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WorksheetsEnglish Colonization of North America
Total questions: 50
Worksheet time: 25hrs 0mins
Why did some English settlers come to North America?
To escape high taxes in England
To practice their religion freely
To avoid serving in the army
To gain citizenship in France
What was one reason the English government supported the establishment of colonies?
To escape the king’s control
To compete with France and Spain for land and wealth
To protect colonists from Native American attacks
To create a new monarchy in the Americas
What economic policy did England follow in the late 1600s?
Democracy
Socialism
Mercantilism
Capitalism
How did the colonies help England under mercantilism?
By electing governors loyal to the king
By providing raw materials for English industries
By conquering Native American lands
By building ships for the English navy only
Which colonies were part of New England?
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut
Why was farming difficult in New England?
Frequent droughts and poor rivers
Dense forests and flooding
Cold winters and rocky, hilly land
Competition with plantations
Which group founded Pennsylvania seeking religious freedom?
Puritans
Quakers
Catholics
Pilgrims
What crops were especially important in the Southern Colonies?
Wheat and corn
Tobacco and rice
Grapes and olives
Potatoes and beans
What was a charter?
A law written by the general assembly
A document from the king giving permission to start a colony
A tax paid by plantation owners
A trade agreement with France
Who was usually allowed to vote in the colonies?
All adult men and women
All colonists over 18
Free, white, landowning men
Only governors and council members
What was the main goal of the Puritans?
To separate completely from the Anglican Church
To purify and simplify the Anglican Church
To follow the Catholic Church instead
To spread Anglicanism to the Americas
Who were the Separatists?
Puritans who wanted to break away completely from the Anglican Church
Leaders of the Anglican Church under the king
Wampanoag who taught the Pilgrims to farm
Colonists who signed the Mayflower Compact
What was the Mayflower Compact?
A peace treaty with the Wampanoag
An agreement about how the Pilgrims would govern themselves
A trade agreement with the Netherlands
A charter from the king for Massachusetts Bay
How did the Wampanoag help the Pilgrims survive?
By giving them a charter for land
By showing them how to farm, hunt, and fish
By teaching them the English language
By building homes for them
Why did the Puritans value their Massachusetts Bay charter?
It gave them freedom from taxes
It allowed them to govern themselves according to the Bible
It protected them from Native American attacks
It required them to follow the king’s governors
Why was Roger Williams forced to leave Massachusetts?
He tried to become governor of the colony
He refused to attend Puritan church services
He preached that people should be free to worship in their own way
He encouraged settlers to fight the Narragansett
What was the name of the settlement Roger Williams founded?
Portsmouth
Providence
Plymouth
Narragansett
Who joined Roger Williams in Rhode Island after being forced out of Massachusetts?
John Winthrop
Anne Hutchinson
Cotton Mather
William Penn
What practice made Rhode Island a wealthy center of trade?
Shipbuilding
Fishing
Slave trade
Fur trade
Why did some Puritans nickname Rhode Island “Rogues’ Island”?
They thought the colony was full of criminals, pirates, and people with unacceptable beliefs
The colony often fought wars against its neighbors
Rhode Island refused to trade with other colonies
The land was poor and rocky for farming
Why did Thomas Hooker leave Massachusetts with his followers?
He wanted to escape religious persecution
He disagreed with the leadership and laws in Massachusetts
He was ordered by the king to start a new colony
He hoped to trade with the Dutch
What was the name of the first community Hooker and his followers built in the Connecticut Valley?
Boston
New Haven
Providence
Hartford
What was the Fundamental Orders?
The first written plan of government in the colonies
A peace treaty with Native Americans
A charter from the king allowing Connecticut to govern itself
A trade agreement between Massachusetts and Connecticut
How were the laws of New Haven different from those of Hartford’s colony?
They were stricter and based closely on the word of God
They allowed more freedom of religion
They gave women the right to vote
They encouraged trade with other colonies
What was the “Charter Oak” a symbol of?
The first church in Connecticut
The survival of Connecticut’s first settlers
Connecticut’s freedom and rights under its charter
Peace between Puritans and Native Americans
What was New Netherland renamed after the English took control in 1664?
New Amsterdam
New Jersey
New York
New England
Why did New York’s large estates along the Hudson River discourage settlement?
The land was too poor for farming
Farmers had to pay high rents to wealthy landowners
The land was controlled by Native Americans
Only soldiers could live on the estates
What did New Yorkers demand that angered the Duke of York?
The right to create their own church
The right to elect an assembly to make laws
The right to free land from the king
The right to trade only with France
What important rights were listed in the charter passed by New York’s first assembly in 1683?
The right to free land and no taxes
The right to trial by jury, to elect lawmakers, and to worship freely
The right to create their own army and navy
The right to form a separate colony
When did New York finally gain a permanent elected assembly with power to pass laws and set taxes?
1664
1683
1689
1691
Why did King Charles II grant William Penn land in America?
To reward Penn for his military service
To repay a debt to Admiral Penn and to remove William as a problem
To create a new base for the Anglican Church
To expand English trade with Native Americans
Which of the following was a belief of the Quakers?
People should pay taxes to the Church of England
Wars were necessary to defend freedom
All people should be treated equally
The king was chosen by God and must be obeyed
What was the “Great Law” of 1682 in Pennsylvania?
A law requiring everyone to join the Quaker church
A law guaranteeing that people of all faiths would be treated equally
A tax law supporting the Church of England
A law giving only men the right to vote
What did early settlers in Pennsylvania notice about the colony?
It had more poverty than England
Wages were higher and peace was common
There were frequent wars with Native Americans
Women rarely married before age 30
What does the name Philadelphia mean?
City of God’s Grace
City of Brotherly Love
Land of Freedom
Place of Peace
Why did Sir George Calvert (Lord Baltimore) want to establish Maryland?
To create a colony for Quakers only
To build a colony based on religious freedom and to increase his family’s wealth
To compete with Dutch traders in New Netherland
To escape debts owed to the king
Who actually received the charter for Maryland after George Calvert died?
His wife, Lady Baltimore
His son, Cecil Calvert
His brother, Leonard Calvert
King Charles I
What was the purpose of the Act Concerning Religion passed in 1649?
To allow only Catholics to worship freely
To give religious liberty to all Christians
To include Jews and atheists in the colony’s government
To make the Anglican Church the official church of Maryland
Where did Leonard Calvert and his followers first settle in Maryland?
Baltimore
Annapolis
St. Mary’s City
Jamestown
What challenge did Catholics face in Maryland despite the colony’s founding purpose?
They were completely banned from owning land
They were always outnumbered by Protestants and faced tension with them
They were forced to leave and return to England
They had no role in Maryland’s government
What crop was the foundation of Virginia’s economy?
Cotton
Tobacco
Rice
Wheat
Why did planters first try to enslave American Indians?
They were skilled in tobacco farming
They could not escape into the forests
Planters needed a large labor force for their crops
The House of Burgesses required it
What did indentured servants usually receive after completing their service?
Land, clothing, tools, and seeds
A lifetime position on a plantation
Freedom for their family members
A chance to return to England
How did the status of Africans in Virginia change over time?
They were always enslaved for life
They started as indentured servants with rights but later were enslaved permanently
They were never allowed to own land
They were freed automatically after ten years
What action did the House of Burgesses take in 1661?
Abolished indentured servitude
Declared tobacco the official crop of Virginia
Passed a law making African workers enslaved for life
Gave women the right to vote
What was the original purpose of founding Georgia?
To create a colony for Quakers
To provide land for poor debtors from England
To serve as a trading center with Native Americans
To grow tobacco and rice for England
Why did King George II support the creation of Georgia?
It would serve as a military buffer against Spanish Florida
It would supply England with valuable timber
It would become a colony for religious freedom
It would pay off England’s national debt
Who actually made up most of the first settlers in Georgia?
English debtors from prison
Poor farmers from Scotland
Adventurers and people seeking religious freedom
Wealthy planters from Virginia
What rules did James Oglethorpe enforce in Georgia to try to build a “perfect society”?
No farming or trade allowed
No alcohol and no enslaved people
No religion except the Church of England
No land ownership by colonists
What happened to Georgia’s government after Oglethorpe returned to England?
It became part of Spanish Florida
It was governed directly by King George II
The colonists elected an assembly in 1752
The colony was abandoned
