The American Pageant - Vocabulary Flashcards (Ch. 1-10)

24 vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the notes.

Mercantilism

An economic theory that wealth is measured by gold and silver; colonies exist to supply raw materials and markets, with trade regulated to benefit the mother country.

Navigation Acts

British laws restricting colonial trade to English ships and requiring goods to pass through Britain, reinforcing mercantilist aims.

Jamestown

First permanent English settlement in Virginia, founded 1607 by the Virginia Company; saved by tobacco and strong leadership.

Indentured servant

An individual who bound themselves to a master for a fixed term in exchange for passage to the colonies and eventual freedom dues.

Headright system

Land grants of 50 acres awarded to settlers or those who paid for another's passage to encourage settlement.

Puritans

Religious reformers who sought to purify the Church of England; settled in New England and established the Bible Commonwealth.

Mayflower Compact

1620 agreement by the Pilgrims to govern Plymouth by majority rule and consent.

Plymouth

Early English settlement in present-day Massachusetts, founded by Separatists in 1620; site of the first Thanksgiving.

Roger Williams

Puritan dissenter who advocated religious liberty and the separation of church and state; founded Rhode Island.

Rhode Island

Colony founded on religious tolerance and liberal government; known for the separation of church and state.

Anne Hutchinson

Puritan dissenter who challenged church authority; banished for antinomianism and theological disputes.

Columbian Exchange

Widespread transfer of crops, animals, diseases, and cultures between the Old and New Worlds after 1492.

Great Awakening

Religious revival (1730s–1740s) led by Edwards and Whitefield; promoted conversion and new denominations.

Puritan covenant

The Puritan idea that settlement and civil government were organized under a covenant with God and community laws.

Bacon’s Rebellion

1676 uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against colonial government policies toward Indians and frontier settlers.

King Philip’s War

Metacom (King Philip) led a pan-Indian alliance against English settlers (1675–1676); severely impacted New England.

Atlantic Slave Trade

The transportation of African slaves to the Americas via the Middle Passage, shaping Southern slavery and global economies.

Northwest Ordinance

1787 law establishing how new territories would become states, banning slavery in the Northwest Territory and providing a framework for governance.

Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. constitution (ratified 1781) creating a weak central government with limited powers; later replaced by the Constitution.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

Peace treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War, recognized American independence, and set territorial boundaries.

Federalists

Supporters of a stronger central government, led by Hamilton; favored commercial growth and a robust national economy.

Anti‑Federalists

Opponents of a strong central government who demanded a Bill of Rights and greater state sovereignty.

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments (ratified 1791) protecting individual liberties such as speech, religion, and due process.

Electoral College

Indirect method of electing the president where states provide electors based on their total Senate and House seats; helps balance power among states.