Strategic Planning & Implementation Flashcards

Why did the Virginia Company's planners choose the Jamestown site in 1607?

Answer: It had deep water for ships and was easy to defend from Spanish attack

The peninsula had deep water close to shore and was defensible against Spanish naval attack, although it proved unhealthy.

What was the purpose of the headright system in colonial Virginia?

Answer: To grant land to anyone who paid for the passage of a settler, encouraging population growth

Headrights awarded 50 acres per person transported, which built up the labor force and tobacco economy.

What was the key to the American and French strategy that trapped Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781?

Answer: A French fleet controlled the Chesapeake Bay while Washington's army blocked escape by land

Admiral de Grasse's fleet blocked British naval rescue while allied armies besieged Yorktown by land.

What did the Virginia Plan, presented by James Madison at the Constitutional Convention, propose?

Answer: A two-house legislature with representation based on population

The Virginia Plan favored large states by basing representation in both houses on population.

Which plan settled the dispute between large and small states over representation in Congress?

Answer: The Great Compromise

The Great Compromise created a House based on population and a Senate with equal state representation.

What was a major goal of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?

Answer: To establish a process for admitting new states and ban slavery in the territory

It set up a path from territory to statehood and prohibited slavery north of the Ohio River.

How did Washington achieve his victory at Trenton in December 1776?

Answer: By a surprise crossing of the Delaware River to attack Hessian troops

The nighttime crossing caught the Hessians off guard and boosted American morale.