Colonial America and Mercantilism

Vocabulary flashcards covering the economic, religious, and political development of the Thirteen Colonies and European mercantilism.

Mercantilism

The economic idea that there was limited wealth in the world (silver and gold) and that countries should limit rivals' wealth to increase their own power.

Navigation Acts

Laws passed by Parliament to control Atlantic trade by requiring colonies to trade with England, use British ships, and pay taxes through England.

Triangular Trade

A trade system where raw materials went to Europe, manufactured goods went to Africa and America, and slaves went to America for labor.

Southern Colonies

A region including Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, and the Carolinas, founded for economic profit with an agriculturally based economy.

Jamestown

Founded in 1607 in Virginia, it was the first permanent English colony and was named after King James I.

John Smith

The first leader of Jamestown who saved the colony by implementing the rule: "He that will not work, will not eat."

Cash Crops

Agricultural products grown for profit, such as indigo, rice, tobacco, and cotton.

Lord Baltimore

The individual given propriety rights to Maryland by King Charles I; he established it as a haven for Catholics.

Act of Toleration

A law passed in Maryland that granted religious freedom for all Christians.

James Oglethorpe

The founder of Georgia in 1732, who initially implemented strict rules against slavery and alcohol.

New England Colonies

A region including Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire, with an economy based on shipbuilding, fishing, and trade due to rocky soil and cold winters.

Quebec

The first permanent French settlement in North America, founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain as a fur trading post.

Pilgrims

Separatist Puritans who established the Plymouth Colony in 1620 after arriving on the 'Mayflower' ship.

John Winthrop

Leader of the Massachusetts Bay Colony who gave the "Model of Christian Charity" speech, describing the colony as a "city upon a hill."

Roger Williams

A Puritan Minister who founded Rhode Island in 1636 based on the separation of church & state and religious toleration.

Anne Hutchinson

A woman banished from her colony for holding bible studies and believing individuals could have a relationship with God without church leaders.

The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

Written in 1636, this is considered America's first written constitution and established a representative government.

Metacom

A native leader also known as 'King Phillip' who led a war against New England colonists, marking the end of Native resistance in the region.

Mid-Atlantic Colonies

A region including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, known for good harbors, river systems, and religious diversity.

New Netherland

The original name of the Dutch colony founded in 1614 that later became New York after the English took over in 1664.

William Penn

A Quaker who founded Pennsylvania in 1682, practicing religious freedom and providing fair treatment of natives.

Social Mobility

The ability to rise in social class through education and hard work, a characteristic Benjamin Franklin experienced in Pennsylvania.

Algonquin and Iroquois

The two major native tribes in the Mid-Atlantic region that engaged in trade with English settlers.