Colonial America: Columbian Exchange to French & Indian War (Video Notes)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the notes on the Columbian Exchange, Jamestown, Bacon's Rebellion, Salem Witch Trials, the Enlightenment and Great Awakening, and the French & Indian War.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Americas, Africa, and the Old World during the 15th–16th centuries.

Smallpox

A deadly disease brought by Europeans to the Americas, which decimated native populations.

Slavery (Columbian Exchange)

The expansion of enslaved labor in the Americas as a consequence of European colonization and trade.

Jamestown Colony

The first permanent English settlement in Virginia; faced disease and famine, and was saved economically by tobacco as a cash crop.

Tobacco

Cash crop introduced by John Rolfe that sustained Jamestown’s economy but increased demand for land and enslaved labor.

Bacon's Rebellion

1676 uprising by Virginia settlers led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor Berkeley; led to reforms and heightened use of slave labor.

Salem Witch Trials

1692–1693 prosecutions for witchcraft in Massachusetts; resulted in 20 executions and spurred questions about law and religion.

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement valuing reason, science, and individual rights; encouraged questions of traditional authority.

Great Awakening

Religious revival emphasizing personal faith and emotional experience; led to new denominations and religious independence.

French and Indian War

1754–1763 conflict between Britain and France in North America; increased British debt and colonial taxes, shaping American identity.

George Washington

Military leader in the French and Indian War; gained experience for the Revolutionary War and saw limits of British tactics, fostering American identity.

Potatoes

New World crop brought to Europe via the Columbian Exchange that helped boost population and economies.

Corn

Staple New World crop introduced through the Columbian Exchange that supported food supply and economic growth.