First Virginians and Jamestown (VOCABULARY)

Vocabulary flashcards covering Jamestown, indentured servants, tobacco, slavery, Powhatan and his people, and study-source concepts.

Jamestown

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

Indentured servant

A person who agreed to work for a set number of years in exchange for passage to the colony and basic needs; many were poor and recruited from streets or prisons.

Tobacco

A crop grown in Virginia that became the colony’s main economic source and helped attract settlers.

Cash crop

A crop grown primarily for sale for profit rather than for the grower’s own use (tobacco in Virginia).

Africans as slaves

The introduction and use of enslaved Africans as laborers in Virginia, marking a shift from indentured servitude to lifelong slavery.

Powhatan

A powerful Native American leader who ruled the Powhatan Confederacy in eastern Virginia and received tributes from tribes.

Powhatan Confederacy

A network of Algonquian-speaking tribes under Powhatan’s leadership in the Virginia region.

Chesapeakes

The easternmost tribes within Powhatan’s empire who lived around the Chesapeake Bay and engaged in farming, hunting, and fishing.

Primary source

A document or artifact created during the time period being studied (e.g., diaries, letters, ship logs).

Secondary source

Something created after the time period that uses sources to provide a broader perspective (e.g., textbooks, encyclopedias).

Bias

Having an unbalanced opinion

Patriarchal

A social system in which men hold primary power and authority, especially in family leadership and roles.