The Thirteen Colonies and the British Empire (1607-1754)

Flashcards summarizing key concepts and terminology related to the thirteen colonies and their development in the British Empire.

Jamestown

The first permanent English colony in America, founded in 1607.

Charter

A document granting special privileges to a colony from the English monarch.

Corporate colonies

Colonies operated by joint-stock companies, such as Jamestown in its early years.

Royal colonies

Colonies under direct authority and rule of the king's government, such as Virginia after 1624.

Proprietary colonies

Colonies under the authority of individuals granted charters of ownership by the king, like Maryland.

Representative government

A tradition brought by the English where colonists elected representatives to speak for them.

Plymouth Colony

Founded by Separatists seeking religious freedom, it was established in 1620.

The Mayflower Compact

An agreement signed by Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower to govern themselves by majority rule.

Act of Toleration (1649)

A law passed in Maryland that granted religious freedom to all Christians.

Bacon's Rebellion

A 1676 revolt led by Nathaniel Bacon against the government of Virginia.

Quakers

Members of the Religious Society of Friends, who believed in equality and nonviolence.

John Winthrop

Leader of the Puritans who founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Great Migration

The period in the 1630s when thousands of Puritans migrated to New England.

Halfway Covenant

A religious compromise allowing partial church membership for those who had not had a conversion.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

The first written constitution in American history, establishing a government in Connecticut.

Mercantilism

An economic policy that focused on trade and colonies to enrich the parent country.

Navigation Acts

Laws that regulated colonial trade to benefit England’s economy.

Triangular trade

A trade route that connected New England, Africa, and the West Indies.

Middle Passage

The horrific voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic to the Americas.

Georgia

Founded in 1732 as the last of the British colonies, initially meant as a refuge for debtors.

Proprietorship

A colony owned by individuals who received their authority from the crown.

Indentured servants

Individuals who agreed to work for a landowner in exchange for passage to the colonies.

Headright System

A system encouraging immigration by granting land to those who paid for their passage.

Act of Toleration

A Maryland statute granting religious freedom to all Christians.

Royal Governor

A governor appointed by the monarch to oversee colonial governance.

Lord Baltimore

The title of Cecil Calvert, the proprietor of the Maryland colony.

Captain John Smith

Leader of the Jamestown colony who helped ensure its survival.

Tobacco

A cash crop that became vital to the economy of Virginia and other colonies.

Pilgrims

Separatists who sailed to America aboard the Mayflower seeking religious freedom.

Separatists

Radical dissenters to the Church of England who wanted a separate church.

Antinomianism

The belief that faith alone, not deeds, is necessary for salvation.

Roger Williams

Founder of Rhode Island who advocated for religious freedom and fair treatment of Native Americans.

Anne Hutchinson

A dissenter whose teachings challenged Puritan doctrines and who founded Portsmouth.

Connecticut

Founded by Puritan dissenters who left Massachusetts, it was characterized by a written constitution.

Rhode Island

A colony founded on the principles of religious tolerance and separation of church and state.

Virginia Company

A joint-stock company responsible for establishing the Jamestown colony.

Southern Colonies

Colonies like Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas that relied heavily on plantation agriculture.

Chesapeake Bay

The region that includes Maryland and Virginia, known for its tobacco cultivation.

Dissenters

Individuals who opposed the established Church of England.

New England Confederation

A military alliance of four New England colonies formed in the 1640s for mutual protection.

King Philip's War

A conflict between New England settlers and Native Americans in the 1670s.

William Penn

Founder of Pennsylvania known for promoting religious toleration and democratic governance.

Savannah

The first settlement of Georgia, founded by James Oglethorpe.

Slavery

A system in which individuals were owned as property, initially uncommon but grew in the colonies.

Acts of Trade and Navigation

Laws that governed colonial trade to ensure it benefited England.

Robert Beverly

A historian who wrote about Virginia's colonial experiences and migration patterns.

John Rolfe

Developer of a new variety of tobacco that became a profitable crop in Jamestown.

Metacom

Chief of the Wampanoags who led a coalition of tribes against English settlers.

Dominion of New England

The administrative merger of several New England colonies under a single governor.

Sir Edmund Andros

Governor of the Dominion of New England, known for his unpopular rule.

Glorious Revolution

The 1688 overthrow of King James II that restored powers to the colonies.

Rice

A staple crop cultivated in the southern colonies, particularly South Carolina.

New Hampshire

Originally part of Massachusetts Bay, made a royal colony in 1679.

Royal Authority

The power of the monarch or government over the colonies.

Civil War

The conflict in England that influenced colonial governance and stability.

Dykemans

A term referring to individuals and businesses that prioritized profit over communal welfare.

Town meetings

Local assemblies in New England where citizens could discuss and act on community issues.

Plantation system

An agricultural system where large farms used enslaved labor for cash crops.

Lumbering

An important industry in colonial New England due to its vast forests.

Fisheries

A lucrative sector in New England, supplementing the economy alongside agriculture.

New York

A former Dutch colony seized by the English in 1664.

Constitution

A written document outlining the framework of government.

Economic diversification

The development of different economic sectors within the colonies.

Civic virtue

The cultivation of habits important for the success of the community.

Religious freedom

The right to practice one's religion without interference.

Paternalism

A practice where larger landowners exercised control over less fortunate classes.

Numeracy

The ability to work with numbers, valued in colonial economies for trade.

Self-government

The practice of governing oneself, emphasized by colonial assemblies.

Civic responsibility

The notion that citizens should actively participate in their community's governance.

Colonial assembly

A legislative body in the colonies representing the interests of colonists.

Deism

A religious philosophy that emphasized reason and observation of the natural world.