Unit 2 - New World Colonies (1607-1754)

Includes key terms (people & groups, places & events, systems & ideas)

John Smith & John Rolfe

John Smith —> English soldier, explorer, colonial governor, and author. Established Jamestown Colony.

John Rolfe —> a Jamestown leader who successfully cultivated tobacco and married Pocahontas

John Winthrop

English Puritan lawyer, one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony —> the second major settlement in New England following Plymouth Colony

Led the first large wave of immigrants from England in 1630 and served as governor for 12 of the colony’s first 20 years

Gave the “City Upon a Hill” sermon

Metacom (King Philip)

Also known as Metacomet —> chief to the Wampanoag people and the second son of the sachem Massasoit

Became chief in 1662

William Bradford

English Separatist leader —> founder of the Plymouth Colony after traveling on the Mayflower in 1620

Parliament

The elected legislative body of the British government that makes laws and decisions —> mostly followed salutary neglect towards colonies, some laws like Navigation Acts(1651) targeted colonists

Indentured Servants

People who entered into a work contrsact for a set number of years in exchange for paid passage to the New World and housing for the length of work

After completion of the contract they were often given their own plot of land to farm

Declined in favor of African slavery as a consequence of Bacon’s Rebellion

Enslaved Africans

Captured and kidnapped Africans were brought to the Americas via the Middle Passage of the Triangle Trade to work on plantations

Virginia Company

A joint-stock company that received a charter to found Jamestown, Virginia in hopes of profiting from gold and silver

Bacon’s Rebellion

A rebellion of farmers and lower class groups against the colonial Virginia government which ultimately led to the deliberate institutionalization of racial slavery

Pequot War

First sustained conflict between the Pequot tribe and expanding Puritans in New England over land disputes

1636-1637

Pequots lost following Mystic Massacre

King Philip’s War

A bloody war between English colonists and their native allies against the Wampanoag of New England

1675-1676

Metacom was killed and the colonists won

New France

A colony established in Canada (now Quebec) in 1608, that stretched down the Mississippi River

Known for fur trade, Jesuit missionaries, & friendly native relations

New Amsterdam

Dutch Capitol of their New Netherland colony

Noted for tolerance of religions

It failed to attract enough settlers, conquered by English in 1664, renamed New York City

Colonial Regions

New England, Middle Colonies, and Southern Colonies

The regions developed distinct economic & social characteristics based on their geographic locations, available resources, and founding motivations

Mercantilism

Economic idea in which colonies exist to provide the mother country profit

Colonies provide raw materials and as a market to buy finished goods from mother country

Chattel Slavery

America’s version of racial slavery where people are treated as chattel (personal property) of the owner and are bought and sold as commodities

Self-Government

All 3 regions had some forms of self-government, mostly for land-owning white men

House of Burgesses(Virginia) and Mayflower Compact(Massachusetts) are early examples

Cash Crops

Crops planted to sell for profit

Southern plantations grew tobacco, indigo, and rice

Middle colonies grew grains

The North-Eastern colonies climate was too cold

1607

Jamestown Colony founded for profit

1609-1610

Starving Time in Jamestown

1619

First enslaved Africans arrive in British colonies

1620

Mayflower Ship of separatists (pilgrims) arrives

1651

Parliament passes first Navigation Act

1692

Salem Witch Trials

1739

Stono Rebellion —> large slave uprising

1754

Start of the French and Indian War