Colonial America - Key Concepts and Events

A set of question-and-answer flashcards covering colonization, governance, economy, and key events from the notes.

What system granted each paying colonist from England 50 acres of land in the New World and increased indentured servitude?

The Headright system (50-acre land grants per settler).

What is the historical significance of Bacon’s Rebellion?

It highlighted rising class tensions between frontier settlers and colonial government and contributed to the shift from indentured servitude to slave labor.

Which document set up a blueprint for direct democracy in America for the first time?

The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut.

Which group in Jamestown, though without power in 1619, represented the first step toward organized democratic government?

The House of Burgesses (the first elected representative assembly).

What war led to the colonists legally obtaining land over time from Native American tribes in 1675?

King Philip’s War.

Who explored the Hudson River for the Dutch, helping establish claims that led to New Amsterdam?

Henry Hudson.

What Dutch settlement at the confluence of the Hudson River later became New York City?

New Amsterdam.

What event in 1664 caused New Amsterdam to be renamed New York?

The English capture of the colony under Charles II, and its renaming to New York.

What happened to the Dutch territory in the region after 1664 in relation to New Jersey?

The region was divided, creating the colony of New Jersey.

Who founded Rhode Island and was exiled from Massachusetts Bay?

Roger Williams.

What two principles did Rhode Island promote in its government?

Religious toleration and separation of church and state.

How was Rhode Island’s land acquired?

Peacefully from Native Americans.

Who could participate in government in Rhode Island?

Only property-owning males.

Who founded Connecticut and sought more religious freedom than Massachusetts?

Thomas Hooker.

What policy did Hooker dislike regarding church membership?

The requirement that citizens be church members.

What is the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut?

The first constitution in the colonies, establishing a democratic government.

Who was granted Pennsylvania by King Charles II and became its founder?

William Penn.

What religious group did Penn belong to and promote?

Quakers (Society of Friends).

What is Philadelphia nicknamed?

City of Brotherly Love.

What were Pennsylvania’s stance on slavery, war, and gender roles?

Rejected slavery; no war; women were treated as equals to men.

Why is Pennsylvania described as the most democratic of the colonies?

Fair treatment of Native Americans and broad religious tolerance contributed to its democratic character.

Who founded Maryland and what title did he hold?

George Calvert, Lord Baltimore.

What type of colony was Maryland?

A proprietary colony.

What did the Maryland Toleration Act guarantee?

Religious freedom to all Christians.

Which Christian group was most prominent in Maryland?

Roman Catholics.

What was the Carolina colony named after?

King Charles.

What city in the Carolinas became a major port?

Charles Town (present-day Charleston).

Why was North Carolina created?

As a refuge for the poor and dissenters.

When did North and South Carolina split into separate colonies?

1729.

Which crops supported large slave populations in the Carolinas?

Tobacco and cotton.

Who founded Georgia and what was its purpose?

James Oglethorpe; a haven for debtors and a buffer from Spanish areas.

What was the status of New Hampshire and Maine in early colonial times?

New Hampshire was founded by Puritans and became a royal colony; Maine remained part of Massachusetts until 1820.

What happened to Maine in relation to Massachusetts?

Maine was sold to Massachusetts and remained part of MA until 1820.

What economic system defined colonial trade from 1690 to 1754?

Mercantilism.

What was the goal of mercantilism for England?

To increase wealth and power through trade with colonies; a favorable balance of trade.

Name some products that colonies exported to Europe.

Lumber, furs, fish, grain, and tobacco.

What acts restricted colonial trade and restricted who could engage in trade with the colonies?

The Navigation Acts.

Under the Navigation Acts, where could most colonial products be sold?

Only to England.

What major English event in 1688 shifted power to Parliament?

The Glorious Revolution.

What policy allowed the colonists to govern themselves with loose supervision from Britain?

Salutary neglect.

Until what year did salutary neglect last?

1754.

Which trial affirmed freedom of speech in the colonial press?

The John Peter Zenger Trial.

What freedoms did salutary neglect help cultivate in the colonies?

Religious, political, economic, and social freedoms.

What was the Stono Rebellion of 1739?

An uprising of enslaved people in South Carolina attempting to reach Spanish Florida.

What were some consequences of the Stono Rebellion?

Slave owners passed stricter laws and heightened fear of enslaved people.

What happened in New York City related to slave uprisings after the Stono Rebellion?

A panic led to the shooting of 31 Black individuals.