British North America Vocabulary

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture notes on British North America, focusing on the development of colonies, slavery, conflicts, and significant events during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Chattel Slavery

A system in which enslaved people are treated as personal property of the enslaver and can be bought, sold, traded, or inherited.

Atlantic World

A network connecting the continents of Europe, Africa, and the Americas through trade, migration, and cultural exchange.

Middle Passage

The forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas, characterized by brutal conditions and high mortality rates.

Seasoning

The acculturation process endured by enslaved Africans upon arrival in the Americas, including adaptation to new environments, languages, and forms of labor.

Elmina Castle

A Portuguese trading post on the Gulf of Guinea that became a major market for enslaved Africans in the Atlantic slave trade.

Decree of Sanctuary

A decree issued by the Spanish king in 1693, granting freedom to enslaved people fleeing the English colonies if they converted to Catholicism and swore loyalty to Spain.

Tithable

A law passed in Virginia in 1643 that made African women tithable, effectively associating their work with difficult agricultural labor and distinguishing them from white women.

Paternal Dominion

The expected authority of a man over his household, including his wife, children, servants, and enslaved laborers, according to legal and customary understandings in England.

Puritans

Radical Protestants who sought to purify the Church of England and looked to the New World to create a beacon of Calvinist Christianity.

Navigation Act of 1651

An act of Parliament compelling merchants in every colony to ship goods directly to England in English ships, intended to bind the colonies more closely to England.

Glorious Revolution

The overthrow of King James II in 1688 by William of Orange and Mary, leading to a shift in power and the English Bill of Rights in 1689.

Dominion of New England

Consolidated the New England colonies, New York, and New Jersey into one administrative unit in 1686 to counter French Canada. Colonists resented loss of individual provinces.

Quakers

Members of the Society of Friends, a religious group that emphasized equality, pacifism, and inner spiritual experience; William Penn was a Quaker who founded Pennsylvania.

Pequot War

An armed conflict in 1636-1637 between English colonists and the Pequot tribe, resulting in the massacre at Mystic and the enslavement of many Native Americans.

King Philip's War

A conflict in 1675-1676 between Native Americans led by Metacom (King Philip) and English colonists, resulting in significant losses on both sides and a decline in Native American power in New England.

Bacon's Rebellion

An uprising in 1676 in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon, fueled by tensions between colonists and Native Americans and discontent among poor settlers, leading to violence and political instability.

Pueblo Revolt

A rebellion in 1680 led by Popé, in which Puebloan peoples drove the Spanish out of New Mexico, reclaiming their land and culture for twelve years.

Yamasee War

A conflict in 1715-1717, in which the Yamasee and other Native American groups turned against the Carolina colony, nearly destroying it entirely, due to trade disputes and colonial expansion.

Walking Purchase

A fraudulent land deal in 1737 in which Pennsylvania colonists acquired a large tract of land from the Delaware tribe based on how far a man could walk in a day and a half.