chapter 5

Paxton Boys

A group of Scots-Irish frontiersmen in Pennsylvania who in 1764 marched on Philadelphia to protest Quaker leniency toward Native Americans. Significance: showed frontier resentment toward colonial elites.

Regulator Movement

A violent uprising in North Carolina (1760s) where backcountry farmers rebelled against corrupt colonial officials. Significance: early example of resistance to authority.

New York slave revolt

An uprising of about two dozen enslaved Africans that killed nine whites before being suppressed. Significance: harsh slave codes were tightened afterward. 1712

South Carolina slave revolt

Stono Rebellion (1739) - Largest slave revolt in the colonies; about 50 enslaved Africans tried to march to Spanish Florida for freedom. Significance: rebellion was crushed, leading to stricter slave laws.

Triangular Trade

A transatlantic system of trade: rum from New England to Africa, enslaved Africans to the West Indies, and sugar/molasses back to New England. Significance: linked colonies to global economy and perpetuated slavery.

Molasses Act

British law taxing imported molasses from non-British colonies. Significance: aimed to stop American trade with French West Indies but was widely evaded through smuggling. 1733

Arminianism

A theological belief from Jacobus Arminius emphasizing free will over predestination. Significance: challenged Calvinist doctrine and influenced religious revival movements.

Great Awakening

(1730s-1740s) - A series of religious revivals emphasizing emotion, personal conversion, and equality before God. Significance: first mass movement in America; weakened established churches; encouraged democratic spirit.

Old lights

Conservative ministers who rejected the emotionalism of the Great Awakening. Significance: represented traditional authority resisting change.

New lights

Revivalist ministers who embraced the emotional preaching of the Great Awakening. Significance: supported the spread of new denominations and religious pluralism.

Poor Richards Almanack

Popular publication by Benjamin Franklin with proverbs and advice. Significance: reflected Enlightenment ideals of reason, hard work, and thrift.

Zenger Trial

John Peter Zenger was acquitted of libel after criticizing New York's governor. Significance: established a precedent for freedom of the press. 1735

Royal colonies

Colonies controlled directly by the Crown with governors appointed by the king. Significance: limited self-government compared to proprietary colonies.

Proprietary colonies

Colonies granted to individuals or groups by the Crown (e.g., Pennsylvania, Maryland). Significance: proprietors had governing rights, often more autonomy than royal colonies.

Michel-Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur

French writer who described America as a "new man" in Letters from an American Farmer (1782). Significance: helped shape the idea of American identity.

Jacob Arminius

Dutch theologian whose teachings emphasized free will over predestination. Significance: foundation of Arminianism, which challenged Puritan Calvinism.

Jonathan Edwards

Leading preacher of the Great Awakening, famous for "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Significance: sparked revivalism with vivid sermons.

George Whitefield

Itinerant English preacher who toured the colonies during the Great Awakening. Significance: electrified audiences and spread revivalist enthusiasm.

John Trumbull

American painter known for historical Revolutionary War scenes. Significance: promoted patriotic themes in early American art.

John Singleton Copley

Colonial American painter who created portraits of important figures. Significance: demonstrated America's cultural development before independence.

Phillis Wheatly

Enslaved African American poet in Boston, first published African American woman. Significance: showed intellectual and artistic ability despite slavery.

John Peter Zenger

New York printer tried for criticizing the governor (Zenger Trial). Significance: his acquittal was an early victory for press freedom.