Period 2

Europeans and American Indians maneuvered and fought for dominance, control, and security in North America, and distinctive colonial and native societies emerged.

Virginia Company

A joint-stock company that sponsored the settlement of Jamestown in 1607.

Indentured Servants

Individuals who agreed to work for a certain number of years in exchange for passage to America and eventual land.

Jamestown

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

Headright System

A system that granted land to settlers in exchange for settling in Virginia, encouraging colonization.

House of Burgesses

The first elected legislative assembly in the New World, established in Virginia in 1619.

Powhatan

A Native American tribe and leader in Virginia, he interacted with Jamestown settlers.

Tobacco

A cash crop that became the foundation of the Virginia economy, largely cultivated on plantations.

Plantation

A large agricultural estate that produces a single cash crop, often using slave labor.

West Indies

A region consisting of various islands in the Caribbean, known for sugar production.

Sugar

A major cash crop in the West Indies, leading to the establishment of plantations and slave labor.

Maryland

A colony founded as a refuge for Catholics and known for its tolerance.

Puritans

A religious group seeking to purify the Church of England, established the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Pilgrims

Separatists who established the Plymouth Colony in 1620, seeking religious freedom.

Mayflower Compact

An agreement signed by Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower to form a civil government.

Massachusetts Bay

A colony established by Puritans in 1630, emphasizing a community governed by religious leaders.

Pequot War

A conflict between Pequot Indians and English settlers in 1637, resulting in heavy casualties for the Pequot.

Dissenters

Individuals who disagreed with established religious practices, often facing persecution.

Half-Way Covenant

A 1662 arrangement allowing partial church membership for children of baptized individuals.

John Winthrop

The first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and envisioner of a 'City upon a Hill'.

Roger Williams

A dissenter who advocated for separation of church and state and founded Rhode Island.

Anne Hutchinson

A religious dissenter whose beliefs challenged the Puritan establishment, leading to her banishment.

King Philip’s War

A conflict between Native Americans and English settlers in New England from 1675 to 1676.

Mercantilism

An economic theory emphasizing the importance of accumulating wealth through trade and colonial expansion.

Navigation Acts

Laws governing trade between England and its colonies to ensure colonial raw materials benefited England.

New York

Originally a Dutch colony, it was taken over by the English and became a major metropolis.

Pennsylvania

A colony founded by William Penn as a haven for Quakers, promoting religious freedom.

William Penn

The founder of Pennsylvania, who promoted peace and religious tolerance.

Quakers

A religious group known for their belief in equality and pacifism, influential in colonial Pennsylvania.

Bacon’s Rebellion

A 1676 uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor Berkley's administration.

Slave Codes

Laws that defined the status of slaves and the rights of their owners.

English Bill of Rights

A 1689 act that limited the powers of the monarchy and affirmed certain rights.

Toleration Act

A 1689 act granting freedom of worship to Nonconformists in England.

Salem Witch Trials

A series of hearings and prosecutions of alleged witches in colonial Massachusetts.

Mestizo

A person of mixed European and Native American ancestry, common in colonial Latin America.

Scots-Irish and German immigrants

Two significant groups who settled in the backcountry of America during the colonial period.

Backcountry

The rural area that lies beyond the settled areas, often characterized by agriculture and frontier culture.

Port Cities

Cities located along a coast, serving as trade hubs; significant in colonial commerce.

Staple Crops

Crops that are continuously in demand and form the backbone of the colonial economy.

Atlantic Slave Trade

The trade of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas.

Triangle Trade

A transatlantic trade system between Europe, Africa, and the Americas involving goods and enslaved people.

Middle Passage

The horrific sea journey of enslaved Africans to the Americas.

Stono Rebellion

A 1739 slave uprising in South Carolina, leading to stricter slave laws.

Republicanism

An ideology advocating for a government based on the consent of the governed.

John Locke

An Enlightenment thinker whose ideas on natural rights influenced American political thought.

Colonial Assemblies

Elected bodies in the colonies that exercised legislative authority.

Salutary Neglect

An unofficial British policy in the early 18th century allowing colonial self-governance.

Colonial Press

The media and printing press system in the colonies that facilitated the spread of ideas.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition.

Benjamin Franklin

A leading figure of the American Enlightenment, known for his contributions to science and civic life.

Deism

A religious belief that reason and observation of the natural world are sufficient to determine the existence of a creator.

Great Awakening and impacts

A religious revival in the 18th century that emphasized personal faith and led to increased religious diversity.