Early American History Vocabulary

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary related to early American history.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, established in 1607 in Virginia.

Plymouth Colony

The first permanent English settlement in New England, founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims seeking religious freedom.

Mayflower Compact

A foundational document signed by 41 adult male passengers of the Mayflower in 1620, establishing self-governance in Plymouth Colony.

Puritans

A religious group seeking to purify the Church of England, known for their strict interpretation of the Bible and emphasis on personal piety.

Salem Witch Trials

A series of prosecutions in colonial Massachusetts (1692-93) of individuals accused of witchcraft, resulting in many deaths.

Maryland Act of Toleration

A colonial law that granted religious freedom to all Christians in Maryland, significant for early religious liberty.

Pequot Massacre

A brutal attack by English colonists on the Pequot village during the Pequot War in 1637, killing hundreds of Pequots.

Metacom’s Rebellion (King Philip's War)

A conflict (1675-1676) between English settlers and Native American tribes led by Metacom, marking a turning point in settler-Native relations.

Virginia House of Burgesses

The first democratically elected legislative body in the British North American colonies, established in 1619.

Bacon’s Rebellion

A 1676 uprising in colonial Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor Berkeley over land and Native American issues.

Indentured Servitude

A contractual system where individuals worked for a set number of years in exchange for passage to the New World.

Roger Williams/Rhode Island

Founder of Rhode Island, known for advocating for religious freedom and separation of church and state.

Anne Hutchinson

A Puritan spiritual leader whose unorthodox beliefs led to her trial and banishment from Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

Adopted in 1639, considered the first written constitution in America, establishing self-governance in Connecticut.

Quakers

A Christian denomination known for pacifism and social justice, influential in early American society and movements.

Mercantilism

An economic theory focused on maximizing a nation's wealth through trade, particularly beneficial for the mother country.

Navigation Acts

A series of British laws regulating colonial trade to benefit England's economy and promote mercantilism.

Great Awakening

A religious revival movement in the 1730s and 1740s that challenged established religious authority in colonial America.

John Peter Zenger

His trial established a precedent for freedom of the press in Colonial America by affirming truth as a defense against libel.

Albany Plan

A 1754 proposal for a unified colonial government, rejected by both colonial assemblies and the British government.

Salutary Neglect

A British policy of loosely enforcing trade regulations, allowing American colonies to develop self-governance.

Ben Franklin

A Founding Father of the United States known for his contributions as a statesman, inventor, and advocate of Enlightenment values.

Deism

A belief system emphasizing reason and natural law, rejecting traditional religious dogma in favor of understanding the universe through reason.

John Locke/Two Treatises on Government

A work arguing for government based on consent and natural rights, foundational to modern democracy and social contract theory.

French and Indian War

A conflict between France and Great Britain (1754-1763) over territorial disputes in North America, leading to British dominance.

Pontiac’s Rebellion

An uprising of Native American tribes against British colonial expansion after the French and Indian War.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

The treaty that ended the French and Indian War, granting significant territories to Great Britain.

Paxton Boys

A group of vigilante frontiersmen in Pennsylvania who protested against the treatment of Native Americans by the government.

Regulators

Western North Carolinians who sought to regulate their own affairs in response to government corruption and unfair taxation.