Period 2 Vocab

Spanish Colonization

built an empire focused on mining, agriculture, and converting Indigenous peoples through missions and encomiendas.

French Colonization

established small, trade-based colonies centered on the fur trade and alliances with Native tribes.

British Colonization

founded permanent settlements along the Atlantic coast for profit and religious freedom, often with self-government.

Dutch Colonization

built trade-focused colonies emphasizing commerce and religious tolerance.

Indentured Servants

Laborers who worked 4–7 years for passage to America, common before widespread slavery.

Chattel Slavery

System where enslaved Africans were treated as property, forming the basis of southern plantation economies.

Atlantic Slave Trade

Forced transport of Africans to the Americas in exchange for goods as part of the Triangular Trade.

Overt Resistance

Direct rebellion or violence by enslaved people against masters.

Covert Resistance

Subtle ways enslaved people resisted control, such as slowing work or preserving culture.

Chesapeake Colonies

Virginia and Maryland; economies based on tobacco, indentured servitude, and slavery.

New England Colonies

Founded mainly for religion, focusing on small towns, family farms, and trade.

Diverse Middle Colonies

Fertile land, ethnic diversity, and mixed economies of farming and commerce.

British West Indies

Caribbean colonies producing sugar with enslaved labor that fueled Britain’s wealth.

Tobacco

First major cash crop of English America, creating demand for labor and expansion.

Mercantilist Economic

Theory that colonies exist to enrich the mother country through controlled trade and gold accumulation.

Puritans

English Protestants seeking to purify the Church of England and create moral communities.

Protestant Evangelism

Emphasis on emotional conversion and spreading Christianity through revivalism.

Great Awakening

Religious revival in the 1730s–1740s stressing personal salvation and unity across colonies.

Enlightenment Ideas

European movement valuing reason, science, and natural rights.

Transatlantic Print Culture

Circulation of books and pamphlets between Europe and colonies that spread Enlightenment and reform ideas.

Pueblo Revolt

Native uprising in New Mexico that expelled Spanish settlers for over a decade.

Metacom’s War

Conflict between New England settlers and Native tribes led by Metacom (King Philip) over land.

Europe, Africa, and American Trade Networks

The Triangular Trade exchanging goods, slaves, and raw materials across the Atlantic.

British Imperial System

Political and economic structure binding colonies through trade laws and oversight.

Intermarriage

Marriage between Europeans and Indigenous or African peoples, more common in Spanish and French colonies.