APUSH Term 1 Final

Bering Strait

Land bridge between Asia and North America that allowed the first humans to migrate to the Americas during the Ice Age, tens of thousands of years ago

Mound Builders/Cahokia

Native American civilizations that built large earthen mounds; Cahokia was a fortified city near present-day St. Louis with 10,000-30,000 inhabitants around 1200 CE, the largest settled community in what is now the US until surpassed by New York and Philadelphia around 1800

Pueblos

Multi-story adobe dwellings and villages built by Native Americans in the Southwest; Spanish explorers called them Pueblo Indians because they lived in towns

Great League of Peace

Confederation of five (later six) Iroquois nations in the Northeast that created a sophisticated political alliance

Coverture

English legal doctrine where a married woman's legal rights and property were absorbed by her husband upon marriage, making her legally non-existent as an individual

Sea route to Asia

European goal of finding a water passage to reach the profitable spice trade of Asia, which motivated exploration and led to the discovery of the Americas

Zheng He

Chinese admiral who led massive exploration voyages in the early 1400s, decades before European explorers, demonstrating China's naval capabilities

Caravel

Small, maneuverable Portuguese ship with triangular sails that made long ocean voyages possible and revolutionized European exploration

Compass

Navigational instrument using magnetism to determine direction, essential technology for ocean exploration and navigation

Freedom and Slavery in Africa

Complex African systems where slavery existed but differed from later chattel slavery, with more opportunities for freedom, integration, and varied forms of servitude

Columbus

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus who sailed for Spain in 1492, reached the Caribbean islands, and initiated sustained European colonization of the Americas

Johannes Gutenberg

German inventor of the printing press with movable type around 1450, which revolutionized the spread of information and ideas in Europe

Conquistadores

Spanish conquerors who explored and conquered large parts of the Americas in the 16th century

Hernán Cortes

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztec Empire in Mexico between 1519-1521

Aztecs

Powerful Mesoamerican civilization with capital at Tenochtitlan (present-day Mexico City) that had a population of 250,000 before Spanish conquest

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of plants, animals, diseases, people, and culture between the Americas and Europe/Africa/Asia following Columbus's voyages; had profound effects on both hemispheres

Haciendas

Large Spanish colonial estates or plantations in the Americas used for farming or ranching

Mestizos

People of mixed Spanish and Native American ancestry in Spanish colonial America

Spanish justifications for conquest

Spain justified conquest through spreading Christianity, bringing civilization to "barbaric" peoples, and claiming divine right to rule

Protestant Reformation

16th-century religious movement initiated by Martin Luther that challenged Catholic Church authority and led to creation of Protestant churches

Bartolomé de Las Casas

Spanish priest and colonist who became an advocate for Native American rights, documented Spanish atrocities, and argued for more humane treatment

Encomienda

Spanish colonial system granting colonists the right to demand tribute and forced labor from Native Americans in exchange for providing protection and religious instruction

Repartimiento system

Spanish labor system that replaced encomienda, requiring Native American communities to supply a certain number of laborers for Spanish projects

Black Legend

Anti-Spanish propaganda emphasizing Spanish cruelty toward Native Americans, used by rival European powers to discredit Spain

Pueblo Revolt

1680 uprising led by Popé in which Pueblo Indians drove Spanish colonizers out of New Mexico for over a decade

Pope

Native American religious leader who organized and led the successful Pueblo Revolt of 1680 against Spanish rule

Northwest passage

Sought-after water route through North America to Asia that European explorers hoped to find but never existed

New France and the Indians

French colonial approach emphasized trade alliances, intermarriage, and relatively cooperative relationships with Native Americans rather than conquest

Middle ground

Cultural and economic space where Native Americans and Europeans negotiated, traded, and created new customs in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley regions

Metis

People of mixed French and Native American ancestry in New France

Joint stock company

Business organization where investors pooled capital and shared profits/losses, used to finance risky colonial ventures like the Virginia Company

Dutch religious toleration

Netherlands' policy of allowing various religious groups to worship freely, unusual in 17th-century Europe

Patroons

Large landholders in Dutch New Netherland who received extensive land grants in exchange for bringing settlers to the colony

New Netherlands and the Indians

Dutch colony centered on trade with Native Americans, particularly fur trade, involving both cooperation and conflict

Borderland

Contested region between imperial powers and Native peoples where cultures mixed and no single power had complete control

Virginia Company

Private joint-stock company that financed and established Jamestown colony in 1607, seeking profit through discovery of gold and natural resources

Anglican Church

Church of England established by Henry VIII after breaking with the Catholic Church; official church of England and its colonies

Jamestown

First permanent English settlement in America, established in Virginia in 1607, initially struggled with disease, starvation, and conflict

Roanoke colony

Failed English settlement established in 1585 on Roanoke Island; colonists mysteriously disappeared, becoming known as the "Lost Colony"

English motivations for colonization

Included national glory, profit, religious freedom, competition with Spain, and opportunities for land ownership

Enclosure movement

Process in England where common lands were fenced off for private use, displacing many farmers and creating a class of landless laborers who became potential colonists

Indentured Servants

Laborers who agreed to work for a specific period (usually 4-7 years) in exchange for passage to America, room, and board

John Smith

Early Jamestown leader whose military discipline ("he who will not work shall not eat") helped the colony survive; claimed to have been saved by Pocahontas

Tobacco

Cash crop introduced by John Rolfe that became Virginia's economic foundation and drove demand for land and labor

Headright system

Virginia land distribution system granting 50 acres to anyone who paid their own or another person's passage to the colony

House of Burgesses

First elected representative assembly in colonial America, established in Virginia in 1619; only landowning men could vote

Powhatan

Leader of a confederation of about thirty Algonquian tribes near Jamestown who initially traded with but later fought against English settlers

Uprising of 1622

Attack led by Opechancanough (Powhatan's brother) that killed about 300 English settlers (one-quarter of Virginia's population), leading to brutal English retaliation

Dower rights

Legal rights ensuring a widow received one-third of her deceased husband's estate, providing some economic protection for women

Proprietary colony

Colony granted by the king to an individual proprietor who had extensive governing authority, like Maryland under Lord Baltimore

Puritans

English Protestants who wanted to "purify" the Church of England of Catholic practices; many emigrated to New England seeking religious freedom

Pilgrims

Separatist Puritans who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620 after arriving on the Mayflower

"City on a Hill"

John Winthrop's vision of Massachusetts Bay Colony as a model Christian community that would inspire the world

John Winthrop

First governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony who articulated Puritan vision and led the colony for many years

Mayflower Compact

1620 agreement signed by Pilgrims establishing self-government for Plymouth Colony based on consent of the governed

Great Migration

Movement of about 20,000 Puritans to New England between 1630-1640 seeking religious freedom and economic opportunity

Roger Williams

Puritan minister banished from Massachusetts for his radical views on religious freedom and Native American rights; founded Rhode Island

Rhode Island

Colony founded by Roger Williams offering religious freedom, no established church, and separation of church and state

Dissenters

Those who disagreed with established Puritan religious and political authority in Massachusetts

Anne Hutchinson

Woman who challenged Puritan clergy's authority by holding religious meetings in her home; tried and banished from Massachusetts for heresy

Captivity narratives

Popular literary genre describing colonists captured by Native Americans, often emphasizing cultural differences and divine providence

Pequot war

1637 conflict between English colonists and Pequot Indians in Connecticut that ended with near-destruction of the Pequot nation

New England Economy

Based on small farms, fishing, shipbuilding, and trade rather than large plantations; more diverse than Chesapeake economy

Halfway Covenant

1662 compromise allowing baptized but unconverted Puritans to have their children baptized, reflecting declining religious fervor

English liberty

Concept including rights of representation, trial by jury, and protection from arbitrary government power, derived from English legal traditions

English Civil War

1640s conflict between Parliament and King Charles I over political and religious authority, temporarily establishing Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell

Quakers

Radical Protestant sect believing in Inner Light, spiritual equality, and pacifism; faced persecution in Puritan New England

Maryland Toleration Act

1649 law granting religious freedom to all Christians in Maryland, protecting both Catholics and Protestants

Metacom/King Philip's War

1675-1676 devastating conflict between New England colonists and Native American alliance led by Wampanoag chief Metacom (King Philip)

Mercantilism

Economic theory holding that nations should accumulate gold through favorable trade balance and that colonies exist to benefit the mother country

Navigation Acts

English laws restricting colonial trade to benefit England by requiring goods to be shipped on English vessels and through English ports

New York

Former Dutch colony of New Netherland conquered by England in 1664 and renamed after Duke of York

Covenant Chain

Alliance between New York and Iroquois Confederacy establishing trade relations and mutual defense

Yamasee Uprising

1715 revolt by Yamasee and other Indians against English settlers in South Carolina, triggered by abuses in fur trade and enslavement

Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina

1669 plan for Carolina's government written by John Locke that included provisions for aristocratic landholding and religious toleration

William Penn

Quaker founder of Pennsylvania who promoted religious tolerance, fair treatment of Indians, and representative government

Pennsylvania

Colony founded by William Penn in 1681 as a "holy experiment" offering religious freedom and attracting diverse settlers

Plantation slavery

Large-scale agricultural system using enslaved African labor, particularly for tobacco, rice, and later cotton cultivation

Bacon's Rebellion

1676 uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against colonial governor, combining frontier grievances and class tensions; accelerated shift toward African slavery

Slave code of 1705

Virginia law defining slavery as permanent, hereditary, and racial status, stripping enslaved people of all legal rights

Glorious Revolution

1688-1689 overthrow of King James II in England, establishing parliamentary supremacy and Protestant succession

English Bill of Rights

1689 document limiting royal power and guaranteeing certain rights to Parliament and subjects, influencing American concepts of liberty

Lords of Trade

English governing body created to enforce mercantile regulations and oversee colonial administration more strictly

Dominion of New England

James II's 1686 consolidation of New England colonies under single royal governor, eliminating representative assemblies; dissolved after Glorious Revolution

Leisler's Rebellion

1689-1691 uprising in New York led by Jacob Leisler during period of uncertainty following Glorious Revolution

English Toleration Act

1689 law granting freedom of worship to Protestant dissenters in England, though not to Catholics or non-Christians

Salem Witch Trials

1692 outbreak of witchcraft accusations in Massachusetts resulting in execution of twenty people, reflecting social tensions and religious anxieties

Redemptioners

Immigrants who arrived in America without having paid their passage and had to work off their debt, similar to indentured servants

Walking Purchase

1737 fraudulent treaty in which Pennsylvania officials cheated Delaware Indians out of land by using runners rather than walkers to measure territory

Backcountry

Interior regions of colonies, often frontier areas with distinct social and economic characteristics from coastal regions

Atlantic World

Historical framework viewing Americas as part of interconnected network of trade, migration, and cultural exchange linking Europe, Africa, and Americas

Staple crops

Major commercial crops grown for export, such as tobacco, rice, indigo, and sugar

Anglicization

Process by which colonial culture became more similar to English culture in language, consumer goods, and political institutions

Olaudah Equiano

Formerly enslaved African who wrote influential autobiography describing horrors of Middle Passage and advocating for abolition

Atlantic Slave trade

Forced migration of approximately 12 million Africans to the Americas between 16th and 19th centuries

Triangular trade

Trading system connecting Europe, Africa, and Americas involving manufactured goods, enslaved people, and raw materials

Middle passage

Horrific ocean voyage of enslaved Africans across Atlantic to Americas, characterized by brutal conditions and high mortality rates

Yeoman farmers

Independent small farmers who owned their own land and typically worked it themselves with family labor

Resistance to slavery

Various forms of opposition by enslaved people including work slowdowns, running away, rebellion, and maintaining African cultural practices

Stono Rebellion

1739 slave uprising in South Carolina where enslaved Africans killed whites and attempted to flee to Spanish Florida; brutally suppressed