Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
- Textbook: Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4
- Lesson
- Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Optional Resources to Explore
Feel free to review the library guide for scholarly sources and videos at the following link:
- Link (website): History Library Guide (Links to an external site.)
Introduction
The purposes of each case study assignment include the following:
- To hone your abilities to research using scholarly sources
- To advance critical thinking and writing skills
- To compile a response to the prompts provided
- To explore a historical topic and make connections to change over time
Instructions
Pick one (1) of the following topics. Then, address the corresponding questions/prompts for your selected topic:
Option 1: Exploration and Effects on Native Americans
- Explain what motivated the European world powers to explore the Americas.
- Describe the economic effects of exploration based on the Colombian exchange.
- Analyze the effects of exploration on Native Americans.
- Based on research, analyze if Europeans might be held accountable for transmitting Old World diseases to people in the Western Hemisphere.
Option 2: Slavery vs. Indentured Servitude
- Explain how and why slavery developed in the American colonies.
- Describe in what ways the practice of slavery was different between each colonial region in British North America.
- Analyze the differences between slaves and indentured servants.
Option 3: Women in Colonial America
- Pick two colonies (New England, Middle, or Southern colonies) and explain how women’s roles differ in the two colonies of your choice.
- Describe what legal rights women held during the colonial period.
- Analyze how Native women’s lives were different from colonial women’s lives.
Make sure to use your course text and incorporate an additional scholarly source from the Chamberlain Library in your response.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
- Length: 1-2 pages (not including title page or references page)
- Use standard essay writing process by including an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
SOLUTION
Women were paramount to the development of colonial America. Nevertheless, they were only allowed a few legal rights. Their roles varied from one colony to another. This essay discusses the role of women in New England colonies and Southern colonies. It also lists their rights. Lastly it compares and contrasts the lives of the Native women and colonial women.
The New England colonies were founded by Puritans and as such were guided by puritan values and principles. This group was renowned for its strict and strong religious belief. The religious belief shaped the woman’s role in the colony (Corbett et al., 2016). First and foremost, she was a subject to her husband. She was expected to commit herself to raising to children. Her influence and roles in animal husbandry and the fields was rather limited. Instead, she was tasked with cooking and cleaning duties. The Dutch and German women in the colonies enjoyed relatively more legal rights and roles as compared to the English women. In the South, women played a similar role whereby they were tasked with family management (Schultz, 2018). This included management of servants. The good wives were taught how to read the Bible. Notably, the women’s roles were limited to indoor responsibilities. Men were in charge of outdoor chores such as supervising slaves in the farms. Please click the purchase button to access the entire copy at $10