Review of Learning Activity

Note: Put these answers in your own words and re-order the bulleted items

If you fail to do so you will be required to complete the activity again!

Unit Focus Questions Review Activity – Answers

Put answers in own words and re-order/mix up the bulleted facts

1. The nations of Europe had gained access to many luxury goods when they travelled to the

Middle East during the several crusades. Once they returned home they wanted to have

those goods in their lives and nations sought to establish trade routes to get them.

  • Ex. Precious metals jewels and gems
  • Tapestries Persian woven rugs
  • Herbs and Spices teas
  • Foods exotic furs, ivory

Put answers in own words and re-order the bulleted ideas

2. The Spanish French and English all used a similar pattern in colonizing the New World.

Each sent out explorers to search for lands, claim and explore those lands and then

Colonizers or settlers would follow.

  • The French explored and settled along the St. Lawrence River, through the great lakes and down the Mississippi River and claimed the surrounding lands
  • The Spanish explored and claimed most of South America, Central America, Mexico and the west coast and South-west of North America.
  • The English explored and claimed the east coast of north America and claimed the lands making up many of the 13 Colonies

Put answers in own words and re-order the bulleted ideas

3. Geography was the single most important factor determining how people lived in the 13

Colonies – New England, Middle Colonies and Southern Colonies.

  • New England had poor soil, short growing seasons and so made a living along the coast. Shipping of goods, fishing, whaling and lumber were important products
  • Middle Colonies had better soil, was less mountainous but had access to the coasts and so people had small to mid-sized farms, and trade was important too.
  • Southern Colonies had longest growing seasons, good soil and winding rivers highly suited o farming. So the South was mostly agricultural with farms of all sizes but with large plantations too.

Put answers in own words and re-order the bulleted ideas

4. As nations claimed new lands and discovered new sources of wealth, competition over those sources of wealth grew more intense. Where overlapping claims existed, nations could and sometimes did find themselves going to war with their rivals.

  • The Dutch in New Netherlands went to war with Sweden and took New Sweden
  • The English controlled most of the east coast but went to war with the Dutch to take New Netherlands away
  • The English and French had competing claims along the frontiers of the 13 colonies and in time several wars resulted – with France losing its claims in North Amierca
  • The Spanish had claims to land that other nations wanted and as a result would lose some of those lands as a result of wars in Europe or in America.