AP United States History - Terms and People – Unit 1, Chapter 4 (12th Ed.)
HONOR PLEDGE: I strive to uphold the vision of the North Penn School District, which is to inspire each student to reach his or her highest potential
and become a responsible citizen. Therefore, on my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work.
American Life in the Seventeenth Century: 1607 – 1692
Before studying Chapter 4, read over these “Themes”:
Theme: In the Chesapeake region, seventeenth-century colonial society was characterized by diseaseshortened lives, weak family life, and a social hierarchy that included hardworking planters at the top and
restless poor whites and black slaves at the bottom. Despite the substantial disruption of their traditional
culture and the mingling of African peoples, slaves in the Chesapeake developed a culture that mixed African
and new-world elements, and developed one of the few slave societies that grew through natural reproduction.
Theme: By contrast, early New England life was characterized by healthy, extended life spans, strong family
life, closely knit towns and churches, and a demanding economic and moral environment.
After studying Chapter 4 in your textbook, you should be able to:
1. Compare and contrast the different populations and ways of life of the southern colonies and New England.
2. Explain how the problems of indentured servitude led to political trouble and the growth of African slavery.
3. Describe the slave trade and the character of early African-American slavery.
4. Explain how the New England way of life centered on family, town, and church, and describe the changes
that affected this way of life.
5. Describe the various conditions affecting women and family life in the 17th century colonies.
Know the following people and terms. Consider the historical significance of each term or person.
Also note the dates of the event if that is pertinent.
A. People
William Berkeley
Nathanial Bacon
B. Terms:
indentured servitude
slave codes
headright system
jeremiads
middle passage
Bacon’s Rebellion
Leisler’s Rebellion
New York City slave revolt
Half-Way covenant
Salem witch trials
Harvard
William and Mary
C. Sample Essay: Using what you have previously learned and what you learned by reading
Chapter 4, you should be able to answer an essay such as this one:
Why did colonial masters first adopt the institution of indentured servitude rather than native or
black slavery to meet their demands for labor? Why, then, did black slavery replace indentured
servitude?