The Southern Colonies

7th Grade level. Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical figures, founding dates, economic systems, and government structures of the Southern Colonies.

Virginia

Southern colony founded in 1607, led by John Smith and William Berkeley.

Maryland

Southern colony founded in 1634 by Lord Baltimore.

North Carolina

Southern colony founded in 1663 after King Charles II gave the land to 8 different nobles.

South Carolina

Southern colony with William Sayle as its first governor, which broke away from North Carolina in 1719.

Georgia

Southern colony founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe as a settlement created for poor people and debtors.

Indentured Servants

Persons who pledge labor for a certain amount of time in exchange for payment, such as land.

Involuntary

An action or condition occurring against a person's will.

Debtors

People who owe money.

Refugees

People who flee their home to seek safety from danger.

William Berkeley

Governor of Virginia who made a land agreement with Native Americans that sparked Bacon's Rebellion.

Nathaniel Bacon

Leader of Bacon's Rebellion who opposed Virginia's colonial government due to anger over a lack of representation for western settlers.

James Oglethorpe

Governor of Georgia who led a colony created specifically for poor individuals and debtors.

Cash Crops

Crops grown for market sale and profit, predominantly tobacco and rice in the Southern Colonies.

Plantations

Large agricultural estates in the Southern Colonies where large-scale farming was performed by enslaved labor.

Backcountry

Inland region of the Southern Colonies characterized by small family-run farms.

House of Burgesses

The first legislature in America, established in Virginia as a representative government with elected officials.

Burgess

An elected legislative representative who helps make laws for the colony.

Bacon's Rebellion

An armed uprising led by Nathaniel Bacon driven by frustration over Native American land access and lack of representation in the colonial government.

Middle Passage

The second leg of the triangular trade originating on the West African coast, consisting of a month-long ocean voyage under severe conditions in which many enslaved individuals died.

Southern Colonies Region

The colonial region comprising Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, defined by fertile soil, long growing seasons, rivers, marshes, and cash crop agriculture.