Topic 1: Colonial foundations (1607–1763)

Colonial foundations (1607–1763)

Indigenous Peoples

The first people to inhabit a region, such as Native American tribes in North America.

Colonization

The process by which a country takes control over a foreign land and establishes settlements.

Cultural Exchange

The process in which different cultures share ideas, customs, and practices, often leading to mutual influence and adaptation.

Mercantilism

An economic theory prevalent in Europe from the 16th to the 18th centuries, advocating that a nation should export more than it imports to accumulate wealth and enhance its power.

Triangular Trade

A historical trade system that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas, involving the exchange of goods, enslaved people, and raw materials.

Slavery

The practice of owning and exploiting individuals as property, enforced by coerced labor, predominantly seen in colonial America and across the Atlantic world.

Plantation System

An agricultural system prevalent in the southern colonies, characterized by large estates that produced cash crops such as tobacco and cotton using enslaved labor.

New England Colonies

The New England Colonies included Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. They were known for their diverse economy based on trade, fishing, and small-scale agriculture, as well as for their social and religious dissenters.

Middle Colonies

The Middle Colonies consisted of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. They were characterized by a mix of agricultural and industrial economies, ethnic diversity, and religious tolerance, with fertile land supporting grain production and trade.

Southern Colonies

The Southern Colonies included Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. These colonies were primarily agricultural, relying on cash crops and enslaved labor, which shaped their economy and society.

Mayflower Compact-1620

A foundational document signed in 1620 by the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, establishing self-governance and a social contract for the new settlement in Plymouth.

House of Burgesses-1619

The first legislative assembly in the American colonies, established in Virginia in 1619, which allowed settlers to create local laws and govern themselves.

Indentured Servants

Laborers who contracted to work for a specified number of years in exchange for passage to America, food, and shelter. This system was common in the Southern Colonies before the rise of slavery.

Assimilation

The process by which individuals or groups adopt the culture, values, and behaviors of another group, often losing aspects of their original culture in the process.

Enlightenment

A philosophical movement in the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority, influencing political thought and revolutions.

Magna Carta

A landmark document signed in 1215 that limited the powers of the English monarch and established principles of due process and the rule of law, influencing the development of constitutional governance.