APUSH Unit 1 Colonial History

Flashcards covering key definitions, events, figures, and historical milestones from APUSH Unit 1.

What was the House of Burgesses and what precedent did it set?

It was a representative parliamentary assembly created to govern Virginia, establishing a precedent for government in English colonies.

What were the main provisions and impact of Maryland's Act of Toleration?

Passed in Maryland, it guaranteed toleration to all Christians but decreed the death penalty for those who denied the divinity of Jesus Christ, ensuring Maryland attracted Catholic migrants.

What was the Barbados Slave Code of 1661?

It was the first formal statute governing the treatment of slaves, providing harsh punishments for offending slaves while lacking penalties for master mistreatment.

What were the English Civil Wars (1642–1649) and their immediate political outcome?

An armed conflict between royalists and parliamentarians that resulted in the victory of pro-Parliament forces and the execution of Charles I.

What role did squatters play in North Carolina's colonial identity?

Squatters were frontier farmers who illegally occupied land, contributing to North Carolina's reputation for being independent-minded and egalitarian.

What happened to the surviving Tuscarora Native Americans following the Tuscarora War?

After their defeat, the remaining survivors migrated northward and joined the Iroquois Confederacy as its sixth nation.

What was the significance of the Yamasee defeat in South Carolina (1715–1716)?

The Yamasee defeat devastated the last of the coastal Indian tribes in the Southern colonies.

Why was Georgia established as a buffer colony?

It was created to minimize conflict between British and Spanish territory in North America.

What is the core belief of predestination in Calvinism?

The doctrine that God has foreordained some people to be saved ('the elect') and others to be damned.

How were Calvinist Separatists defined in relation to the Church of England?

They were a small group of devout Puritans who sought to break away entirely from the Church of England.

What was the primary purpose of the Mayflower Compact?

It was an agreement signed aboard the Mayflower by 41 adult males to form a majoritarian government in Plymouth, establishing a foundation for self-government.

What was the Great English Migration of the 1630s?

The movement of 70,000 refugees from England to the North American colonies, primarily New England and the Caribbean, with 20,000 settling in Massachusetts.

Who coined the term 'Protestant Ethic' and what concept did it propose?

German sociologist Max Weber coined it in 1904–1905, arguing that Protestant values of hard work, frugality, and efficiency fueled early European capitalism.

What is antinomianism and who was its most notable proponent in colonial New England?

The belief that the elect need not obey the laws of God or man, espoused notably by Anne Hutchinson.

What was the historical significance of Connecticut's Fundamental Orders in 1639?

Drafted by Connecticut River valley settlers, it was the first 'modern constitution' establishing a democratically controlled government.

How did the Pequot War of 1637 resolve?

It ended with the slaughter and annihilation of the Pequot tribe by English settlers and their Narragansett allies.

What was the long-term impact of King Philip's War (1675–1676)?

Metacom's attacks on New England settlements slowed the westward migration of English settlers for several decades.

What was the Dominion of New England and how was it governed?

A royal administrative union of New England, New York, and New Jersey ruled by Sir Edmund Andros, who restricted assemblies, levied taxes without consent, and strictly enforced Navigation Laws.

What was salutary neglect and how long did it last?

An unofficial British policy of relaxed control over colonial trade and weak enforcement of Navigation Laws, lasting from the Glorious Revolution until 1763.

What are Blue Laws?

Also called sumptuary laws, they restricted personal behavior according to a strict moral code, commonly enacted in Puritan New England and Quaker Pennsylvania.

How did Martin Luther initiate the Protestant Reformation in 1517?

He nailed his protests against Catholic doctrines to the door of Wittenberg's cathedral, declaring the Bible as the sole source of God's word.

Who was William Bradford?

A self-taught scholar and Pilgrim leader who was elected governor of Plymouth 30 times in annual elections.

Why did John Winthrop state that the Massachusetts Bay Colony should not be a democracy?

Governor Winthrop disdained democracy because he believed commoners were unsuited to govern.

Why was Roger Williams banished from Massachusetts Bay in 1636, and what colony did he form?

He was banished for challenging church authority as an extreme Separatist; he fled and established Rhode Island, granting religious freedom to all.

Which four colonies made up the New England Confederation in 1643?

Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, New Haven, and the Connecticut valley settlements.

What exploration led to Dutch land claims in New Netherland in 1609?

Henry Hudson, hired by the Dutch East India Company, sailed into Delaware and New York Bays and up the Hudson River to file a claim.

Who ended Swedish rule over New Sweden in 1655?

Peter Stuyvesant ('Father Wooden Leg'), who led a bloodless Dutch military siege.

How did New Netherland transition to English rule in 1664?

The Dutch surrendered without fighting when a strong English squadron arrived; the land was renamed New York after the Duke of York.

How did William Penn acquire the land grant for Pennsylvania in 1681?

King Charles II granted him the land to settle a monetary debt owed to Penn's deceased father.

Why were New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania called the 'bread colonies'?

Because of their heavy exports of grain.

According to the timeline of English monarchs, what relations to North America occurred during each reign?

James I (VA & Plymouth founded), Charles I (MA & MD formed during Civil Wars), Interregnum (Commonwealth/Cromwell), Charles II (Carolina, Pa, NY founded, CT chartered), James II (Catholic trend & Glorious Revolution), William and Mary (King William's War).