Virginia SOL Virginia and US History test: important concepts

Important concepts for the Virginia & US History SOL test

• this page follows the units structure of the actual test
• important concepts and facts are highlighted
• source = SOL Standards and Released tests 2011, 2012, 2014

Early America Through the Founding of the New Nation

Native Americans

• negative impact from European settlements
  • disease
    • led to decline in population
    • disrupted Native American tribes
  • loss of land
    • pushed westward by colonial settlements and western settlers
    • led to reorganization of tribal alliances
• other impacts
  • fur trade with Europeans, especially the French

American Colonies

Thirteen Colonies of North America: Dark Red = New England colonies. Bright Red = Middle Atlantic colonies. Red-brown = Southern colonies.

MAJOR REGIONS OF THE 13 COLONIES

Major Region	Sub regions	Colonies
Middle colonies	Mid-Atlantic	Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York
New England colonies	n/a	Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
Southern colonies	Chesapeake	Virginia & Maryland
	Colonial South	Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virgina

Population & Economic Characteristics of Colonial Regions

Region	Population	Economic	General notes
Middle colonies	higher population major port city in each colony w/ large populations, esp. New York City & Philadelphia inland small towns	ocean & inland trade ship building small manufacture independent farming	religious tolerance townships with independent governments & citizen involvement
New England	higher population major port city in each colony w/ large population, esp.. Boston inland small towns	ocean & inland trade ship building small manufacture independent farming	Massachusetts: puritanism (lack of religious tolerance) Other colonies: religious tolerance, esp. Rhode Island
Southern colonies	lower population larger slave population major port city in each colony small towns inland	ocean trade to sell agricultural products growing slave-based economy focus on "cash crops" for bulk (large quantity) export	Chesapeake: tobacco planting with large plantations Colonial South: rice, indigo, tobacco Maryland tolerated Catholics Virginia mostly Protestant with some Catholics called "Cavaliers"