Slavery in North America: A Complicated History

A collection of vocabulary flashcards summarizing key concepts related to slavery in North America, Native American history, and significant historical figures.

Native Americans

Indigenous peoples who lived in North America, politically organized into chiefdoms before European contact.

Chattel Slavery

A form of slavery in which individuals are treated as personal property and are inherited; in contrast to Native American slavery which was often non-hereditary.

Pocahontas

The daughter of Powhatan who interacted with English colonists; her story is often romanticized as a peace story between cultures.

Stono Rebellion

A 1739 slave uprising in South Carolina, sparked by the promise of freedom from the Spanish, leading to increased repression of enslaved people.

Fugitive Slave Act

A 1850 law requiring that runaway slaves be returned to their owners, even from free states, and denying enslaved individuals the right to a jury trial.

Underground Railroad

A network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved people in the United States to escape to free states and Canada.

Frederick Douglass

An influential abolitionist and former slave known for his powerful speeches and autobiography that advocated for the end of slavery.

Harriet Tubman

An escaped slave who became a conductor on the Underground Railroad, helping many others to flee to freedom.

Westo Group

A group of indigenous people involved in the increased Native American slavery during colonial times, trading captives for weapons.

Act Concerning Negro Slaves

A 1692 Maryland law that forced all black people to serve as slaves for life and regulated the status of children of mixed ancestry.