Apush Period 2 Vocab

Joint-Stock Company

A business entity where investors pool capital, sharing risks and profits, often used to finance colonial ventures like Jamestown.

Corporate Colonies

Colonies operated by joint-stock companies, under a charter from the British Crown, primarily for economic profit (e.g., Virginia).

Royal Colonies

Colonies under direct control of the British Crown, with governors appointed by the king (e.g., New York, Virginia after 1624).

Proprietary Colonies

Colonies granted by the British monarch to an individual or group (proprietors) who had full governing rights, usually in exchange for annual payments (e.g., Pennsylvania, Maryland).

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, established in 1607 in Virginia by the Virginia Company.

Plymouth Separatists

English Protestants who wished to separate completely from the Church of England; they founded Plymouth Colony in 1620.

Plymouth Puritans

English Protestants who sought to purify the Church of England of its Catholic elements, preferring to reform it from within rather than separate completely; they mostly settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, distinguishing them from the Pilgrims of Plymouth.

Massachusetts Bay

A Puritan colony established in 1630 by John Winthrop and others, becoming a major center of early New England settlement.

Act of Toleration

A 1649 Maryland law, guaranteeing religious freedom to all Christians, passed to protect Catholics from Protestant encroachment.

Roger Williams

A Puritan minister who was banished from Massachusetts Bay for advocating for religious freedom and separation of church and state; he founded Rhode Island.

Anne Hutchinson

A Puritan spiritual leader who challenged male authority and orthodox religious doctrines in Massachusetts Bay, leading to her banishment and eventual settlement in Rhode Island.

Fundamental Orders

Drafted in 1639 by the Connecticut Colony, it is considered the first written constitution in North America, establishing a representative government.

Halfway-Covenant

A 1662 Puritan church policy allowing partial membership rights to people who had not yet experienced conversion, in an effort to maintain church membership.

New York

Originally New Netherland, it was seized by the English from the Dutch in 1664 and renamed. It became a diverse and influential proprietary colony.

Pennsylvania Charter of Liberties

A 1701 document drafted by William Penn, establishing an elected legislature and guaranteeing religious freedom and civil liberties for settlers in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Frame of Government

Early governing documents for Pennsylvania, notably authored by William Penn, outlining a representative assembly, religious freedom, and fair dealings with Native Americans.

Quakers

A Protestant religious group known for their pacifism, opposition to slavery, and belief in an 'Inner Light' or direct experience of God within each individual.

Georgia

The last of the 13 British colonies, founded in 1732 by James Oglethorpe as a buffer against Spanish Florida and a refuge for debtors.

VA House of Burgesses

The first representative assembly in British North America, established in 1619 in the Virginia Colony.

Mayflower Compact

A governing document signed by the Pilgrims in 1620, establishing a self-governing colony based on the rule of law and majority decisions.

Town Meetings

A form of local government in New England where eligible voters in a town would gather to discuss and vote on issues directly.

Triangular Trade

A multi-leg trade route that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas, primarily exchanging manufactured goods, enslaved Africans, and raw materials.

Mercantilism

An economic theory where colonies existed to enrich the mother country by providing raw materials and markets for finished goods, with a goal of a favorable balance of trade.

Navigation Acts

A series of English laws, beginning in 1651, designed to regulate colonial trade to benefit the mother country, enforcing mercantilist policies.

Salutary Neglect

An unofficial British policy of lenient or lax enforcement of parliamentary laws in the American colonies, which allowed colonies to largely self-govern and thrive economically.

Domination of New England

An administrative union of English colonies in the New England region of North America. Its political structure was an attempt to streamline colonial administration and control.

New England Confederation

A short-lived military alliance of the New England colonies (Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut, New Haven) formed in 1643 for defense against Native Americans and Dutch incursions.

Metacom’s War (King Phillips War)

A major conflict (1675-1678) between Native American inhabitants of New England and New England colonists and their Native American allies, resulting in devastating losses on both sides.

Bacon’s Rebellion

An armed rebellion in 1676 led by Nathaniel Bacon against the governor of Virginia, William Berkeley, prompted by grievances over frontier protection and Native American policy.

The Pueblo Revolt

A 1680 uprising of most of the Pueblo Native Americans against the Spanish colonizers in the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, driving them out for over a decade.

Indentured Servants

Laborers who agreed to work for a set number of years (typically 4-7) in exchange for passage to the colonies, food, and shelter.

Headright System

A system employed in the colonies, particularly Virginia, that granted 50 acres of land to any colonist who paid for his or another's passage to America.

British Migration Patterns to NA

Primarily settled the Atlantic coast, seeking religious freedom and economic opportunity, establishing diverse colonies from New England to the Southern colonies.

German Migration Patterns to NA

Mainly settled Pennsylvania and surrounding areas seeking religious freedom and economic opportunity, often forming distinct communities and influencing colonial culture.

Scots Irish Migration Patterns to NA

Predominantly settled the frontier regions of the Appalachian Mountains, particularly in Pennsylvania and the Carolinas, seeking land and religious freedom.

African Migration Patterns to NA

Forced migration via the Middle Passage as part of the transatlantic slave trade, bringing millions of Africans to the Americas to work primarily as enslaved laborers in the Southern colonies.

The Great Awakening- Johnathan Edwards

A key figure in the Great Awakening, a Protestant revival movement. He was known for his powerful sermons, such as "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."

The Great Awakening- George Whitfield

An influential evangelist during the Great Awakening, known for his charismatic preaching style and ability to draw large crowds across the colonies.

The Great Awakening- New Light vs Old Lught

Refers to the split within Protestant denominations during the Great Awakening. 'New Lights' embraced the revivalist movement, while 'Old Lights' adhered to traditional doctrines.

Zenger Case (Cause and Effect)

Cause: John Peter Zenger, a New York printer, was tried for seditious libel for criticizing the royal governor. Effect: His acquittal established a precedent for freedom of the press in the colonies, making it more difficult to prosecute journalists for critical statements.

Enlightenment

An 18th-century intellectual and cultural movement in Europe and the colonies that emphasized reason, individualism, and scientific inquiry, influencing political thought.

British Colonial Governor

An official appointed by the British king or proprietor to oversee the administration of a colony, often having significant power over the executive branch and legislature.

British Colonial Legislator

Representative assemblies elected by eligible colonists responsible for passing laws and approving taxes. Over time, they gained significant power, especially over financial matters.