…

* Name four groups of people who migrated to British North America in the 17th century. Why did each of those groups migrate? Virginia Settlement – these settlers known as the first English settlement to migrated in North America. They prefer to seek opportunities, own some land in this new world and make their own business. Later on tobacco was introduced and the majority of them planned to grow tobacco as it’s the most successful cash crop to become rich. Puritans of New England – their main reason is to pursue practice religious freedom and escape persecutions from their mother land. They want to create a religious society, a better place for their people to instead of England during this time. Quakers in Pennsylvania – they are Christian immigrants but not like the Puritans in New England as we known. They came to America to create religious refuge for those persecuted for their religious beliefs. Dutch of New Netherland -

* How did the migrant population of early colonial Virginia (1607-1640) differ from the migrant population of early New England (1620-1640)? List three social differences between those early colonies and one similarity.
Virginia have large population including more African slaves being transported there into tobacco fields.
New England was less of those slaves as economic reason is not their main goal when migrate to America but freedom of religions

Colonial Virginia came to North America to make wealth, that’s why the majority of them were men not much of women and children
New England came with families to build a religious society, so they have men, women and children along with them

When both groups arrived in America, a lot of the colonial Virginia people died off for some of the first years while the New England people are much less.

Since they all moved out of England, then they have to be Christian anyway, so this is the similarity between the two.

Prompt 2: Economics

* What chain of events in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia caused Europeans to explore the world’s oceans in the 15th century?
Back then when refrigeration had not invented. Salt is used to preserve meat, spices help to hide the salty taste and spices are only found in Asian countries. So the Europeans have to trade with Asian countries to get spices. The 2 continents are connected by the Ottoman Empire (in the Middle East) lied between them. Of course this empire would tax whatever trade is going through their land. After a while, the Europeans can’t afford to keep the Ottoman Empire happy with the tax, so they decided to explore a sea-route to get to these Asian countries.

* Which commodity sparked the economy of colonial Virginia in the early 17th century? What social problems resulted from the success of that commodity?
Tobacco was introduced and imported by John Rolfe. This triggered huge waves of settlers in Jamestown to plant tobacco’s seeds as well. So the more of them growing tobacco, the better the economy improving due to high demand in consumptions. On the other hand, growing tobacco resulted in the Indians being kicked out of their lands, forced the African slaves brought to America and work in the tobacco fields.

* Which industry sparked the New England economy at the end of the 17th century? Who was unhappy with the success of that industry, and why?
Shipbuilding was a fast growing industry created a boom for New England economy. They also gain profit out of transporting trading goods back and forth from and to England, and also for transporting slaves out of Africa and into North America. The New England settlers were so success at their shipbuilding business that actually made their mother land (England) unhappy. And the reason for this, England probably thinks that the people in New England are somehow over-taking their shipbuilding industry which would definitely affect England’s economy one way or the other.

Prompt 3: Government

* How did the political thinking of Englishmen in British North America diverge from the political thinking of Englishmen in England during the period of salutary neglect? Why did that divergence in thinking take place? How was that divergence in thinking symbolized?
Salutary neglect enabled colonies to have more freedom than any other British colonies. They are allowed to violate the laws associated with trades without making England send troops to America to enforce the situations.
Salutary neglect kept the colonies under obedient to England. And England doesn’t have to waste money as sending troops to America are expensive too.

* What was the political philosophy that came to dominate in British North America by the middle of the 18th century? What character trait was most vital in that philosophy? Why was that trait so important?
Liberalism is the political philosophy based on the ideas of liberty and equality strongly influenced by John Locke. It came around the Age of Enlightenment, it is as vital as how it supports program like freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of markets etc... to basic of ruling the nation.

* What did colonists mean when they said “no taxation without representation”? How did Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” change that mindset?
The Americans meant to complain about the taxes forced by the Parliament without the colonists’ agreement. The colonists do not want to be taxed when they can’t participate in the government.
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense criticized the England for ruling the colonists. They acted like they are protecting the colonies but instead they wanted to gain the benefits out of the economic. For the most part, they forced the colonists to pay for taxes in different ways and not letting them have the right to represent their own land. It’s time for America to grow by itself. By doing this, America must declare of independence from England.

Possible Identification Terms

Terms:

Marco Polo: he was born in Venice, Italy by 1254. He’s a 13th century explorer who was the 1st person to travel the trade route of the far East like China to pick up new knowledge and experience that are not well known by the Europeans. It took him 3 years to get to China and had visited many great cities and famous places like Jerusalem, Persia and Gobi Desert. During the visits, he learned to speak the language, new cultures, foods and peoples. He get to see huge engineering projects like the Grand Canal are well beyond anything he had experienced at home.

Small Pox: is a deadly disease that affected humans for a long time. It creates bumps filled with a thick and clear fluid. Smallpox’s symptoms consist of high fever, back pain, vomiting etc… After the arrival of the Europeans in the Western Hemisphere and since the Natives people had never been exposed to the disease. From 15th-19th centuries, it’s one of the most feared because of high mortality rates infected Native Americans in North America.
Nathaniel Bacon: born on January 2, 1647 in England. He was a member of the governor's Council and a wealthy colonist of the Virginia Colony. Upon Berkeley refusal to retaliate for a series of Native American attacks. He gathered his troops and forced Berkeley to grant him a commission to continue his campaigns against Native Americans. He now controlled the colony but died suddenly. His forces without leadership and went collapsed later on.
Predestination: the theology that all events have been willed by God. This means the destination had been decided before someone even born, this could either be heaven or hell.
House of Burgesses: first elected representatives in Virginia, North America in 1619. It was established by the Virginia Company. 22 members were elected by the colony for those who are over 17 and must own some land. The House of Burgesses will have a meeting once a year to make laws.
Stamp Act: The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. Making all American colonists to pay tax on every piece of printed paper. For example: legal documents, licenses, newspapers etc… The cost the Stamp Act is not a big concern, but it viewed that England wants to raise money without the approval of the colonial legislatures, so more troubles with taxation will await in the future.

Indentured Servant: these are the people who willing to work for the lands as employees to the owners within several years then be free to work on their own by 18th century in North America. Some work as farmers, others work as craftsmen. In special cases, children from England and France were kidnapped and sold into indentured labor in the Caribbean for a minimum of 5 years but some of them never attain freedom.

Town Council: a democratically elected form of local government.