Name ______________________________________Team _________ Class 10-
Colonial America
(1634-1763)
Epoch Study Guide
For research - utilize the following:
 TEXTBOOK
 On WebBoard – U.S. History.org (USorg) - Chapters 3g-7
 On WebBoard – Biography of America (BOA)
Chapter 3: Examine key events, print maps and watch video
 Media Center books: Section 973
 American Issues
BOA
Download the maps of colonial America and identify the location of the 13 colonies and which
colonies made up the 3 regions.
Chapter 2.6
1. Explain the importance of the proprietorship in the development of the non-New England
colonies.
2. Compare one of the middle colonies (Pennsylvania) and one of the southern colonies (Georgia) in
terms of religion, motives of colonization and governance.
Chapter 3.1
1. What transformed Britons into Americans?
2. Explain the importance of “empty land” in the development of the colonies.
3. Explain the importance of the “ocean” in the development of the colonies.
4. How would your life be different if you were a colonial man, woman or child?
5. Differentiate the purpose of colonial education in New England, Middle Colonies and Southern
colonies.
6. Describe the significance of the Zenger case.
American Issues 3.3, 3.4
1. What is mercantilism? (Remember your world history notes!)
What were its 4 objectives?
What was its primary goal?
2. What did the Navigation Act of 1651 do?
3. What did the Navigation Act of 1660 (the Enumeration Act) do?
4. What did the Navigation Act of 1663 (the Staple Act) do?
Chapter 3.2
1. What is salutary neglect (“Old Colonial System”)?
2. How would you describe the internal conditions of the Mother Country (England) during this
period?
3. Describe “The Dominion of New England”. Explain its importance.
4. With which colony is England very upset?
5. Describe “The Glorious Revolution”. Explain how it affects the colonial culture.
6. Why was it difficult for England to govern her colonies?
All sources
1. Research and upload the triangle trade arrangements – identify the 3 major transatlantic triport routes.
2. Describe the notorious triangle trade with the middle passage.
3. What was the basis of the British Empire?
4. Why was slavery important to the British Empire?
5. What general observations can we make about the relationship between the Mother Country
England and the “colonial children” as the English family grows from 1 to 13 during this period
during the 17th – 18th centuries?
6. Describe how black slavery affected the demographics and the cultural development of the
colonies.
7. The British justified their rule over the colonies with “virtual representation”. What is it?
8. Opinion:
Should the colonies dedicate themselves to the economic health of their mother England? Are you
more like Virginia or Massachusetts? Explain your answer.
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Read “The Maryland Toleration Act” (1649)
Forasmuch as in a well governed and Christian Commonwealth matters concerning Religion and the
honor of God ought in the first place to be taken, into serious consideration and endeavoured to be
settled……………..
…….Whereas the enforcing of the conscience in matters of Religion hath frequently fallen out to be of
dangerous Consequence in those commonwealths where it hath been practiced, And for the more quiet
and peaceable government of this Province, and the better to preserve mutual Love and amity amongst
the Inhabitants thereof, Be it Therefore……enacted…..that no person or persons whatsoever within this
Province, or the Islands, Ports, Harbors, Creekes, or havens thereunto belonging professing to believe in
Jesus Christ, shall from henceforth be any waies troubled, Molested or discountenanced for or in respect
of his or her religion nor in the free exercise thereof within this Province or the Islands thereunto
belonging nor any way compelled to the belief or exercise of any other Religion against his or her consent,
so as they be not unfaithful to the Lord Proprietary, or molest or conspire against the civil Government
established or to be established in this Province under him or his heirs.
And that all and every person and persons that shall presume Contrary to this Act and the true intent and
meaning thereof directly or indirectly either in person or estate willfully to wrong disturb, trouble or
molest any person whatsoever within this Province professing to believe in Jesus Christ for or in respect
of his or her religion or the free exercise thereof within this Province other than is provided for in this Act
that such person or persons so offending, shall be compelled to pay trebble damages to the party so
wronged or molested, and for every such offence shall also forfeit 20s sterling in money or the value
thereof…..
Or if the party so offending as aforesaid shall refuse or be unable to recompense the party so wronged, or
to satisfy such fine or forfeiture, then such Offender shall be severely punished by public whipping and
imprisonment during the pleasure of the Lord Proprietary, or his Lieutenant or chief Governor of this
Province…..
The freemen have assented.
1. What is the main theme of the Maryland Toleration Act?
2. As stated in the document, what penalty will be imposed on a person interfering with
another’s expression or exercise of religious faith?
3. What penalty will be imposed on a person unable to pay a fine or forfeit?
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Watch the “Salem” video on my WebBoard and answer the following questions:
1. What cultural, political and economic aspects of Salem became motivating factors in the
persecution of the accused?
2. What was “spectral evidence”? Is there any modern form of evidence which is comparable?
3. What beneficial civic lessons can be drawn from this saga in 1692 of Salem Village?
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Read “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”.
Speech by Jonathan Edwards in Enfield Ct. - 1741
The use of this awful subject may be for awakening unconverted persons in this congregation. This that you
have heard is the case of every one of you that are out of Christ.-That world of misery, that lake of burning
brimstone, is extended abroad under you. There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of
God; there is hell's wide gaping mouth open; and you have nothing to stand upon, nor any thing to take
hold of, there is nothing between you and hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God
that holds you up. ...
Your wickedness makes you ... heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure
towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge
into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best
contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of
hell, than a spider's web would have to stop a falling rock. Were it not for the sovereign pleasure of God,
the earth would not bear you one moment; for you are a burden to it; the creation groans with you; the
creature is made subject to the bondage of your corruption, not willingly.
The sun does not willingly shine upon you to give you light to serve sin and Satan; the earth does not
willingly yield her increase to satisfy your lusts; nor is it willingly a stage for your wickedness to be acted
upon; the air does not willingly serve you for breath to maintain the flame of life in your vitals, while you
spend your life in the service of God's enemies. God's creatures are good, and were made for men to serve
God with, and do not willingly subserve to any other purpose, and groan when they are abused to
purposes so directly contrary to their nature and end. And the world would spew you out, were it not for
the sovereign hand of him who hath subjected it in hope.
There are black clouds of God's wrath now hanging directly over your heads, full of the dreadful storm, and
big with thunder; and were it not for the restraining hand of God, it would immediately burst forth upon you.
The sovereign pleasure of God, for the present, stays his rough wind; otherwise it would come with fury,
and your destruction would come like a whirlwind, and you would be like the chaff of the summer
threshing floor.
The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and
rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given; and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and
mighty is its course, when once it is let loose. It is true, that judgment against your evil works has not been
executed hitherto; the floods of God's vengeance have been withheld; but your guilt in the mean time is
constantly increasing, and you are every day treasuring up more wrath; the waters are constantly rising,
and waxing more and more mighty; and there is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, that holds the
waters back, that are unwilling to be stopped, and press hard to go forward.
If God should only withdraw his hand from the flood-gate, it would immediately fly open, and the fiery
floods of the fierceness and wrath of God, would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon
you with omnipotent power; and if your strength were ten thousand times greater than it is, yea, ten
thousand times greater than the strength of the stoutest, sturdiest devil in hell, it would be nothing to
withstand or endure it.
The bow of God's wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your
heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God,
without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with
your blood. Thus all you that never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the
Spirit of God upon your souls. All you that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised
from being dead in sin, to a state of new ... light and life, are in the hands of an angry God. ……
Those that are gone from being in like circumstances with you, see that it was so with them; for
destruction came suddenly upon most of them; when they expected nothing of it, and while they were
saying, Peace and safety: now they see, that those things on which they depended for peace and safety,
were nothing but thin air and empty shadows.
1. The Great Awakening was characterized by colorful sermons that appealed to the emotions
of the listener. Explain how this characteristic can be seen in Edward’s sermon.
2. In Edward’s view, how much control do human beings have over their lives?
3. Does Edward’s believe that human beings are basically good or basically bad? Explain.
4. Many who opposed the religious revivalism that swept the colonies were clergymen of
churches already established in the colonies. Why do you think these people might have
reacted in this way?
The Epoch Essay
Type a 2 page essay based on your reading assignment:
Teams A-D
Ordinary Americans, page 8
“Deprived of All Chance of Returning to my Native Country”
Speculate how history might have been different had events been altered in some
way. Use the “what if’s” to help compose your hypothesis.
 What if European explorers and settlers in the New World had
wanted no part of slavery and refused to trade in African captives?
 What if African tribes had been able to fight off the slave kidnappers?
 What if Olaudah Equiano didn’t have the experiences he chronicled?
Teams E-G
Ordinary Americans, page 18
“New England, Thou Hast Destroyed Thyself”
Consider the following questions as you compose your essay.
 What brought on the witch trials in the Massachusetts colony?
 What were these people afraid of?
 What happened to the “witches” who confessed?
 Why did some of the girls sign confessions that they were witches?