Salem Witch Trials & French and Indian Wars

Flashcards covering key vocabulary, figures, events, and concepts from the lecture on the Salem Witch Trials and the French and Indian Wars, including causes, characteristics, and consequences.

Salem Witch Trial Hysteria (1691-1693)

A period in colonial Massachusetts when approximately 200 people were accused of witchcraft, leading to trials and executions.

Martha Corey

An outspoken, eccentric Puritan woman in Salem who doubted the girls' accusations and laughed at their 'dog and pony show,' leading to her accusation and execution for witchcraft.

Rebecca Nurse

A well-loved old woman in Salem whose family was involved in a local feud; she was accused of witchcraft, initially found not guilty by the jury, but later found guilty and executed due to pressure from the accusing girls.

John Proctor

A man in Salem who openly expressed his disbelief in the accusing girls, calling them 'liars' and suggesting they be whipped, which led to his accusation and execution for witchcraft.

Spectral Evidence

Evidence used in the Salem Witch Trials where accusers would claim to see the 'specter' or spirit of the accused tormenting them in dreams or visions, which was admitted as legitimate evidence by the judges.

William Stofton

The top judge in the special court set up for the Salem Witch Trials, who unfairly assumed the accusing girls were always telling the truth and saw them as victims.

Increase Mather

A well-respected Puritan preacher who, as the Salem hysteria continued, expressed doubts, stating it would be 'better if 10 suspected witches would escape than one innocent person should be condemned,' influencing other preachers to speak out.

William Phipps

The Governor of Massachusetts who, after his wife was accused of witchcraft, persuaded judges to cease admitting spectral evidence and sent those awaiting trial home, contributing to the end of the hysteria.

Ann Putnam

Considered the ringleader of the accusing girls in the Salem Witch Trials; she was later forced to repent by the new preacher, Joseph Green, to join the church and take communion.

Great Britain (1707)

The new name adopted by England in 1707, signifying the same mother country that the 13 colonies belonged to, also referred to as the United Kingdom today.

Colonial Militia

The part-time army in each colony, comprised by law of all adult white men, who would serve in emergencies and then return home.

Scalping

A brutal practice of warfare engaged in by both American Indian tribes and colonists, where a portion of the scalp and hair was cut from an enemy, dead or alive, as a trophy.

King Philip's War (mid-1670s)

The biggest and most important war between the New England Puritans and local American Indian tribes, led by King Philip, who united tribes in response to Puritan land encroachment.

New England Confederation

A military coordination committee formed by the New England colonies during King Philip's War, marking a rare instance of inter-colonial cooperation to defeat the Native Americans.

Tax Anticipation Certificates

Glorified IOUs used by the New England Puritans during King Philip's War to fund the war effort by promising payment for supplies after the war was over and land was sold.

Feed Fight Strategy

The Puritan strategy in King Philip's War to destroy American Indian food supplies by burning fields and crops, campaigning in winter, and starving them out to force surrender.

Costliest War in American History

King Philip's War, which resulted in the highest percentage of population killed (one out of every ten New Hampshire men) compared to any other American conflict.

Great War for Empire (1754-1763)

Also known as the Seven Years' War or the Last French and Indian War, it was a climactic and decisive global struggle between the British Empire and the French Empire (including Canada) for world domination.

Fort Duquesne

A fort built by the French at the start of the Ohio River (present-day Pittsburgh), which became a point of contention and a trigger for the Great War for Empire.

Battle of Monongahela

A battle where a British army led by General Edward Braddock (with George Washington as an assistant) was ambushed and destroyed by the French and their Native American allies near Fort Duquesne, marking the beginning of the Great War for Empire.

Albany Plan of Union

A plan proposed for the 13 colonies to militarily cooperate during the Great War for Empire, which was ultimately rejected by the individual colonial governments due to jealousy and protection of their prerogatives.

William Pitt

The British governmental leader (Prime Minister) starting in 1757, who implemented a new, effective strategy to conquer Canada, use the British Navy, ask for colonial aid, and employ young, energetic generals, turning the tide of the Great War for Empire.

Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1759)

The climactic and decisive battle of the Great War for Empire, fought outside Quebec, where the British army led by James Wolfe defeated the French army led by Marquis de Montcalm, leading to the British conquest of Canada.

Treaty of Paris of 1763

The peace treaty that officially ended the Great War for Empire, resulting in Great Britain gaining Canada from France and becoming the most powerful nation on Earth.

Consequences of Treaty of Paris (1763)

Included French anger and desire for revenge, the colonies' reduced need for British military protection (leading to less obedience), and the British government's financial burden from guarding new territories, which led to demands for colonial contributions.