Colonial America & Independence

Flashcards on Colonial America & Independence

Mercantilism

A policy where a mother country uses colonies for raw materials and as markets, preventing economic competition.

Salutary Neglect

The British policy of loosely governing the American colonies as long as raw materials were shipped and British goods were bought.

Declaration of Independence

Freed American colonists from British rule.

Natural Rights

Belief that every human being has rights that cannot be taken away

Social Contract

Belief that people owe loyalty only to a government that acts in their best interests.

Jamestown

Colony settled by businessmen from England who sought to make money by growing and selling tobacco.

Massachusetts Bay

Colony settled by Puritans from England who were seeking religious freedom for themselves

European Diseases

Illness brought to native Americans from the European Populations that killed 90% of the population.

Three distinct regions of the thirteen colonies

New England, Middle Colonies, and Southern Colonies.

New England Colonies

Rocky soil, short growing season, economy depended on fishing and whaling, ship-building, manufacturing of fish and whale oil.

Middle Colonies

The "breadbasket colonies", grew the highest percentage of grain of any region, and had manufacturing centers.

Southern Colonies

Rich soil, warm winters, humid summers, crops could be grown almost year-round, tobacco and rice were the most profitable.

Indentured Servants

Europeans signed contracts to trade 7 years or so of their labor for passage on a ship to the colonies and some land and/or funds

Enslaved People

Africans were stolen by traders and brought by Europeans against their will to the British colonies starting in 1619 where they joined European indentured servants

House of Burgesses

Name of the first law-making structure set up in the colonies in 1617, created in Jamestown, Virginia.

Mayflower Compact

An agreement made on the Mayflower ship in 1620 on its way to New England to create a government to make laws for the colony.

Town Meetings

Name given to every town in New England that had a town meeting house where public decision-making meetings were held.