Unit 1 Study Notes: European Colonization to US Constitution

Historical vocabulary terms and definitions covering the period from European colonization of the Americas through the drafting of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

God

One of the 3 G’s; the goal to spread Christianity in the Americas.

Gold

One of the 3 G’s; the pursuit of wealth through finding gold, silver, and trade.

Glory

One of the 3 G’s; the goal to gain power and land for a country.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and ideas between Europe and the Americas after Columbus.

New England Colonies

A region including Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire, characterized by rocky soil, fishing, and shipbuilding.

Middle Colonies

Known as the "Breadbasket Colonies," this region included New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, and was known for farming wheat and fertile soil.

Southern Colonies

A region including Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, known for plantations, cash crops like tobacco, and a long growing season.

Jamestown (1607)

The first permanent English settlement in North America, located in Virginia.

House of Burgesses (1619)

The first representative government in the English colonies.

Mayflower Compact

An agreement made by the Pilgrims in 1620 to create self-government.

Puritans

A group that settled Massachusetts Bay and wanted to build a "city upon a hill."

Indentured Servants

Usually Europeans who worked for 4 to 7 years in exchange for freedom.

Enslaved Africans

People forced into labor for life with no freedom; their children were also enslaved.

Middle Passage

The voyage carrying enslaved Africans across the Atlantic, known for overcrowding, disease, and high mortality rates.

Mercantilism

The economic idea that colonies existed to make the mother country (England) richer.

Salutary Neglect

A policy where England did not strictly enforce its rules, allowing the colonies to get used to governing themselves.

French and Indian War (1754-1763)

A conflict between Britain and France for control of the Ohio River Valley; Britain won but was left with huge debt.

Proclamation of 1763

A British rule that forbade colonists from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Stamp Act

A British tax on newspapers, legal papers, playing cards, and licenses.

No taxation without representation

A colonial protest slogan meaning they should not be taxed if they had no representatives in Parliament.

Boston Massacre (1770)

An event where British soldiers fired into a crowd, killing five colonists; used as propaganda against Britain.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

A protest where colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor.

Intolerable Acts

A series of laws passed by Britain to punish Massachusetts by closing Boston Harbor and limiting self-government.

Lexington and Concord

Occurred on April 19, 1775, these were the first battles of the Revolutionary War and included the "shot heard around the world."

Declaration of Independence

A document mostly written by Thomas Jefferson that declared the colonies independent from Britain based on natural rights.

Articles of Confederation

America’s first national government, which was too weak to collect taxes or force states to follow laws.

Great Compromise

An agreement at the Constitutional Convention that created the House of Representatives (based on population) and the Senate (two per state).

Three-Fifths Compromise

A political agreement that counted every five enslaved people as three people for representation and taxes.

Legislative Branch

The branch of government that makes laws.

Executive Branch

The branch of government that enforces laws.

Judicial Branch

The branch of government that interprets laws.

Federalism

A system where power is shared between the national government and state governments.

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the power of the others.

Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution that protect individual freedoms.