Early Colonization

Indigenous Peoples

Refers to people, plants, etc., that are native to a specific area.

Arctic Native Americans

Indigenous groups that migrated from Asia to America via the Bering Strait.

Inuit

A term for Native Alaskans, primarily those indigenous to Alaska.

Subarctic

Refers to the region encompassing parts of Canada and Alaska, home to various Indigenous groups.

Eastern Algonquian

A band of Indigenous peoples with individual tribes, known for their involvement in the fur trade.

Western Athabaskan

A group of Indigenous peoples sharing a common language but lacking a true band system.

Three Sisters

A term for the trio of crops—squash, beans, and corn—central to Indigenous agriculture.

Iroquois

A prominent Indigenous confederacy known for its political and social organization.

Sioux

An Indigenous group that practiced agriculture and built small huts called wigwams.

Southeast Indigenous

Refers to five major groups, including Cherokee and Seminole, known for their agricultural practices.

Semi-nomadic

Describes tribes that move periodically but also settle in certain areas.

Pueblos

Small houses built by Southwestern tribes, often housing multiple generations.

Great Basin

A region where tribes relied on hunting and legumes due to challenging agricultural conditions.

California Tribes

Groups without a tribal system, organized into smaller self-governing sublets.

Northwest Tribes

Indigenous groups in Canada known for fishing and a slaveholding society.

North American Plateau

A trade hub where tribes met to exchange goods, with seasonal semi-nomadic patterns.

New Netherlands

A Dutch colony focused on profit, offering tax exemptions and limited self-governance.

Stuyvesant

The governor of New Netherland who denied terms of surrender to the English.

New France

A French colony reliant on Native American tribes for survival, particularly in the fur trade.

Port Royal

A settlement in New France that became self-sufficient but faced conflicts over fur trade.

New Spain

A Spanish colony in Florida managed by local governors under a viceroyalty.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in America, initially struggling until tobacco became profitable.

Virginia Company

The first company to establish a colony in Virginia, focusing on agriculture.

Puritans

A group of English settlers seeking religious freedom, distinct from the earlier Pilgrims.

Quakers

A religious group known for their peaceful relations with Native Americans and collective governance.

Southern Colonies

Regions like the Carolinas that became reliant on sugar and slave labor for economic success.

Indentured Servants

Individuals who contracted labor in exchange for land or passage to America.

Bacon's Rebellion

A conflict in Virginia involving settlers and Native Americans, leading to significant unrest.

King Philip's War

A conflict led by Metacomet against colonial encroachment, resulting in the devastation of his tribe.