APUSH Review Unit 2 (Period 2: 1607-1754)—Everything You NEED To Know

Summary

This video script offers a comprehensive review of Unit 2 of AP US History, covering the period from 1607 to 1754. It explores the distinct motives and methods of European colonization in the Americas, focusing on the Spanish, French, Dutch, and British approaches. The script delves into economic models like joint-stock companies, labor systems including indentured servitude and slavery, and the impact of the Atlantic trade system. It also touches on the Enlightenment's influence, the Great Awakening's religious revival, and the growing colonial resistance to British practices like impressment, setting the stage for America's eventual push for independence.

Takeaways

• 📚 The time period covered in AP US History Unit 2 is from 1607 to 1754, focusing on European colonization of the Americas.
• 🏰 Spain colonized for wealth extraction, focusing on valuable cash crops and gold/silver mining, and attempted to convert natives to Christianity.
• 🐟 France pursued trade over conquest, with a focus on the fish and fur trade, and established trading settlements, often marrying into native tribes to solidify alliances.
• 📈 The Dutch primarily aimed for economic gains through fur trading, establishing New Amsterdam as a trade hub without much interest in religious conversion.
• 🇬🇧 Britain's colonization was driven by economic hardships and the search for religious freedom, leading to diverse types of colonies along the eastern coast of North America.
• 🚢 The Chesapeake region saw the establishment of Jamestown, marked by joint-stock company financing and early struggles, later booming with tobacco cultivation.
• 🌾 New England colonies, like Plymouth, were family-based societies focused on agriculture and religious freedom, facing early hardships but eventually thriving.
• 🏝️ The British West Indies colonies were heavily involved in the sugarcane industry, leading to a high demand for African slaves and strict slave codes.
• 🌪️ The Middle Colonies had a mixed economy with cereal crops, leading to social inequality and a growing elite class, while Pennsylvania was noted for its religious tolerance.
• 🔗 The Atlantic trade system, including the Triangular Trade, was a global economic network that enriched merchants and plantation owners, and was underpinned by mercantilism.
• ⛓ The British colonies participated in the slave trade, with the majority of enslaved Africans being sold in the West Indies, leading to a significant African population and resistance movements.
• 🔥 The Great Awakening was a religious revival that swept through the colonies, fostering a sense of American identity and laying the groundwork for resistance against British rule.

Q & A

What is the time period covered in Unit 2 of AP US History?

Unit 2 of AP US History covers the time period from 1607 to 1754.

What were the main themes of Unit 2 in the context of European colonization?

The main themes of Unit 2 involve comparing the different motives and methods that Europeans used to colonize the Americas.

How did the Spanish colonization of the Americas differ from the French approach?

The Spanish focused on extracting wealth through valuable cash crops and mining gold and silver, while the French were more interested in trade, particularly in fish and fur.

What economic model was used to finance the founding of Jamestown?

Jamestown was financed by a joint-stock company, a private business entity where multiple investors pooled money and shared in the profits.

What was the significance of tobacco cultivation in the Chesapeake region?

Tobacco cultivation led to a reversal of fortunes for the struggling Jamestown colony, as it became a marketable commodity that attracted investment and increased demand for land.

How did the British colonization motivations differ from those of the Spanish and French?

The British were motivated by new economic opportunities and the need for land, as well as the desire for religious freedom and improved living conditions, in contrast to the Spanish focus on wealth extraction and the French interest in trade.

What was the impact of the triangular trade on the Atlantic economy?

The triangular trade was a significant manifestation of the new Atlantic economy, generating massive wealth for elites and turning American seaports into thriving urban centers.

What was the role of mercantilism in the British colonial project?

Mercantilism was an economic system where the goal was to gain as much wealth as possible by maintaining a favorable balance of trade, which led to the establishment of colonies for raw materials.

How did the Great Awakening influence the political and social realities in the colonies?

The Great Awakening was a religious revival that led to a large-scale return to Christianity and is considered one of the first instances of a true American identity, sowing seeds for the eventual rejection of British rule.

What was the significance of the Navigation Acts in the British colonial system?

The Navigation Acts were a set of laws that required merchants to engage in trade with English colonies using English-owned ships and for certain valuable trade items to pass through British ports, where they could be taxed.

How did the practice of impressment contribute to growing mistrust between the colonists and England?

Impressment was the act of seizing colonial men and forcing them to serve in the Royal Navy, which led to resistance and highlighted the colonists' growing awareness of their natural rights and their refusal to have them violated by England.