Early American Colonial History Lecture Notes

Flashcards generated from lecture notes on early American colonial history, covering key concepts, events, and economic/social structures.

Indentured Servants

Laborers (usually poor Europeans) who agreed to work for 4–7 years in exchange for passage to the colonies. Used heavily before slavery became dominant.

Puritans Town Meetings

Local, democratic gatherings in New England towns rooted in Puritan religious values, showing early self-government and strong community involvement.

Elite Planters

Wealthy landowners in the Southern colonies, especially Virginia, who controlled large plantations and enslaved labor, holding significant political and economic power.

Atlantic Economy

A trade network connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas, including the Triangular Trade, involving the movement of raw goods, enslaved people, and manufactured items.

Metacom’s War (King Philip’s War)

A brutal conflict (1675–1676) between New England colonists and Native American tribes led by Metacom, resulting in a colonial victory that ended major Native resistance in New England.

Pueblo Revolt

A 1680 rebellion by Pueblo Native Americans in New Mexico against Spanish rule and forced conversion, temporarily driving the Spanish out and demonstrating Native resistance to colonization.

First Great Awakening

A religious revival in the 1730s–40s that emphasized emotional faith over ritual, leading to new churches and challenging authority, fostering independent thinking.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement focused on reason, science, and individual rights, which influenced colonial thinkers and the later push for self-government.

Anglicization

The process by which American colonists adopted English customs, styles, and politics, even while developing their own identity.

Protestant Evangelicalism

A branch of Protestantism emphasizing personal conversion and spreading the faith, which grew during the First Great Awakening.

Mercantilism

An economic theory stating that colonies exist to enrich the mother country, which Britain used to control colonial trade and gather wealth.

Spanish Imperial Goals

Focused on acquiring gold, converting natives to Catholicism, and maintaining tight control over their colonies.

French Imperial Goals

Centered on the fur trade, forming alliances with Native Americans, and establishing fewer settlements.

Dutch Imperial Goals

Primarily trade-focused, with small settlements and a practice of religious tolerance.

English Imperial Goals

Aimed at establishing large settlements for agriculture, providing religious refuge, and generating profit.

Atlantic Slave Trade

The forced movement of Africans to the Americas as part of the Triangular Trade, fueling plantation economies in the Southern colonies and Caribbean.

Racial Superiority Theory

The idea that whites were biologically superior, used to justify slavery and the conquest of Native peoples.

Africans’ Forms of Resistance

Methods of resistance used by enslaved people, including rebellion (e.g., Stono Rebellion), sabotage, escape, and the preservation of African culture.

New England Colonies Characteristics

Known for their religious focus, small farms, and democratic town meetings.

Middle Colonies Characteristics

Characterized by diversity, a mixed economy, and greater religious tolerance.

Southern Colonies Characteristics

Defined by a plantation economy, reliance on enslaved labor, and the prominence of the Anglican Church.

Colonial Similarities

All colonies were tied to trade and subject to British rule.

British Imperialism & Perceived Corruption

Colonists' increasing view of British policies (taxes, governors, Navigation Acts) as corrupt and self-serving.

Beginnings of Colonial Resistance

Early protests against unfair policies (like smuggling) and the emerging idea that government requires the consent of the governed.

Ideas of Colonial Self-Government

Concepts of self-governance influenced by the Enlightenment and English traditions, exemplified by the House of Burgesses, town meetings, and the Mayflower Compact.