Colonial America: Key Events and Figures

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to colonial America, including key figures, events, and concepts that shaped early American society.

Junipero Serra

A Roman Catholic Spanish Franciscan who founded the California mission system to convert natives and established 9 of the 21 Spanish missions in California.

Pueblo Revolt

A revolt by Pueblo Indians in 1680 against Spanish colonists in New Mexico, temporarily ending Spanish rule there.

Jamestown

The first permanent English colony in America founded by the Virginia Company, facing major problems like starvation until John Rolfe introduced tobacco farming.

John Rolfe

An English settler at Jamestown who discovered how to successfully grow and cure tobacco for export, marrying Pocahontas.

House of Burgesses

The first legislative body in colonial America formed in Virginia in 1619, serving as a model for other colonies.

Indentured Servants

People contracted to work for a fixed term in exchange for passage to the New World, primarily young unskilled males.

Pilgrims

Separatists who broke away from the Church of England, settled in Plymouth in 1620, and established self-government through the Mayflower Compact.

Puritans

Non-separatists who sought to reform the Church of England, settling in Massachusetts Bay in 1629, led by Governor John Winthrop.

Roger Williams

Promoted religious freedom and fair treatment of Native Americans; founded Rhode Island, the first colony to offer complete religious freedom.

Anne Hutchinson

Banished from Massachusetts for challenging Puritan beliefs and gender roles.

King Phillip's War

A conflict led by Native American Chief Metacom against Puritan expansion in New England, resulting in the decline of Native American resistance.

Bacon's Rebellion

An uprising led by Nathaniel Bacon against the Virginia government for failing to protect settlers from Native American attacks.

Slave Codes

Laws passed in southern colonies to codify the status of slaves and deny them basic civil rights.

Stono Revolt

A 1739 slave rebellion in South Carolina where enslaved people attacked, leading to backlash and restrictions on the slave trade.

Triangular Trade

An economic system involving the exchange of manufactured goods for slaves in Africa, slaves for sugar in the Caribbean, and sugar back to New England.

Middle Passage

The horrific sea journey from Africa to the New World, notorious for high mortality rates among enslaved individuals.

African Slave Culture

A unique cultural blend that developed among enslaved Africans, incorporating music, dance, and language adaptations.

New England Colonies

Characterized by religious, family-oriented communities, small farms, and a less profitable view of slavery.

Southern Colonies

Societies dominated by severe class systems, large plantations, and a heavy reliance on indentured servants and African slaves.

Middle Colonies

Known as the Bread colonies for their wheat production, with diverse economies and significant religious freedom.

Quakers

Members of the Society of Friends who advocated for the abolition of slavery and founded Pennsylvania as a Quaker haven.

Enlightenment

A cultural movement emphasizing reason and intellectual discourse, influencing political ideas in the American Revolution.

John Locke

English philosopher whose ideas on life, liberty, and property inspired the American Revolution and concepts of government.

Half-Way Covenant

A provision permitting the children of church members in Puritan colonies to participate in church affairs without achieving grace.

Great Awakening

A religious revival in the 1730s that led to increased faith and the establishment of new colleges.

George Whitefield

An influential Anglican minister and leader of the Great Awakening known for his emotional preaching.

Mercantilism

An economic theory advocating for colonies to generate wealth for their mother country, with government intervention emphasized.

Navigation Acts

Laws preventing American trade with non-English countries to ensure that colonies benefited England's economy.

Salutary Neglect

A period where England loosely enforced laws in the colonies, allowing them to develop independently.

Zenger Trial

A landmark court case in 1734-1735 where John Peter Zenger was acquitted of libel, marking a victory for press freedom.