Period 2 APUSH

Providence, Rhode Island (1636)

Founded by Roger Williams; full religious freedom and separation of church/state; model of tolerance in contrast to Puritan colonies

Mayflower Compact (1620)

Agreement by Pilgrims for self-government based on majority rule; early colonial democracy

John Rolfe

Jamestown settler; introduced tobacco cultivation and married Pocahontas; tobacco became Virginia’s cash crop and fueled plantation economy

Starving Time (1609–1610)

Jamestown winter famine where most settlers died; nearly caused colony collapse

Pilgrims

Separatist group who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620 seeking religious freedom

Salem Witch Trials (1692)

Religious hysteria in Massachusetts; 20 executed for witchcraft; showed dangers of extremism

Jonathan Edwards

Preacher of Great Awakening; famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”; promoted emotional religious experience

George Whitefield

Traveling evangelical preacher; spread Great Awakening across colonies; united colonists in revivalism

Anne Hutchinson

Puritan dissenter; claimed direct revelation; banished from Massachusetts; challenged church authority

Mercantilism

Economic theory where colonies exist to enrich mother country; justified Navigation Acts; caused colonial resentment

Puritans

Religious reformers; founded Massachusetts Bay in 1630; shaped New England with strict religious values, education, work ethic

Salutary Neglect

Britain’s loose enforcement of colonial laws in early 1700s; allowed self-rule until ended after 1763

Virginia House of Burgesses (1619)

First elected assembly in America; precedent for representative government

Metacom’s War (1675–1676)

Native uprising in New England; very destructive; ended Native resistance there

Pequot War (1636–1638)

Colonists and Native allies destroyed Pequot tribe in Connecticut; set precedent for violent Native conflicts

Quakers

Pacifist religious group led by William Penn in Pennsylvania; promoted tolerance and equality

Chattel Slavery

System of owning enslaved people as property for life; hereditary; basis of Southern plantation economy

Headright System

Land grants (50 acres) to settlers paying for passage; encouraged migration and need for labor

Indentured Servitude

Labor contracts in exchange for passage; major workforce before shift to African slavery

Stono Rebellion (1739)

Slave revolt in South Carolina; suppressed; led to stricter slave codes

Maryland Toleration Act (1649)

Guaranteed freedom of worship for all Christians in Maryland

Enlightenment (effect on colonies)

Intellectual movement stressing reason and natural rights; inspired colonial leaders and revolution

Great Awakening (effect on colonies)

Religious revival in 1730s–40s; emphasized personal faith; weakened old churches; united colonists

Bacon’s Rebellion (1676)

Virginia farmers revolted against elites and Governor Berkeley; revealed class tensions; sped shift to slavery

Navigation Acts (1650s–1660s)

British trade laws requiring colonial goods through England; enforced mercantilism

Of Plymouth Plantation

William Bradford’s history of Plymouth Colony; primary source of early settlement

Trial of Peter Zenger (1736)

Newspaper editor acquitted for criticizing governor; early case supporting freedom of press

Beaver Wars (1600s)

Iroquois fought French and allies over fur trade in Great Lakes; reshaped Native alliances

John Winthrop’s “City Upon a Hill” (1630)

Sermon by Massachusetts Bay governor; colony as moral example; foundation of American exceptionalism

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New England Colonies

Economy based on trade, shipbuilding, small farms; Puritan religion; tight communities

Middle Colonies

Diverse population; wheat and grain crops; religious tolerance; “breadbasket colonies

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Southern Colonies

Plantation system; tobacco, rice, indigo; relied on slavery; spread-out settlements

Georgia Colony

Founded as buffer against Spanish Florida and refuge for debtors; strict rules early on

Pennsylvania Colony

Founded by William Penn for Quakers; religious tolerance; fair treatment of Natives

Rhode Island Colony

Founded by Roger Williams; separation of church/state; full religious freedom

Native–Spanish Relations

Spanish conquest and forced labor (encomienda); Catholic conversion; Valladolid Debate

Native–French Relations

Focused on fur trade alliances; generally cooperative relations

Native–English Relations

Competition for land; frequent conflict and wars with Natives

Triangular Trade

Trade system between Europe, Africa, and Americas; enslaved Africans shipped via Middle Passage

Slave Resistance

Enslaved Africans resisted with revolts (e

g

, Stono), work slowdowns, escape, maintaining culture

Roger Williams

Founder of Rhode Island; promoted religious freedom and fair dealings with Natives

John Smith

Jamestown leader; imposed discipline and secured food from Natives; helped colony survive

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Spanish Exploration

Motivated by God, Gold, and Glory; funded by monarchy; conquest of Americas

Columbian Exchange

Exchange of crops, animals, diseases, and people between Old and New Worlds

Native Crops

Corn, beans, squash, potatoes; supported Native and European population growth

Valladolid Debate (1550–1551)

Debate over treatment of Natives: Las Casas opposed harsh treatment; Sepúlveda defended conquest