Question

5 exploration and colonization english colonies getting the main idea read each paragraph below. then write what you think is the main idea of each paragraph on the lines provided. 1. in the early days in the english colonies, there were many jobs but not enough workers. at the same time, many people in england could not find work. some of them heard that there were jobs in the new world. while they were eager to start a new life, they did not have enough money to pay for their fare to america. a system of indentured servants was started to take care of both these problems. men and women signed contracts agreeing to work for a master for a certain period of time. the master would then pay for their trip to the new world. when the contract was over, the servants were given their freedom. the main idea of this paragraph is __________ 2. at one time in england, all people were required to belong to the church of england. several groups were persecuted because they did not agree with the teachings of the church. they were fined or put in jail. one group was the pilgrims. they wanted to form their own church and have their own religion. another group was the society of friends, better known as the quakers. since they believed that all people were equal before god, they refused to take their hats off when the king passed. they also believed that war was sinful and refused to join the army. both the pilgrims and later the quakers finally moved to the new world to find freedom of religion. the main idea of this paragraph is ________ 3. many settlers in the new world faced diseases, fires, indian raids, bad weather, and poor harvests. for a short period of time, the people in the small village of salem in massachusetts bay colony blamed all these problems on the devil. they believed that the devil was trying to drive them from their homes. they began to accuse certain people of being responsible for their hard life. they thought these people were witches. during the salem witchcraft trials of 1692, over two hundred people were tried for being witches. of these, nineteen were found guilty and hanged. one old man was tortured to death for refusing to testify at his trial. the main idea of this paragraph is ________ 4. slaves in both the spanish and portuguese colonies were treated better than slaves in the english colonies. they were protected by law. they were allowed to marry and attend church. harsh punishment was forbidden. slaves in the english colonies, on the other hand, were thought of as chattel. this meant that they belonged to someone else. they had no legal or social rights. the main idea of this paragraph is __________

Explanation:

1. The indentured - servant system in early English colonies to solve labor and migration cost issues.
2. Religious persecution in England led groups like Pilgrims and Quakers to move to the New World for religious freedom.
3. The Salem Witchcraft Trials in Massachusetts Bay Colony due to settlers' hardships and superstition.
4. Comparison of slave treatment in Spanish/Portuguese and English colonies, with English slaves having no rights.

Answer:

1. The indentured - servant system in early English colonies.
2. Religious persecution driving groups to the New World for freedom.
3. The Salem Witchcraft Trials caused by settlers' hardships.
4. Comparison of slave treatment in different colonies.