APUSH Period 2: 1607-1754

Joint stock companies

Companies where different stocks are bought & owned by shareholders, allowing the pooling of money to fund commercial ventures. This structure enable investors to share risks & profits

Virginia Company of London

Joint-stock company chartered by King James I in 1606 to create settlements in the New World, specifically in Virginia. Aimed to profit from resources of NA by establishing a colony that could extract wealth through agriculture and trade

Jamestown

First permanent English settlement in North America. It was established on May 14, 1607, in present-day Virginia. The settlement was sponsored by the Virginia Company, a joint-stock company that sought to profit from the colonization of the New World.

Captain John Smith

English soldier, explorer, & author known for his role in the establishment of Jamestown. He organized the colony and saved many people from death, coined the phrase "he who shall not work, shall not eat". He also initiated attacks on Natives.

John Rolfe

One of the English settlers at Jamestown (and he married Pocahontas). He introduced tobacco cultivation to Virginia, making it an economically successful colony.

Anglo-Powhatan Wars (First and Second)

Three wars fought between settlers of the Colony of Virginia and the Powhatan Confederacy in the early 17th century. It was mainly triggered by English expansion into Native American lands, fueled by cultural misunderstandings & settler aggression

Powhatan

Name of both a Native American confederacy & its leader, Chief Powhatan. The confederacy was known for its complex relationships w/Jamestown settlers, & was made up of Algonquian-speaking tribes.

Pocahontas

Native American and daughter of Chief Powhatan. who was one of the first to marry an Englishman, John Rolfe, and return to England with him; Her marriage symbolized a brief period of peace between the two cultures

House of Burgesses

The first elected legislative assembly in the New World, established in Virginia in 1619. It was composed of two representatives from each of the colony's 11 districts and was responsible for making laws in the colony, including setting taxes.

Lord Baltimore

Lord Baltimore, also known as George Calvert, was an English politician and colonizer who founded the Province of Maryland. He aimed to create a haven for English Catholics in the New World.

Maryland Act of Toleration

The Act of Toleration (1649) was passed in Maryland. It granted religious freedom to Christians living in Maryland but death penalty for anyone denying Jesus' divinity.

Charles II

Was king of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1660 until his death. He was known for his efforts to restore the monarchy after the English Civil War & Interregnum period

English Restoration

The restoration of the English monarchy in 1660 under Charles II, led to the establishment of Restoration Colonies

James Oglethorpe

English general, philanthropist, & founded of colony of Georgia. He is best known for his vision of creating a colony that would provide a fresh start for debtors & the poor, offering land ownership opportunities

Protestant Reformation

A religious revolution, during the 16th century. It ended the supremacy of the Catholic Church and resulted in the establishment of the Protestant Churches. Martin Luther and John Calvin were influential in the Protestant Revolution.

Barbados slave code

Major law passed in 1661 in Barbados which meant that black slaves were chattel (property) and had no basic rights. This law protected the white slave owners and allowed them to kill slaves without any legal consequences.

buffer colony

A territory established to protect another colony or nation from potential threats from rival powers. In British North America, Georgia was established as a buffer colony between British & Spanish territory.

Henry VIII

King of England in the 1500s, known for his role in the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church

Calvinism

Theological doctrines based on the teachings by John Calvin, a French theologian. The beliefs emphasize the sovereignty of God, authority of Scripture, & concept of predestination

Predestination

The Puritan belief, preached by John Calvin, that, before birth, God has already chosen whether a person would attain salvation or be damned to Hell for eternity.

Church of England

(Anglican Church) started by Henry VIII separating from the Catholic Church, making it the official church of England. Enforced by his daughter Queen Elizabeth, who persecuted Catholics, successfully making the country religiously uniform.

Puritans

The Puritans were non-separatists who wished to adopt reforms to purify the Church of England, emphasizing a strict interpretation of the Bible & personal piety.

Separatists

A radical group of English Protestants who believed Church of England was beyond reform and sought to completely separate from it. The Separatists founded the Plymouth Colony and the first form of government with the Mayflower Compact.

Mayflower Compact

Foundational document created in 1620 by the Pilgrims aboard Mayflower, establishing a form of self-governance for the new colony of Plymouth

Massachusetts Bay colony

The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement established by Puritan settlers seeking to establish a pure church in the New World.

Great Migration

700 people led by Governor John Winthrop, a great migration of Puritans from England brought over 20,000 people - mostly families - to New England

Pequot War

Conflict between an alliance of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonies, with American Indian allies, against the Pequot Indians. This war saw the elimination of the Pequot in New England, and is exemplary of the Puritan use of genocide towards Native Americans.

King Philip's War

King Philip's War was a series of conflicts between Native Americans and English settlers from 1675 to 1676, marking one of the bloodiest wars in American history.

New England Confederation

A military alliance formed in 1643 by four English colonies in North America—Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut, and New Haven—to provide mutual defenses against Native American attacks and other threats.

English civil war

Series series of conflicts between 1642 and 1651 between Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") and Royalists ("Cavaliers"). It ended with the victory of the Parliamentarians, the execution of King Charles I, and the establishment of a republican Commonwealth.

Dominion of New England

Short-lived administrative union of English colonies in New England, created by King James II to consolidate control & reduce colonial autonomy. Aimed to enforce the Navigation Acts

Navigation Acts

Series of laws enacted by the English parliament that regulated colonial trade and enabled England to collect taxes from the colonies. The laws mandated that certain goods produced in the colonies could only be shipped to England or English colonies, restricting colonial economic independence.

Glorious Revolution

The overthrow of King James II of England, replaced by William III & Mary II, a non-violent revolution which established the constitutional monarchy in England, leading to the Bill of Rights

Salutary neglect

British policy of loosely enforcing trade regulations & allowing the American colonies considerable freedom in economic & political matters in 17th & early 18th century

Quakers

Members of the Religious Society of Friends, a Christian movement founded by George Fox in the 17th century and devoted to peaceful principles.

William Bradford

Governor of the Plymouth colony He developed private land ownership and helped colonists get out of debt. He helped the colony survive droughts, crop failures, and Indian attacks.

John Winthrop

Puritan Leader and 1st Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony. Played an important role in the establishment, growth, and governance of Massachusetts Bay Colony

Anne Hutchinson

Respected Puritan woman & healer in Massachusetts Bay Colony who challenged church authority by holding Bible study meetings where she questions the ministers’ teachings

Roger Williams

Separatist founder of Rhode Island, a colony established on the principles of religious freedom & separation of Church & state

William III

Dutchman who married James II's daughter (Mary II) and replaced James II as king of England during the Glorious Revolution.

Mary II

Queen of England, Scotland,& Ireland, & wife of King William III. Made it possible for her husband to become co-ruler of England after he overthrew James’s govt

New Amsterdam

Dutch colony later renamed New York, was a hub for the North American fur trade & a model of religious tolerance

William Penn

English Quaker, founded Pennsylvania, after receiving a charter from King Charles II the year before. He launched the colony as a "holy experiment" based on religious tolerance.

Indentured servants

Laborers who agreed to work for a set number of years in exchange for transatlantic passage

Bacon's Rebellion

Armed uprising in 1676 colonial Virginia, led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor William Berkeley’s administration & his favoritism towards wealthy landowners

Middle passage

The brutal sea voyage that transported enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade

Slave Codes

Laws established in the colonies that defined enslaved people as property, stripped them of basic rights, controlling nearly every aspect of their lives

Congregational Church

Protestant Christian church system, primarily in New England, where each local congregation governs its own affairs independently

Salem Witch Trials

A series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 to 1693, when people were accused of practicing witchcraft

William Berkeley

Governor of Virginia who enacted friendly policies towards the Indians that led to Bacon's Rebellion. Exempted himself and his councilors from taxation and restricted the vote to only property owners.

Nathaniel Bacon

Planter and colonial leader who led Bacon’s Rebellion against William Berkeley, fueled by his demands for a more aggressive policy against Native Americans on Virginia’s frontier

Paxton Boys Regulator movement

Group of Scots-Irish men who in 1763 violently attacked a peaceful group of Native Americans in Pennsylvania. Their ideas started the Regulator Movement in North Carolina.

Triangular trade

Transatlantic system of trade that operated between Europe, Africa, & the Americas

Molasses Act

1733 British law that imposed high tariffs on molasses imported into the American colonies from non-British territories to protect the monopoly of British.

Great Awakening

Religious revival movement that swept through the American colonies during 1730s & 1740s, characterized by emotional preaching, personal piety

Poor Richard's Almanac

Widely read annual pamphlet published by Benjamin Franklin. Combined practical advice, weather predictions, & proverbs aimed at the colonial American audience

Royal colonies

Colonies in Americas governed directly by the crown rather than through a charter or local authority. These colonies were established to inc the British Empire’s control over colonial affairs

Proprietary colonies

A colony in which 1 or more individuals remained ownership to their state's sanctions. Most of these were run under a colonial charter agreement.

Jonathan Edwards

Prominent American theologian & preacher in the 18th century best known for his role in the First Great Awakening. He emphasized personal & emotional connection to faith

Benjamin Franklin

Founding Father, renowned for his contributions as a statesman, diplomat, inventor, & writer. Signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.