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Difficulty: EasyEuropean and American Indian Relations

Read the following excerpt from a speech attributed to Chief Powhatan addressing Captain John Smith in 1609:

"What will it avail you to take that by force you may quietly have with love, or to destroy them that provide you food? What can you get by war, when we can hide our provisions and fly to the woods? whereby you must famish by wronging your friends."

Which of the following historical developments in the Chesapeake region best explains the primary cause of the tension described in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The implementation of the Spanish encomienda system by Virginia authorities.
  2. B
    Puritan attempts to relocate Native American populations into 'praying towns' for religious conversion.
  3. The growing English demand for Native American land to cultivate cash crops like tobacco.Answer
  4. D
    A unified military alliance of all North American tribes attempting to expel European settlers.

Answer

The growing English demand for Native American land to cultivate cash crops like tobacco.
The correct answer is correct because the rapid expansion of tobacco cultivation in the Chesapeake region required significant amounts of land. This led English colonists to aggressively encroach on Native American territories, causing severe tensions and conflicts despite early trade and diplomatic relations.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the historical actors, region, and time period in the prompt.
The source features Chief Powhatan in the Chesapeake region (Virginia) in 1609, during the early colonization period.
Understanding the context helps isolate the specific colonial dynamics of the Chesapeake colony of Jamestown.
2
Analyze Chief Powhatan's message regarding the relationship between the English and Native Americans.
Powhatan questions why the English use force and violence to take resources (like food and land) when they could obtain them through peaceful trade and alliance.
This helps identify the core source of conflict between the two groups.
3
Determine which historical development in Virginia created the continuous drive for English encroachment on Native lands.
The introduction and expansion of tobacco cultivation demanded vast tracts of land, pushing the English to expand outward and displace local tribes.
Connecting the economic foundation of the Chesapeake to its social conflict reveals the correct answer.

Key Concept

English colonial expansion in the Chesapeake was driven by agricultural demands, particularly tobacco, leading to conflict with Native American populations over land.
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Topics

European and American Indian Relations

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