Apush Vocab Unit 2

encomienda system

A labor system instituted by the Spanish crown in the Americas that granted colonists the right to demand tribute and labor from Indigenous peoples.

mercantilism

An economic theory that emphasizes the importance of accumulating wealth through trade and the establishment of colonies.

Pueblo Revolt

A successful uprising by the Pueblo people against Spanish colonization in 1680, leading to a temporary expulsion of Spanish colonists.

Spanish casta system

A hierarchical social structure in colonial Spanish America that categorized people based on their race and ancestry.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and culture between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus's voyages.

founding of Jamestown

The establishment of the first permanent English settlement in North America in 1607, significant for its economic exploitation of tobacco.

Virginia Company

A joint-stock company that established Jamestown and promoted the settlement of Virginia.

indentured servant

A person who agreed to work for a specific period in exchange for passage to America and eventual land or freedom.

headright system

A system instituted in Virginia that granted land to settlers based on the number of individuals they brought to the colony.

House of Burgesses

The first legislative assembly in the American colonies, established in Virginia in 1619.

royal colony

A colony governed directly by the crown, typically through a royal governor.

Bacon’s Rebellion

A 1676 uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against the colonial government, highlighting class tensions and the struggle for land.

Puritan

A religious group that sought to purify the Church of England and settled in New England in the 1620s for religious freedom.

Church of England (Anglican Church)

The national church of England, formed as part of the Protestant Reformation; significant for its role in American colonial life.

Pilgrims (Separatists)

A group of English dissenters who traveled to America on the Mayflower to seek religious freedom, settling in Plymouth.

Mayflower Compact (1620)

An agreement made by the Pilgrims to govern themselves and establish a government for their new settlement.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

A Puritan settlement established in 1630 noted for its religious, political, and economic influence in New England.

John Winthrop

The first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and a leading figure in the founding of New England.

the Great Migration

The movement of thousands of Puritans from England to the New World in the 1630s, seeking religious freedom and economic opportunities.

Roger Williams

A Puritan minister who advocated for separation of church and state and founded Rhode Island in 1636.

Anne Hutchinson

A Puritan woman who challenged the Massachusetts Bay authorities; her trial and banishment highlighted issues of gender and religious authority.

antinomianism

The belief that Christians are not bound by moral law; associated with Anne Hutchinson's teachings.

theocracy

A system of government in which priests rule in the name of God; prevalent in some colonial American settlements.

Pequot War

A conflict between English settlers and the Pequot tribe in 1637, resulting in the near destruction of the Pequot people.

Metacom’s War (King Philip’s War)

A conflict between Native American tribes led by Metacom and New England colonists from 1675 to 1676; resulted in significant loss of life for both sides.

Peter Stuyvesant

The last Dutch director-general of the New Netherland colony, known for his authoritarian rule.

Lord Baltimore

The founder of the Maryland colony, he promoted religious tolerance for Catholics.

Maryland Toleration Act (1649)

A law mandating religious tolerance for Trinitarian Christians in the Maryland colony.

proprietary colony

A colony owned by an individual or family who had complete control over the land and government.

William Penn

The founder of Pennsylvania, known for his Quaker beliefs and commitment to religious tolerance.

Navigation Acts

A series of laws that restricted colonial trade to England and its allies, aiming to boost England's economy.

Dominion of New England

A short-lived administrative union of English colonies in the New England region, created to streamline governance.

Glorious Revolution

The 1688 overthrow of King James II of England; led to increased parliamentary power and the right of citizens to petition the government.

Stono Rebellion

A slave uprising in South Carolina in 1739 that led to increased repression of enslaved people.

salutary neglect

An unofficial British policy of relaxed regulation of colonial affairs to encourage trade and loyalty.

James Oglethorpe

The founder of the Georgia colony, established as a place for debtors and the poor.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement emphasizing reason, individualism, and skepticism of authority, influencing colonial thought.

John Locke

An Enlightenment philosopher whose ideas about government and natural rights influenced American revolutionary thought.

Great Awakening

A series of religious revivals in the 18th century emphasizing personal faith and emotional engagement in religion.

deism

A philosophical belief that God created the world but does not intervene in its affairs; popular among Enlightenment thinkers.

Jonathan Edwards

A preacher known for his fire-and-brimstone sermons during the First Great Awakening.

George Whitefield

An influential preacher during the Great Awakening known for his charismatic style and outdoor sermons.

Albany Plan of Union

A proposal by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 to create a unified government for the Thirteen Colonies; ultimately rejected.

Iroquois Confederacy

A powerful alliance of six Native American nations in the northeastern U.S. that played a significant role in colonial politics.

French and Indian War

A conflict between Britain and France in North America (1754-1763) that resulted in British territorial gains but also increased colonial resentment.

Presbyterian revival

A movement emphasizing a return to the practices of early Christianity, influencing various religious communities.

Pontiac’s Rebellion

A violent uprising of Natve Americans in 1763 opposing British post-war policies in the Great Lakes region.

Proclamation of 1763

A British edict that prohibited settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to appease Native Americans after the French and Indian War.

Paxton Boys

A group of frontiersmen in Pennsylvania who formed to retaliate against Native Americans after the French and Indian War.