AP US History Reading Notes

Slavery

The practice of forced labor and restricted liberty, where slave owners could compel slaves to work and limit their freedom.

Woodland mound builders

Pre-Columbian North American societies known for constructing earthen mounds for various purposes.

Land bridge

A theory suggesting a land connection between North America and Asia across the Bering Strait during the Ice Age.

Conquistadors

Spanish conquerors granted land and natives in the New World through the encomienda system.

Francis Drake

An Englishman who led a fleet against the Spanish Armada, pirating wealth from the New World.

Roanoke Island

The site of a failed English colony established in 1585, where colonists mysteriously disappeared.

New Laws of 1542

Regulations imposed by the King of Spain to control the enslavement of indigenous peoples.

Francisco Pizarro

The Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire.

Hernan Cortes

The Spanish conquistador known for conquering the Aztec Empire.

Siouan

A family of languages spoken by the Sioux and related tribes.

Algonquian

A family of North American languages spoken across a vast area from the Atlantic seaboard to the Great Lakes.

Henry the Navigator

A key figure in the early development of Portuguese exploration and maritime trade.

Samuel de Champlain

French explorer who founded Quebec and is known as the "Father of New France."

Jacques Cartier

The first European to navigate the St. Lawrence River, laying the groundwork for French claims in North America.

Enclosure Movement

The process of privatizing land in England, leading to a surplus population.

Virginia Company

A joint-stock company that established the Jamestown colony under King James II.

John Smith

An explorer and leader who helped save Jamestown from extinction through organization and raids.

Tobacco

A cash crop that became a significant industry in Virginia, largely due to John Rolfe's experimentation.

Headright system

A land grant system that incentivized settlement in Virginia by offering land to those who paid for their passage.

Bacon’s Rebellion

A 1676 uprising led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor Berkeley's policies regarding Native Americans.

Puritans

A religious group seeking to purify the Church of England, leading to the establishment of colonies in New England.

Mayflower Compact

An agreement signed by the Pilgrims establishing a civil government in Plymouth.

Massachusetts Bay Company

Founded by Puritan merchants, it led to the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Fundamental Articles of New Haven

A strict set of laws established in Connecticut in 1639.

Roger Williams

A separatist who founded Rhode Island after advocating for the separation of church and state.

Pequot War

A conflict in 1637 between Connecticut Valley settlers and Pequot Indians over trade competition.

King Philip’s War

A conflict in 1675 between Massachusetts settlers and Wampanoag Indians, resulting in significant casualties.

Mercantilism

An economic policy aimed at maximizing exports and minimizing imports for the benefit of the mother country.

Navigation Acts

Laws that regulated colonial trade to benefit England's mercantile system.

Dominion of New England

A consolidation of several colonies under Sir Edmund Andros, which was unpopular and led to uprisings.