Virginia & United States History - Unit 1: Colonization - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the provided notes on colonization, Jamestown, Puritans, and New England/Southern colonies.

Joint-stock company

A business organization in which many investors pool funds to finance large projects or colonies.

Charter

Official permission from a government to establish a colony or undertake a specific activity.

Virginia Company

The joint-stock company that financed and organized the Jamestown settlement in Virginia.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, named after King James I.

Tobacco

A cash crop whose success secured Jamestown’s survival and economic growth.

House of Burgesses

The first representative assembly in colonial America, established in Virginia.

Puritans

English Protestants who sought to purify the Church of England and settled in New England.

Mayflower Compact

A written framework of self-government signed by the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower.

New England

Region in the northeastern United States where Puritans settled; includes Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Connecticut.

Rhode Island

New England colony established as a haven for religious toleration.

Massachusetts

One of the four New England colonies; founded by Puritans in the Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth areas.

New Hampshire

One of the four New England colonies; originally part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony before becoming a separate colony.

Connecticut

One of the four New England colonies; settled by Puritans along the Connecticut River.

Five Southern Colonies

Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Relationship with Native Americans

Often marked by conflict and violence as settlers encroached on Native lands.