AP/IB US History Unit One

Words featured in the American Pageant textbook (12th Edition) - AP Units 1 + 2

Aztec peoples

Indigenous Mexicans during the time of Spanish colonization

Mound Builders

Indigenous peoples of the Ohio River Valley

Three sister farming

An agricultural concept utilizing maize, beans, and squash in intercropping for increased yields.

Christopher Columbus

Italian naval explorer known for his arrival in the Bahamas on Oct. 12, 1492

Treaty of Tordesillas

Treaty between Spain and Portugal in 1494 over territorial claims in the New World

conquistadores

Spanish colonizers of the Age of Exploration

Juan Ponce de Leon

Conquistador known for exploring Florida for a “fountain of youth”

Francisco Pizarro

Conquistador known for his conquest of the Incas in Peru and brought large silver profits for Spain

encomienda

Slavery system that gave colonized Indians to certain colonists in return for the promise to try to Christianize them.

Hernan Cortes

Conquistador known for his successful conquest of the Aztecs

Moctezuma

Aztec chieftain during Cortes’ conquest

mestizos

people of mixed Indian and European race

Mayans

Indigenous peoples of Central America

Pope’s Rebellion (1680)

A successful uprising by Pueblo Indians against Spanish colonizers in present-day New Mexico, seeking to reclaim their land and religious practices.

Black Legend

The narrative that depicts Spanish colonizers as uniquely cruel and brutal compared to other European powers, often highlighting their exploitation of Indigenous peoples.

Spanish Armada

The naval fleet sent by Spain in 1588 to invade England, ultimately defeated by the English navy, marking a significant shift in naval power.

Sir Walter Raleigh

Englishman credited with introducing tobacco and potatoes to England & establishing the failed Roanoke Colony in North Carolina.

primogeniture

English law decreeing that only eldest sons were eligible to inherit landed estates

joint-stock company

A business entity where investors can buy shares to fund colonies and share in profits and losses; the forerunner of modern corporation

Virginia Company of London

joint-stock company whom of which received a charter from King James I to establish a colony in Virginia.

Captain John Smith

A soldier and explorer known for his role in the establishment of Jamestown, Virginia in 1608, and for his leadership during the early years of the settlement.

Chief Powhatan

The leader of the Powhatan Confederacy in the early 1600s, whom interacted with the English settlers of Jamestown.

Pocahontas

Daughter of Chief Powhatan who rescued Captain John Smith from execution

starving time

Winter of 1609-1610, where only 60 out of 400 settlers survived the period of intense and immense starvation

Lord De La Warr

The governor of Jamestown following Smith, who executed an intense military regime against the Native Americans.

First Anglo-Powhatan War

1614; conflict between English settlers and Powhatan Confederacy, ending with the marriage of Pocahontas and John Rolfe.

Second Anglo-Powhatan War

1644-46; conflict between Virginia colonists and the Powhatan Confederacy, resulting in the destruction of several Native American villages and banishment of Chesapeake Indians

John Rolfe

Englishman who married Pocahontas, ending the first Anglo-Powhatan war. He was also coined as the Father of the Tobacco industry.

House of Burgesses

The first elected legislative assembly in the American colonies, established in Virginia in 1619. It marked the beginning of representative government in the New World.

Lord Baltimore

Founder of Maryland, the second plantation colony and fourth overall English colony to be founded.

indentured servants

poor people who were bound to work for a certain number of years in exchange for passage to America.

slave codes

laws that defined the status of slaves and the rights of masters, enforcing the system of slavery.

Barbados Slave Code

1661: notorious slave code that denied fundamental human rights to slaves and gave their owners virtually complete control

Oliver Cromwell

a military leader and Lord Protector of England during the Commonwealth period, known for his role in the English Civil War and his opposition to the monarchy.

restoration period

the time in England following the monarchy's reinstatement in 1660, marked by the return of Charles II to the throne and a revival of cultural and political life.

squatters

newcomers who raised tobacco and other crops without legal right to the soil. often done without slaves on small farms

proprietor

an individual granted land and governing rights by a colonial charter, responsible for overseeing the settlement and management of the territory.

royal charter

a formal document issued by a monarch granting rights and privileges to individuals or groups, establishing the governance and regulations for a colony.

James Oglethorpe

Founder of Georgia, he established the colony as a place for debtors and the poor, promoting social reforms and defense against Spanish Florida.

nation-state

a political entity characterized by a defined territory, permanent population, and a centralized government that represents a cohesive national identity.

yeoman

a farmer who owns and cultivates their own land, often seen as representing the independent and self-sufficient citizen in early American society.

Iroquois confederacy

Alliance of six powerful Native American tribes centered in the Mohawk valley in modern-day New York State.

longhouse

Iroquois building structure made of wood. It was meant to serve as a communal living space for multiple families

Act of Toleration

A law passed in 1649 in Maryland that granted religious freedom to all Christians and was one of the first laws of its kind in the colonies.

Conquest of Ireland

The invasion and subsequent control of Ireland by England, marked by significant land confiscations and the establishment of English rule.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement in the 16th century that sought to reform the Roman Catholic Church, leading to the establishment of Protestant churches and significant changes in Christian practices.

John Calvin

Religious leader that founded Calvinism, a strict and determinist sect of Christianity

the “elect”

a select few in Calvinism that are blessed to go to heaven while the others are subject to torment. this was decided by God at birth

predestination

the doctrine that God has eternally chosen those whom he intends to save, while others are destined for damnation.

conversion

the receipt of God’s free gift of saving grace in Calvinism leads to a transformation of the individual’s faith and life.

visible saints

refers to those individuals in Calvinism who demonstrate evidence of their election through their pious behavior and moral living, serving as a model of faith for others.

Puritans

a group of English Protestants who sought to purify the Church of England and believed in strict religious discipline and adherence to their interpretations of scripture.

Separatists

those who wanted to establish a completely independent church separate from the Church of England

Pilgrims

separatists who travelled from Holland to the New World to live culturally as Englishmen and women and religiously free

Mayflower Contract

An agreement signed by the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower in 1620, establishing a framework for self-governance and mutual protection in their new settlement.

William Bradford

A leader of the Pilgrims and governor of the Plymouth Colony, he documented their experiences in "Of Plymouth Plantation."

William Laud

anti-Puritan archbishop of the Church of England, whose persecutions towards Puritans were sanctioned by Charles I

John Winthrop

A successful English attorney and manor lord who became the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony

“City upon a hill”

A phrase used by John Winthrop to describe the Puritan vision of their colony as a model of religious righteousness and societal idealism for the rest of the world.

freemen

all adult males who belonged to the Puritan congregations

franchise

the right to vote or participate in political activities, often granted to freemen in early colonial society.

John Cotton

A prominent Puritan minister and theologian in colonial Massachusetts, known for his influence on the Massachusetts Bay Colony's church governance and religious practices.

doctrine of a “calling”

The belief that individuals have a divine purpose to fulfill in their lives, particularly through their work and contributions to society, emphasizing that all vocations are significant.

Protestant work ethic

serious commitment to work and engagement in worldly pursuits common in Protestant religion so one could be rewarded in heaven

Quakers

Dissenters of Puritan religion who emphasized direct experience of God, peace, and equality among all people.

Anne Hutchinson

Female Quaker famous for her religious dissent and advocacy for women's roles in the Puritan society, eventually exiled from Massachusetts.

antinomianism

high heresy in Puritan society

Roger Williams

Personable Salem minister who advocated for the separation of church and state, founded Rhode Island, and promoted religious freedom.

Thomas Hooker

A prominent Puritan minister who founded Hartford, Connecticut, and is known for his strong stance on democratic governance and expanded suffrage.

Fundamental Orders

A modern Constitution used in Connecticut that established a framework for government and guaranteed fundamental rights.

King Phillip (Metacom)

Leader of the Wampanoag tribe, known for his role in King Philip's War against British settlers, which was a significant conflict in New England during the 1670s.

New England Confederation

A Puritan military alliance of the four colonies: Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven, formed in 1643 to defend against Native American attacks and other threats.

Dominion of New England

A short-lived administrative union of the English colonies in New England, created by King James II in 1686 to streamline colonial governance and enforce British authority.

Navigation Laws

Regulations enacted by England to control colonial trade and ensure that it benefited the British economy, requiring that certain goods be shipped only to England or its colonies.

Sir Edmund Andros

The governor appointed by King James II to oversee the Dominion of New England, known for his unpopular rule and strict enforcement of the Navigation Laws.

Glorious Revolution

The peaceful passing of the throne in 1689 from King James II to William and Mary of Orange

Henry Hudson

An English explorer known for his explorations of North America and a notable voyage in 1609 that led to the discovery of the river later named after him.

patroonship

A system of land distribution in New Netherland where wealthy individuals, known as patroons, received large tracts of land in exchange for bringing settlers to the colony.

Peter Stuyvestant

The final director-general of New Netherland from 1647 until its surrender to the English in 1664. He is known for his authoritarian rule and efforts to strengthen the colony.

William Penn

A Quaker leader and founder of Pennsylvania, known for promoting religious tolerance and fair treatment of Native Americans.

covenant

A formal agreement or promise, often used in a religious context to signify a bond between God and His people.

Chesapeake

Referring to the region around the Chesapeake Bay, known for its tobacco plantations and early colonial settlements.

headright system

whoever paid for the passage for a laborer received the right to acquire fifty acres of land

William Berkeley

A colonial governor of Virginia known for promoting trade with Native Americans and implementing the headright system.

Nathaniel Bacon

A Virginia planter who led a rebellion against Governor William Berkeley's administration in 1676, protesting against corrupt elites and insufficient protection from Native American attacks.

Bacon’s Rebellion

A revolt led by Nathaniel Bacon in 1676 against the colonial government of Virginia, fueled by grievances over land, Native American policies, and perceived governmental corruption.

middle passage

The transatlantic sea voyage taken by slaves over to the Americas

tidewater plantations

large agricultural estates located in the Tidewater region of Virginia, primarily growing tobacco and relying on enslaved labor.

Royal African Company

joint-stock company whom held a monopoly in slave trade transport

ringshout

West African religious dance performed by shuffling in a circle while answering a preacher’s shouts; made way for jazz, the banjo, and the bongo drum

Harvard College

The oldest corporation in America, established in 1636, Harvard College was founded to train ministers and later expanded to provide a range of liberal arts education.

Salem Witch Trials

A series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693, resulting in the execution of 20 individuals and the imprisonment of many others.

Half-way Covenant

A form of partial church membership created by New England colonists in the 1660s, allowing children of baptized but unconverted church members to be baptized and thus have a form of participation in the church.

Leisler’s Rebellion

An uprising in 1689 in New York City against the colonial governor, it was led by Jacob Leisler and resulted in his brief control of the colony before his execution.

thirty two colonies

Britain’s American Colonies, which included thirteen original colonies and others founded for various purposes.

Scots-Irish

An ethnic group that settled in the Appalachian region, descendants of Irish Protestants who migrated from Scotland in the 18th century.

Paxton Boys

A group of Scots-Irish settlers who protested against the colonial government in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the 1760s, infamous for their violent actions against Native Americans.

Regulator Movement

A rebellion of backcountry settlers in North Carolina during the 1760s and 1770s, who sought to address issues of taxation, government corruption, and law enforcement.

Michel-Guillaume de Crevecoeur

A French-American writer and farmer, known for his letters that described life in the American colonies and explored the concept of the "American Dream."