American

Jamestown

• Founded in 1607 as the first permanent English settlement in North America.

• Located in Virginia and funded by the Virginia Company.

• Struggled initially due to famine, disease, and conflict with Native Americans.

Powhatan

• Chief Wahunsenacawh, known as Powhatan, was the leader of the Powhatan Confederacy.

• Father of Pocahontas.

• Controlled a large network of tribes in the Virginia region at the time of English settlement.

• Initially engaged in trade and diplomacy with the Jamestown colonists but later experienced conflict.

Cash Crops (Tobacco, etc.)

• Tobacco became the main cash crop in Virginia and Maryland.

• Other cash crops included rice and indigo, particularly in the southern colonies.

• Led to the rise of plantation economies and increased demand for labor.

Indentured Servants

• Labor system where individuals worked for a set number of years in exchange for passage to America.

• Common in the 17th century before being largely replaced by African slavery.

Lord Calvert of Maryland

• George Calvert, also known as Lord Baltimore, founded Maryland as a haven for Catholics.

• Established Maryland's religious tolerance policies through the Act of Toleration in 1649.

Virginia Company

• Joint-stock company that funded the settlement of Jamestown.

• Had the goal of profit from the resources of the New World.

Chesapeake Colonies

• Consisted of Virginia and Maryland.

• Economy centered on tobacco farming.

• Relied heavily on indentured servants and later African slaves.

Middle Colonies

• Included New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

• Known for religious and ethnic diversity.

• Economy was a mix of agriculture and trade.

New England Colonies

• Included Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire.

• Economy based on small farms, fishing, and shipbuilding.

• Strong Puritan influence.

Mayflower Compact

• Signed in 1620 by Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower.

• First form of self-government in the New World.

• Established a social contract for the Plymouth Colony.

William Bradford

• Governor of Plymouth Colony for over 30 years.

• Wrote "Of Plymouth Plantation," a detailed history of the colony.

• Helped stabilize the colony and foster relations with Native Americans.

Plymouth

• Settled in 1620 by Pilgrims seeking religious freedom.

• Located in present-day Massachusetts.

• Survived early hardships with the help of Native Americans.

John Winthrop

• First governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

• Delivered the famous "City upon a Hill" sermon.

• Emphasized Puritan religious values and community.

"City upon a hill"

• Phrase from John Winthrop's sermon, meaning the Puritans' colony should be a model Christian society.

• Symbol of American exceptionalism.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

• Established by Puritans in 1630.

• Governed as a theocratic society with strict religious laws.

• Economically successful due to trade and agriculture.

Wampanoag vs. Narragansetts

• Two prominent Native American tribes in New England.

• Allied with and fought against English settlers during various conflicts.

• Wampanoag:

  • A Native American tribe located primarily in present-day Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

  • Led by Chief Massasoit during early contact with English settlers.

  • Played a significant role in helping the Pilgrims at Plymouth survive, notably through the alliance with Squanto.

  • Engaged in relatively peaceful relations with the English early on, culminating in the first Thanksgiving.

  • Later, relations deteriorated, leading to King Philip's War (1675-1676), a devastating conflict led by Massasoit's son Metacom (King Philip) against English settlers.

• Narragansetts:

  • A powerful tribe located in what is now Rhode Island.

  • Maintained a more independent stance with the English compared to the Wampanoag.

  • Initially neutral in conflicts between the English and neighboring tribes.

  • During King Philip’s War, the Narragansetts initially tried to remain neutral but eventually became involved after the English attacked them in the Great Swamp Fight (1675), fearing they would side with King Philip.

  • This attack devastated the Narragansett population, significantly weakening their influence in the region.

Pequot War

• 1636-1638 war between the Pequot tribe and English settlers in New England.

• Resulted in the near destruction of the Pequot people.

Thomas Hooker

• Founded Connecticut in 1636 after dissenting from Puritan leadership in Massachusetts.

• Advocated for greater religious tolerance and democratic governance.

Roger Williams

• Founder of Rhode Island in 1636.

• Championed religious freedom and separation of church and state.

• Banished from Massachusetts Bay for his beliefs.

Anne Hutchinson

• Religious dissenter in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

• Banished for her controversial religious teachings.

• Later settled in Rhode Island.

King Philip's War

• 1675-1676 conflict between Native Americans led by Metacom (King Philip) and New England settlers.

• One of the deadliest wars in American history by proportion of the population.

William Penn

• Founder of Pennsylvania in 1681.

• Quaker who promoted religious tolerance and good relations with Native Americans.

• Pennsylvania became known for its diversity and democratic governance.

Virginia House of Burgesses

• Established in 1619 as the first representative assembly in the American colonies.

• Allowed colonists a voice in local governance.

Bacon's Rebellion

• 1676 uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor Berkeley.

• Protested the governor’s policies on Native Americans and representation.

• Led to changes in labor systems, including a shift toward slavery.

King William's War

• 1689-1697 conflict between French and English colonists in North America.

• Part of a larger series of wars between France and England in Europe.

Triangle Trade

• Trade system connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

• Involved the exchange of slaves, raw materials, and manufactured goods.

• Central to the Atlantic economy during the colonial era.

Olaudah Equiano

• Former enslaved African who wrote a famous autobiography detailing the horrors of slavery.

• Became a prominent abolitionist in England.

Middle Passage

• The harrowing journey enslaved Africans endured across the Atlantic Ocean.

• Many died due to brutal conditions on the ships.

Stono Rebellion

• 1739 slave uprising in South Carolina.

• Largest slave rebellion in the British colonies.

• Led to stricter slave codes.

Mercantilism

• Economic theory that colonies existed to benefit the mother country by providing raw materials.

• Promoted export over import to accumulate wealth.

Navigation Acts

• Series of British laws that restricted colonial trade to benefit England.

• Colonists could only trade with England or English ships.

Salutary Neglect

• British policy of loosely enforcing trade regulations in the colonies.

• Allowed colonies to operate with considerable independence.

Harvard and Yale Colleges

• Harvard (1636) and Yale (1701) were among the first institutions of higher education in America.

• Both founded primarily to train ministers.

Cotton Mather

• Influential Puritan minister and author in Massachusetts.

• Known for his involvement in the Salem witch trials and his support of inoculation during a smallpox outbreak.

Poor Richard's Almanac

• Published by Benjamin Franklin from 1732-1758.

• Famous for its witty sayings and practical advice.

Halfway Covenant

• 1662 Puritan policy that allowed partial church membership for the children of baptized, but unconverted, church members.

• Aimed to maintain church membership as religious fervor waned.

Great Awakening

• Series of religious revivals in the American colonies during the 1730s and 1740s.

• Emphasized personal faith and emotional religious experiences.

George Whitefield

• English preacher who was a key figure in the Great Awakening.

• His emotional sermons drew large crowds and inspired widespread religious enthusiasm.

Jonathan Edwards

• Puritan minister whose sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is one of the most famous from the Great Awakening.

• Stressed human sinfulness and the need for personal repentance.

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"

• Famous sermon by Jonathan Edwards.

• Described the wrath of God and the potential for eternal damnation, aiming to inspire religious fervor.