NW Period 2 Flashcards: 1607-1754, Colonial

Puritans

English Protestants who sought to "purify" the Church of England of its Catholic practices during the 16th and 17th centuries, many of whom settled in the New England colonies seeking religious freedom.

Separatists

radical Puritans who believed in complete separation from the Church of England, some of whom immigrated to America, including the Pilgrims who settled in Plymouth.

Indentured Servants

Individuals who worked under a contract for a specified period (usually 4 to 7 years) in exchange for passage to the New World and, often, eventual freedom and land.

Joint-Stock Company

business organization in which investors pooled their capital to fund ventures, such as the Virginia Company, which funded the Jamestown settlement.

Mayflower Compact

Agreement signed by the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower in 1620, establishing a self-governing colony based on majority rule and the consent of the governed.

John Winthrop

Puritan leader who served as the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and famously delivered the sermon "City upon a Hill," emphasizing the colony's religious mission.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

New England colony established by Puritans in 1630, known for its strong religious influence, self-government, and emphasis on community and education.

Anne Hutchinson

Puritan dissenter who challenged the authority of the clergy in Massachusetts Bay Colony, advocating for religious tolerance and individual interpretation of scripture.

Mercantilism

Economic theory prevalent during the colonial period, emphasizing a nation's wealth through a favorable balance of trade, accumulation of gold and silver, and the establishment of colonies as sources of raw materials and markets.

Navigation Acts (1660)

Series of English laws restricting colonial trade to benefit England by requiring certain goods to be shipped exclusively to England or English colonies, stimulating the English economy.

Triangular Trade System

Transatlantic trade network between Europe, Africa, and the Americas, involving the exchange of goods, enslaved people, and raw materials, contributing to the growth of colonial economies

Middle Passage

Brutal journey across the Atlantic Ocean undertaken by enslaved Africans, who were forcibly transported to the Americas to be sold into slavery.

Salem Witch Trials

Series of hearings and prosecutions in colonial Massachusetts in 1692, resulting in the execution of 20 people accused of witchcraft, reflecting social tensions and religious fervor.

Salutary Neglect

British policy of lax enforcement of trade laws and minimal interference in colonial affairs, allowing colonies a degree of autonomy and fostering self-government

Bacon's Rebellion

1676 uprising in colonial Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor William Berkeley's policies, including perceived favoritism towards Native Americans and lack of protection against Indian raids.

Metacom’s War

Conflict between New England colonists and Native American tribes, led by Metacom (also known as King Philip), from 1675 to 1676, resulting in widespread devastation and Native American defeat

Stono Rebellion

Slave rebellion in colonial South Carolina in 1739, where a group of enslaved Africans seized weapons and killed several whites before being defeated, leading to harsher slave codes

Colonial Assemblies

Representative bodies in colonial America responsible for making laws and governing local affairs, often in conflict with royal governors appointed by the British crown

Molasses Act of 1733

British law imposing high tariffs on molasses, rum, and sugar imported into the colonies from sources other than British possessions, intended to protect British West Indian sugar interests.

First Great Awakening

Religious revival movement in colonial America during the 1730s and 1740s, characterized by emotional preaching, individual salvation, and a challenge to traditional religious authority.

Jonathan Edwards

First Great Awakening Preacher famous for preaching “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, describing the yawning pit of hell and horror awaiting the sinners thereJamestown

Jamestown

First permanent English settlement in North America, established in 1607 in present-day Virginia, initially faced hardships but later thrived due to tobacco cultivation.

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement of the 18th century stressing reason, science, and individualism, influencing American colonial thought and the founding of the United States

Southern Colonies

colonial region which produced cash crops like tobacco and rice, plantation economies, used labor of enslaved Africans

New England Colonies

colonial region primarily founded for religious reasons, made up primarily of families,

Middle Colonies

colonial region which produced more food than any other region, known as the “breadbasket colonies”; most ethnically diverse and accepting of other religions, such as Quakers in Pennsylvania

Chesapeake Colonies

Colonial region which includes Jamestown, Virginia and Maryland. Most settlers were young men trying to make money and indentured servants brought in for tobacco production.

John Smith

Helped found and govern Jamestown. His leadership and strict discipline helped the Virginia colony get through the difficult first five years. He was unpopular among the "gentlemen adventurers" because he made them work for their food.