history exam one

Tenochtitlan

The capital of the Aztec Empire, located in present-day Mexico City, known for its advanced infrastructure.

Chaco Canyon

A major cultural and trade center of the Ancestral Puebloans in present-day New Mexico, known for its massive stone buildings.

Cahokia

A large Native American city near present-day St. Louis, known for its massive earthen mounds and trade.

The "Three Sisters"

Corn, beans, and squash—three staple crops grown together by Native American societies, improving soil fertility.

Longhouses

Communal homes made of wood and bark used by the Iroquois.

Pueblos

Adobe and stone dwellings used by Southwestern tribes.

Teepees

Portable cone-shaped tents used by Plains tribes.

The Black Legend

The belief that the Spanish were uniquely brutal in their conquest of the Americas, particularly towards Native Americans.

French Colonial Trade

Focused on the fur trade, forming alliances with Native tribes like the Huron.

Dutch Trade & Settlement

The establishment of New Amsterdam focusing on trade rather than territorial expansion.

Indigenous Servants

Poor Europeans who agreed to work for a set number of years in exchange for passage to the Americas.

Headright System

A system in Virginia granting 50 acres of land to settlers who paid for their passage.

The Middle Passage

The brutal voyage transporting enslaved Africans to the Americas as part of the transatlantic slave trade.

Pilgrims

Separatists who wanted to break completely from the Church of England; settled in Plymouth.

Puritans

Those who wanted to reform the Church of England rather than separate; settled in Massachusetts Bay.

The Mayflower Compact

A 1620 agreement by the Pilgrims establishing self-government in Plymouth Colony.

Roger Williams

A religious dissenter who founded Rhode Island after being banished from Massachusetts.

Pequot War

A violent conflict between New England settlers and the Pequot tribe resulting in the tribe's near destruction.

King Philip’s War

A war between New England colonists and Native American tribes led by Metacom, resulting in significant loss of Native power.

Causes of the Salem Witch Trials

Mass hysteria caused by religious extremism, economic tensions, fear of Native attacks, and a strict Puritan society.

Bacon’s Rebellion

A revolt led by Nathaniel Bacon against Virginia’s government fueled by anger over Native policies.

Po’pay

The leader of the Pueblo Revolt, a successful uprising against Spanish rule.

Founding of Georgia

Established as a buffer colony between Spanish Florida and England, initially a refuge for debtors.

Colonial Consumer Revolution

Increased consumption of British goods by colonists, fostering resentment over trade restrictions.

The Great Awakening

A religious revival emphasizing emotional sermons and personal faith that occurred in the 1730s-40s.

John Locke’s Natural Rights

Locke argued that people have natural rights (life, liberty, property) and governance requires consent.

Benjamin Franklin’s Experiments

Conducted experiments on electricity and invented the lightning rod contributing to Enlightenment thinking.

The Trial of John Peter Zenger

A landmark case for freedom of the press in the American colonies resulting in Zenger's acquittal.

French & Indian War

A war between Britain and France over North American territory, leading to increased taxation of the colonies.

Proclamation of 1763

Prohibited colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, angering colonists eager for land.

Taxation of the American Colonies

Britain imposed taxes leading to widespread protests among colonists.

Virtual Representation

The British claim that Parliament represented all subjects, including colonists without a vote.

Sons of Liberty

A radical group formed to oppose British policies through protests and boycotts.

Christopher Seider

A 12-year-old boy killed by a British customs officer, intensifying colonial resentment.

Olive Branch Petition

A final effort by the American colonies to avoid war with Britain, which was rejected.

Economy of New England Colonies

Based on shipping, fishing, and small-scale farming, with a strong Puritan religious influence.

New England Town Meetings

Local government meetings in New England used for decision-making and self-governance.

Middle Colonies Economy

Known as the 'breadbasket colonies' due to significant wheat farming and diverse populations including Quakers and Dutch.

Southern Colonies Economy

Relied on plantation agriculture, primarily tobacco, rice, and indigo, with a society dominated by wealthy planters.

House of Burgesses

The first elected representative assembly in the English colonies, established in Virginia in 1619.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

Adopted in 1639, it was the first written constitution in America, establishing a government based on the will of the people.

Shift from Indentured Servitude

After Bacon’s Rebellion, a transition occurred from indentured servants to enslaved Africans to avoid class uprisings.

Slave Codes

Laws enacted to control enslaved people, restricting their movement, education, and resistance.

Stono Rebellion

The largest slave uprising in colonial America that took place in South Carolina in 1739, leading to stricter controls on enslaved people.

Puritanism

A strict Protestant faith emphasizing hard work, morality, and a close-knit religious community.

The Great Awakening

A religious revival in the 1730s-40s that challenged traditional authority and encouraged personal relationships with God.

Mercantilism

An economic policy stating that colonies exist to benefit the mother country, specifically Britain.

Navigation Acts

Laws enacted between 1651-1673 to restrict colonial trade to Britain only, resulting in smuggling and economic tension.

Salutary Neglect

The British practice of loosely enforcing trade laws, which changed after the French & Indian War, causing colonial resentment.

Powhatan Wars

A series of conflicts between Virginia colonists and the Powhatan Confederacy during the 1610s-1640s.

Yamasee War

A rebellion by Native American tribes in the Carolinas against British settlers, occurring from 1715-1717.

Legal Status of Women in Colonial America

Women had limited rights, could not vote, and were generally expected to perform household labor.

Anne Hutchinson

A Puritan woman banished from Massachusetts for her religious views and advocating for women's roles in faith.