US History unit 1 (American history)

Middle Passage

Sea journey enslaved Africans took to the Americas

Trans-Atlantic Trade

Trade system between Europe, Africa, and the Americas

Navigation Acts

British laws regulating colonial trade.

Mercantilism

Economic theory that trade generates wealth. It emphasizes the importance of exports over imports and promotes governmental regulation to maximize national power.

Pilgrims

English settlers who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620, seeking religious freedom.

William Penn

English Quaker and founder of Pennsylvania, known for promoting religious tolerance and fair treatment of Native Americans.

Quakers

Members of the Religious Society of Friends, known for their pacifist beliefs and emphasis on inner light, equality, and social justice.

The Great Awakening

A series of religious revivals in the American colonies during the 18th century, emphasizing personal faith and emotive worship.

Town Meetings

Local gatherings in New England colonies where community members discussed and decided on issues, reflecting early democratic practices.

Mayflower Compact

An agreement signed in 1620 by the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, establishing a form of self-government and cooperation for their new settlement.

Fund Orders

Laying out the governmental structure and responsibilities for Connecticut's settlers in 1638, establishing a framework for self-governance.

HoB (house of burgesses)

The first democratically elected legislative body in the British American colonies, established in Virginia in 1619

Salutary neglect

An unofficial British policy in the 17th and 18th centuries when they largely ignored the American colonies, allowing them a degree of self-governance and minimal enforcement of trade laws

Plantation

A large estate or farm, especially in tropical or subtropical regions, where crops like cotton, tobacco, coffee, or sugar are cultivated, typically by resident laborers or slaves

Shotgun Style House

A narrow, rectangular house often found in the Southern United States, characterized by rooms arranged directly behind one another with doors at each end, allowing for a straight line of sight from front to back.

Bacon’s Rebellion

An armed rebellion in 1676 by Virginia settlers against the rule of Governor William Berkeley.

New England Colonies

Group of British colonies in North America, comprising present-day Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut

Mid-Atlantic Colonies

A Group of British colonies in British America located between the New England and Southern colonies. They included New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

Southern Colonies

The Southern Colonies within British America consisted of the Province of Maryland, the Colony of Virginia, the Province of Carolina, and the Province of Georgia.