Advanced Placement US History

Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer who arrived in the New World in 1492

Norse

European group that arrived in modern Canada around 1000

Contact Period

Period of sustained contact between Europe and the Americas

Bering Land Bridge

Land bridge that connected Eurasia and North America, allowing ancestors of Native Americans to cross from Siberia to Alaska

Native Americans

Indigenous people of North and South America

Pre-Columbian era

Period before Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas

Culture clash between European settlers and Native Americans

Conflict between European settlers and Native Americans due to different cultures, religions, and technologies

European Colonization

Process of European settlers establishing colonies in the Americas

Enslaved Africans

Africans who were forcibly brought to the Americas as slaves

Forced Relocation

Policy implemented by the US government to move Native Americans from their ancestral lands

Assimilation

Policy implemented by the US government to make Native Americans adopt European culture

Native American resistance

Resistance by Native Americans against European colonization and expansion

Conquistadors

Spanish explorers and conquerors of the Americas

Great Basin

A 400,000-square-mile area between Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada Mountains

Native American societies

Complex societies and cultures of Native Americans before European contact

Native American permanent settlements

Communities established by Native Americans for economic development

Native American nomadic hunting and gathering tribes

Native American tribes that retained a nomadic lifestyle for hunting and gathering

Caravel

Improved ships that allowed for longer exploratory voyages

Age of Exploration

Period when European explorers set sail to the New World in search of gold, land, and religious purposes

Columbian Exchange

Period of rapid exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between the Old World and the New World

Flow of Trade

Trade between the Old World and the New World, introducing new crops to Europe that helped increase food production

Old World

Refers to Africa, Asia, and Europe

New World

Refers to the Americas

Colonization

Process of establishing colonies in the Americas

Encomienda system

System in which colonists were granted authority over native people in exchange for their labor by the Spanish crown

Roman Catholic Church

Church established in western Europe during the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages with its head being the bishop of Rome or pope.

Bacon's Rebellion

A rebellion lead by Nathaniel Bacon with backcountry farmers to attack Native Americans in an attempt to gain more land

Slave Trade

European trade agreement with Africa dealing with slaves brought from Africa. Integral part of Triangle Trade between the Americas, Africa, and Europe.

Middle Passage

A voyage that brought enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to North America and the West Indies

End of the Atlantic Slave Trade

Mounting criticism of the Middle Passage led Congress to end American participation in the Atlantic slave trade on January 1, 1808

Competition for global dominance

Rivalry among European nations to establish dominance in the New World

Navigational advancements

Improvements in navigation that made transatlantic voyages safer and more efficient

sextant

navigation tool that determines latitude and longitude

Joint-stock companies

Corporate businesses with shareholders that settled and developed lands in North America

Juan de Onate

Spanish explorer and conquistador. He claimed New Mexico for Spain in 1598 and served as its governor until 1607

Voodoo

Haitian version of traditional African religious beliefs that are blended with elements of Christianity

Haitian Revolution

A major influence of the Latin American revolutions because of its successfulness; the only successful slave revolt in history; it is led by Toussaint L'Ouverture.

Pilgrims

English Separatists who settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts

Roanoke Island

Sir Walter Raleigh's failed colonial settlement off the coast of North Carolina

Jamestown, Virginia

the first permanent English settlement, founded in 1607 by the Virginia Company for economic reasons

John Rolfe

Jamestown colony leader who showed that tobacco could be grown successfully in Virginia

Chesapeake

The region of Virginia and Maryland. In contrast to New England, this region was distinguished by indentured servants, cash crops, and African slavery.

Indentured Servants

Colonists who received free passage to North America in exchange for working without pay for a certain number of years

Headright System

The Virginia Company's system in which settlers and the family members who came with them each received 50 acres of land

House of Burgesses

Elected assembly in colonial Virginia, created in 1618.

French and Indian War

War fought in the colonies between the English and the French for possession of the Ohio Valley area. The English won.

Edict of Nantes

document that granted religious freedom to the Huguenots

Puritanism

The religion of a group of religious dissidents who came to the New World so they would have a location to establish a "purer" church than the one that existed in England

Separatists

People who wanted to have a separate, or different church. Also known as Pilgrims.

Plymouth Colony

A colony established by the English Pilgrims, or Seperatists, in 1620. The Seperatists were Puritans who abandoned hope that the Anglican Church could be reformed. Plymouth became part of Massachusetts in 1691.

William Bradford

A Pilgrim, the second governor of the Plymouth colony, 1621-1657. Developed private land ownership and helped colonists get out of debt. Helped the colony survive droughts, crop failures, and Indian attacks.

Mayflower Compact

The first agreement for self-government in America. It was signed by the 41 men on the Mayflower and set up a government for the Plymouth colony.

Congregationalists

Puritans who wanted to reform the Anglican church from within

John Winthrop

As governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, Formed the colony's government and shaping its legislative policy. He envisioned the colony, centered in present-day Boston, as a "city upon a hill" from which Puritans would spread religious righteousness throughout the world.

Religious Tolerance

Willingness to let others practice their own beliefs

Calvinists

Doctrine was similar to that of Lutherans' except Calvinists also believed in predestination and the insignificance of humanity.

Roger Williams

A dissenter who clashed with the Massachusetts Puritans over separation of church and state and was banished in 1636, after which he founded the colony of Rhode Island to the south

Anne Hutchinson

A Puritan woman who was well learned that disagreed with the Puritan Church in Massachusetts Bay Colony. Her actions resulted in her banishment from the colony, and later took part in the formation of Rhode Island. She displayed the importance of questioning authority.

Oliver Cromwell

English military, political, and religious figure who led the Parliamentarian victory in the English Civil War (1642-1649) and called for the execution of Charles I. As lord protector of England (1653-1658) he ruled as a virtual dictator.

Massachusetts Bay Company

Joint-stock company that established the Massachusetts Bay Colony

The Great Puritan Migration

Migration of Puritans to New England

Salutary neglect

Period preceding the French and Indian War characterized by minimal British interference in colonial affairs.

Autonomy

The degree of self-governance and independence enjoyed by the colonies.

Mercantilism

Economic theory that emphasizes the importance of a favorable balance of trade and control of specie.

Navigation Acts

Laws passed by the British government requiring colonists to buy goods only from England, sell certain products only to England, and import non-English goods via English ports.

Wool Act of 1699

Law forbidding the export of wool from the American colonies and the importation of wool from other British colonies.

Molasses Act of 1733

Law imposing a high tax on the importation of sugar from the French West Indies.

Colonial governments

Governments in the colonies consisting of a governor appointed by the king or proprietor, and bicameral legislatures modeled after the British Parliament.

New England Confederation

An attempt by colonists to establish a centralized government for the northeastern colonies, providing a forum for discussion and problem-solving.

Puritan Immigration

Movement of English Puritans to the New World, bringing with them republican ideals of revolution.

Proprietorships

Colonies owned by individuals who received land as a gift from the king.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

Set up a unified government for the towns of the Connecticut area (Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield). First constitution written in America.

Cecilius Calvert

was given a charter by King Charles I, founded Maryland (also known as "Lord Baltimore")

Act of Toleration (1649)

Passed in Maryland, it guaranteed toleration to all Christians but decreed the death penalty for those, like Jews and atheists, who denied the divinity of Jesus Christ. Ensured that Maryland would continue to attract a high proportion of Catholic migrants throughout the colonial period.

William Penn

A Quaker that founded Pennsylvania to establish a place where his people and others could live in peace and be free from persecution.

Carolina Colony

English-owned proprietary colony that was eventually split into North and South Carolina.

James Oglethorpe

Founder and governor of the Georgia colony. He ran a tightly-disciplined, military-like colony. Slaves, alcohol, and Catholicism were forbidden in his colony.

Proprietary Colonies

Colonies in which the proprietors (who had obtained their patents from the king) named the governors, subject to the king's approval.

Royal Colonies

Colonies owned by the king, with greater control over their government.

Stono Uprising

Slave rebellion in South Carolina in 1739, resulting in stricter laws governing the behavior of enslaved people.

Salem Witch Trials

Mass hysteria in Salem in 1692, resulting in the execution of accused witches and increased fear of slave rebellions.

Jonathan Edwards

American theologian whose sermons and writings stimulated a period of renewed interest in religion in America (1703-1758)

George Whitefield

English clergyman who was known for his ability to convince many people through his sermons. He involved himself in the Great Awakening in 1739 preaching his belief in gaining salvation.

Benjamin Franklin

Enlightenment thinker and inventor who played a crucial role in diplomacy and the American Revolution.

Poor Richard's Almanac

Widely read annual pamphlet edited by Benjamin Franklin. Best known for its proverbs and aphorisms emphasizing thrift, industry, morality, and common sense.

Democratic-Republicans

Followers of Jefferson, favoring weaker federal government.

Seven Years' War

worldwide struggle between France and Great Britain for power and control of land

George Washington

1st President of the United States; commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution (1732-1799)

William Pitt

English Prime Minister who supported the colonists in the French and Indian War.

Pontiac's Rebellion

Native American attack on colonial outposts in response to English actions.

Albany Plan of Union

Benjamin Franklin's proposal for intercolonial government and taxation system.

Taxation without Representation

British laws and policies imposing taxes on colonists without their consent.

Sugar Act

1764 act imposing duties on molasses to deter smuggling.

Currency Act

prohibited colonies from issuing paper money, destabilized colonial economy

Stamp Act

1765 act imposing taxes on legal documents and licenses.

Proclamation of 1763

A proclamation from the British government which forbade British colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains, and which required any settlers already living west of the mountains to move back east.

Sons of Liberty

Protest groups formed by colonists against British policies.

Boston Massacre

The first bloodshed of the American Revolution (1770), as British guards at the Boston Customs House opened fire on a crowd killing five Americans

First Continental Congress

September 1774, delegates from twelve colonies sent representatives to Philadelphia to discuss a response to the Intolerable Acts

Townshend Acts

Taxes imposed on goods imported from Britain.