Unit 1 & 2: Colonization and Independence Test Review

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to English colonization, the American Revolution, and foundational documents in early American history.

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

Mercantilism

An economic theory where the mother country increases its trade profits by converting raw materials into finished goods.

Joint-stock companies

Organizations where many investors pooled their money to finance colonies, sharing profits and losses.

Jamestown, Virginia

The first permanent English settlement in America, established in 1607 for economic gain.

Virginia House of Burgesses

The first representative government in the colonies, established by elected white land-owning men.

Toleration Act

The first law supporting religious tolerance in the colonies, allowing all Christian religions in Maryland.

Pilgrims

English Protestants who sought religious freedom and settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.

Mayflower Compact

A document created by the Pilgrims to establish self-government based on majority rule.

Squanto

A Native American who helped the Pilgrims survive by teaching them to farm and fish.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

The first written constitution in the colonies that expanded representative government.

Great Awakening

A religious movement that promoted equality and challenged authority in colonial society.

Triangular Trade

A trade route where ships made three stops to exchange goods between the Americas, Europe, and Africa.

Proclamation of 1763

An act forbidding colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains after the French and Indian War.

Taxation without Representation

The colonists' belief that it was unfair to be taxed by a government in which they had no representation.

Sons of Liberty

A colonial organization formed to oppose British policies and taxes.

Boston Massacre

An incident where British soldiers killed five colonists, which became a rallying point for anti-British sentiments.

Tea Act

Legislation that granted the British East India Company a monopoly on colonial tea, leading to increased tensions.

Declaration of Independence

A document declaring the colonies' independence from Britain, authored by Thomas Jefferson.

Unalienable rights

Rights that cannot be taken away, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Battle of Saratoga

A turning point battle in the American Revolution that convinced France to ally with the colonists.

Treaty of Paris 1783

The agreement that ended the American Revolutionary War, recognizing American independence.