Colonial America: Religion, Regions, and Mercantilism

Vocabulary flashcards covering the religious groups, colonial regions (New England, Middle, Southern), economic activities, and mercantilism described in the colonization study guide.

Puritans

A group of religious reformers who wanted to "purify" Christianity, faced persecution in England for their beliefs, and founded Plymouth / Massachusetts in the New England colonies.

Quakers

A religious group that settled in Pennsylvania to have a safe space to practice their religion.

Pilgrims

The religious group that founded the Plymouth colony.

Catholics (Roman Catholics)

The religious group for whom the Colony of Maryland was originally established as a safe haven.

New England colonies

The region consisting of Massachusetts, New hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut; characterized by rocky soil, long cold winters, and an economy driven by maritime industries (fishing, shipbuilding, whaling), timber, and small-scale substance farming.

Middle colonies

The colonial region known as the "BreadBasket Colonies," consisting of New York, New jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, which featured a temperate climate with warm summers and cold winters.

Southern colonies

The colonial region consisting of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia; characterized by a warm climate with hot summers and mild winters, and an economy motivated by economic gain from large plantation cash crops.

BreadBasket Colonies

A nickname for the Middle colonies.

Southern Cash Crops

Agricultural crops grown for economic gain—specifically tobacco, cotton, indigo, and rice—that served as the primary source of income for the Southern colonies.

Slaves and Indentured Servants

The labor forces heavily relied upon by the Southern colonies to cultivate cash crops on large plantations.

Virginia's House of Burgesses

The American colonists' first attempt at representative government (self government / democracy).

Mercantilism

An economic system where the mother country controlled trade to maximize its own wealth and power, requiring colonies to trade solely and primarily with the home country to benefit its economy.

Colonial Raw Materials and Resources

The basic goods and commodities that colonies were expected to produce and supply to the mother country.

Economic Benefits of Colonies to European Countries

Access to cheap raw materials, a guaranteed market to sell manufactured goods, and increased wealth and power under the mercantilist system.