British North America: Jamestown, Puritans, Conflicts, and Proprietary Colonies

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on Jamestown tobacco economics, Native American-conflicts (Tidewater, Pequot, King Philip’s War), Puritan settlements (Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay), and proprietary/restoration colonies.

Headright

A land-grant policy by the Jamestown Company offering 50 acres per recruited immigrant who crossed the Atlantic and labored in tobacco fields to attract settlers.

Tobacco (as cash crop)

A crop discovered to thrive in Jamestown’s swampy soil; became the colony’s main profit and required intense, labor-heavy cultivation and processing.

Tidewater War (1622)

A surprise attack by the Powhatan Confederacy on Jamestown that killed about a third of the colonists in the first months and intensified hostilities.

Powhatan Confederacy

The alliance of Native American tribes led by the Powhatan who clashed with Jamestown; central figure in the 1622 attack.

Pequot War (1637; 1657)

Conflict between Massachusetts Bay colonists and the Pequot tribe; led to the near-destruction of the Pequots and removal of many survivors to join other tribes.

King Philip's War (1675)

War led by Wampanoag chief Metacom (King Philip) against New England settlers; colonists destroyed villages and disrupted Native societies.

Militia

Citizen-soldiers; all adult males in a colony who could be called to defend the community; not professional soldiers and often less disciplined.

Puritans

Religious reformers who settled Massachusetts Bay Colony (1629); sought religious freedom yet enforced strict conformity and intolerance within the colony.

John Winthrop

Spiritual and political leader of Massachusetts Bay; framed the colony as a covenant with God and a ‘city upon a hill’ mission.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Puritan settlement established in 1629; grew quickly with family immigration and strong leadership under Winthrop.

Plymouth Colony

Early Separatist Puritan settlement; initially cooperated with local Native Americans; symbolized pursuit of religious freedom.

Rhode Island Colony

Colony founded by Puritans leaving Massachusetts Bay to escape religious intolerance; later a haven for religious freedom.

Connecticut Colony

Puritan settlement established by those fleeing MA intolerance; later joined with Rhode Island and other New England colonies.

Puritan intolerance

Massachusetts Bay’s enforcement of strict religious conformity, expelling dissenters and driving some settlers to form nearby colonies.

New England

Geographic region in the northern British North American colonies (Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut) with a Puritan-led early history.

Restoration Colonies

Colonies established after the English Civil War when Charles II restored the monarchy; large land grants to supporters (e.g., Pennsylvania, Carolina, New Jersey, New York).

Proprietary colony

A colony owned and governed by individuals or a group (the proprietor) granted by the crown, rather than directly ruled by a royal charter.

Interregnum

The 1649–1660 period when England had no king and Parliament ruled; ended with the Restoration of the monarchy.

Charles II

King who restored the English monarchy and rewarded supporters with vast North American land grants, leading to the Proprietary/Restoration colonies.

A Model of Christian Charity

John Winthrop’s sermon stressing communal virtue, a covenant with God, and the mission of building a godly society in the New World.

Covenant with the Lord

Puritan belief that the colony’s success depended on a divine covenant with God, guiding society and governance in Massachusetts Bay.