Unit 1: European Colonization Academic Vocabulary

Colony

A group of people who settle a new land but remain subject to their original country.

Economic

Refers to the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. It involves things like money, jobs and trade.

Political

Refers to the government and how it is organized. It involves things like laws, elections, and the rights of citizens.

Social

Refers to the way people live together in a community. It involves things like family, friends, culture, and traditions.

Religious

Refers to beliefs and practices related to a god or gods. It involves things like churches, temples, and religious ceremonies.

Agrarian

means related to farming or agriculture. One of these societies is one where most people make a living from farming and agriculture. The American colonies were largely these societies with most people working on farms or plantations.

Mercantilism

an economic system adopted by powerful European nations in the 1600s and 1700’s where colonies exist to benefit the mother country. It involves a favorable trade balance for the mother country.

Legislature

is a group of people who make laws for a government. It is often made up of two houses like the US Congress

Salutary Neglect

a British policy in the 1700s that allowed the American colonies to largely govern themselves. This means that the British government didn’t strictly enforce many of its laws, especially those related to trade.

Assembly

is a group of people who meet, often to discuss or decide something. In colonial America, assemblies were often made up of elected representatives from the people.

Self-government

means that a group of people rule themselves, rather than being ruled by someone else. The American colonies were examples of self-government, as they had their own assemblies that made laws and governed themselves.

Representative government

is a system where people elect representatives to make decisions for them. These representatives are expected to represent the interests of the people they were elected to serve. The United States is a representative democracy.