Colonies

Colony

A territory that is controlled/owned by another but is independent from that place.

Charter

A legal document, often given by a leader or king, that gives the holder the right to organize settlements in an area.

Virginia Company of London

English joint stock company established by royal charter to set up colonial settlements in North America; was the funding source for settlement of Jamestown.

Indigenous

Native to a certain area.

Cash Crop

Agricultural product that can be cultivated and sold for money.

Tobacco

Cash crop that made a profit and saved Jamestown; is often smoked as tradition or habit.

Drought

A long period without rain.

Gentleman

A man of upper society in England who did not work; many of these people came to Jamestown seeking wealth and freedom.

Indentured Servitude

A voluntary agreement to work for a set amount of time in exchange for something in return, like free passage to an overseas destination.

Chattel Slavery

Absolute legal ownership of another person, including the right to buy or sell that person.

House of Burgesses

Elected assembly governing first colony of Virginia; first type of democratic government in colonies.

Representative Government

A system by which people elect delegates to make laws and conduct government.

Pilgrims

English Puritans who founded Plymouth colony in 1620; a person who journeys somewhere for religious reasons.

Separatists

People who wanted to have a separate, or different church. Also known as Pilgrims.

Puritans

A religious group who wanted to purify the Church of England; came to America for religious freedom and settled in Massachusetts.

Mayflower

The ship that brought the Pilgrims to the New World.

Mayflower Compact

The first governing document of Plymouth Colony setting up fair laws to protect people and allow them to settle there.

Strangers

People on board the Mayflower who were not Separatists or not there for religious passage to the New World.

Triangular Trade

A three way system of trade; enslaved people were sent to the Colonies, raw materials and cash crops were sent to Europe; arms and other cash crops or liquors were sent to Africa.

Middle Passage

A voyage that brought enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to North America and the West Indies.

Brackish

Mix of salt water and fresh water.

Angola

Modern African country from where enslaved people were taken when traveling to 'new world' in 1619.

Isthmus

Narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas.

Anno Domini

In the year of the Lord/abbreviation for A.D.

Civil Body Politick

The concept of self-rule, allowing a group of people to set up rules to govern itself.

Casa De Contratación

A Spanish government agency that controlled trade and shipping between Spain and its colonies in the Americas.

El Camino Real

A network of roads used by the Spanish to connect missions, settlements, and trading centers in their colonies.

Viceroy

A person appointed by the Spanish king to govern a large colonial territory on his behalf.

Peninsulares

People born in Spain who moved to the colonies and held the highest positions in colonial society.

Mestizo

Person of mixed Spanish and indigenous ancestry.

Arid

Dry, with little rainfall, making farming and growing crops difficult.

Casta System

A social ranking system in Spanish colonies that classified people based on their ancestry and birthplace.

Criollos (Creoles)

People of Spanish ancestry who were born in the Americas rather than Spain.

Audiencia

A high court in Spanish colonies that enforced laws and helped oversee colonial government.

Bartolomé de Las Casas

A Spanish priest who spoke out against the mistreatment and enslavement of Indigenous peoples.

Iroquois Confederation

An alliance of five Indigenous nations in northeastern North America that worked together for protection, peace, and political strength.

Pelts

Animal skins with fur that were valuable trade goods, especially in the French fur trade.

Samuel de Champlain

A French explorer who founded Quebec in 1608 and helped establish French settlements and fur trading relationships in Canada.

Rene-Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle

A French explorer who traveled the Mississippi River and claimed the Louisiana territory for France in 1682.

Proprietary Government

A type of English colonial government in which the king gave land to an individual or group who controlled and governed the colony.

Missionary

A person who travels to spread their religion and often tries to convert others to their faith.

Seven Years War

A war between major European powers, including Britain and France, from 1756 to 1763. In North America, it was called the French and Indian War and ended with Britain gaining much of France's territory.

Sugar Cane

A tropical crop grown on plantations to produce sugar, often using enslaved labor in European colonies.

Mercantilism

An economic system in which European countries used colonies to obtain raw materials and create wealth for the home country.

Charter Colony

An English colony governed under a written agreement from the king that gave colonists some power to govern themselves.

Montagnais

An Indigenous people of northeastern Canada who traded furs and formed alliances with French settlers. Also known as the Innu.

Algonquin

An Indigenous people of the Ottawa River region who traded with the French and formed alliances with them.

Royal Colony

An English colony controlled directly by the king through a governor appointed by the Crown.