SHORT ANSWER QUESTION (SAQ) SAMPLE

Answer all parts of question below (use back if needed). Write in complete sentences. Label responses (a), (b), and (c).

1. Answer (a), (b), and (c). a. Briefly explain ONE important similarity between the British colonies in the Chesapeake region and the British colonies in New England in the period from 1607 to 1754. b. Briefly explain ONE important difference between the British colonies in the Chesapeake region and the British colonies in New England in the period from 1607 to 1754. c. Briefly explain ONE factor that accounts for the difference that you indicated in (b).

A. In both the New England and Chesapeake regions, English colonists established settler colonies based on agriculture, in contrast to French trading posts in Canada. These settlements were based on some form of agriculture and had some measure of self-sufficiency, especially in New England. For example, permanent settlements were established at both Jamestown in the Chesapeake and Boston in Massachusetts Bay.

B. The economies of the New England and Chesapeake colonies were very different. The New England colonies had a more diverse economy which included shipping, lumber, and export of food crops. On the other hand, the Chesapeake colonies economy focused almost exclusively on the production and export of tobacco and a few other cash crops. This focus on cash crops fostered a need for slave labor in the Chesapeake. As a result, more enslaved Africans went to the Chesapeake than New England.

C. The New England climate and terrain was not suitable for growing cash crops like tobacco. A plantation economy did not develop in New England because plantation crops would not grow. In the Chesapeake, however, the soil, weather, and flat terrain was excellent for tobacco growing. Had the climate of Virginia been more similar to Connecticut, it’s reasonable to say the two colonies would have been very similar. The sharp contrast in the climates and terrain accounts for much of the difference in development of the two regions.

This response earned a perfect score. It clearly provided examples as prompted along with concise, but thoughtful commentary.