Page 1-2 Notes: Early World Exploration and English Colonization

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key people, policies, events, and terms from the notes on early US colonization and European conflicts.

Huguenots

French Protestants who were granted limited toleration under the Edict of Nantes.

Edict of Nantes

Decree granting limited toleration to French Protestants.

Impact of Edict of Nantes

Ended religious wars and inaugurated a period of French preeminence in Europe.

Coureurs de bois

Runners of the woods; French fur trappers who established trading posts across North America.

Voyageurs

Runners of the woods; French fur trappers who established trading posts across North America.

Protestant Reformation

Movement to reform the Catholic Church, initiated by Martin Luther; questioned papal authority, attacked indulgences, and promoted Bible translation.

Roanoke Island

Sir Walter Raleigh's failed colonial settlement off the coast of North Carolina.

Spanish Armada

The Spanish fleet defeated in 1588; its defeat marked the beginning of the decline of the Spanish Empire.

Primogeniture

Legal principle that the oldest son inherits all family property; younger sons sought fortunes elsewhere.

Joint Stock Company

Short-term partnership between investors to fund a commercial enterprise; funded early English colonial ventures.

Virginia Company

English joint stock company granted a charter by James I to found the Virginia colony.

Charter

Legal document granted by a government to a group or agency outlining purpose, rights, and obligations.

Jamestown

First permanent English settlement in North America, founded by the Virginia Company.

First Anglo-Powhatan War

Series of clashes between Powhatan Confederacy and English settlers; colonists torched and pillaged Indian villages.

Second Anglo-Powhatan War

Last-ditch effort by Indians to dislodge Virginia settlements; led to a peace treaty separating white and Indian areas.

New Netherland

North American Dutch colony centered in New Amsterdam; later conquered and absorbed by the English.

Iroquois Confederacy

Five tribes—Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas—united in the Mohawk Valley.

Elizabeth I

Protestant queen of England; 45-year reign secured the Anglican Church and fostered exploration; never married.

Sir Francis Drake

English sea captain who circumnavigated the globe (1580) and plundered Spanish ships and settlements.

Sir Walter Raleigh

English courtier/adventurer who sponsored Roanoke; favored by Elizabeth I but fell from favor after marrying one of her maids.

James I

Formerly James VI of Scotland; backed the Virginia Company’s settlement and granted the charter.

Captain John Smith

English explorer who stabilized Jamestown in 1608 and forged ties with Powhatan through Pocahontas.

Powhatan

Chief of the Powhatan Indians and father of Pocahontas; orchestrated the mock capture/execution of John Smith.

Pocahontas

Daughter of Powhatan; reputedly saved John Smith and later married John Rolfe; traveled to England.

Lord de la Warr

Colonial governor who imposed harsh military rule on Jamestown and used Irish-style tactics against Indians.

John Rolfe

English colonist whose marriage to Pocahontas helped end the First Anglo-Powhatan War.

Hiawatha

Founder of the Iroquois Confederacy, uniting the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca tribes.