Apush terms unit 2

Colombian Exchange

The widespread transfer of animals, plants, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World following Christopher Columbus's voyages in 1492. It significantly impacted global agriculture and ecosystems.

Encomienda system

A labor system instituted by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas, granting Spanish settlers the right to extract labor and tribute from indigenous people in exchange for providing them protection and Christian teachings.

Asiento system

A system authorized by the Spanish crown that allowed merchants to import enslaved Africans to the Americas, primarily to meet labor demands in plantations and mines.

Chattel Slavery

A form of slavery where individuals are treated as personal property to be bought, sold, and owned permanently, often involving the enslavement of Africans in the Americas.

Corporate colonies

Corporate colonies were settlements in the Americas established by joint-stock companies, intended to generate profit for investors, with governors appointed by the company rather than the crown.

Royal colonies

Colonies directly controlled by the crown, where governors were appointed by the monarchy to oversee colonial administration and governance.

Proprietary colonies

Colonies owned by individuals or groups granted land and governing rights by the crown, allowing them to operate with significant autonomy.

House of Burgesses

The first elected legislative assembly in the American colonies, established in Virginia in 1619, allowing colonists to participate in governance.

Lord Baltimore; Act of Toleration (1649)

Lord Baltimore established the Act of Toleration to ensure religious freedom for all Christians in Maryland, promoting peace between differing sects.

Bacon’s Rebellion

A 1676 uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon, opposing Governor Berkeley's refusal to protect settlers from Native American attacks and exposing tensions between frontiersmen and the colonial government.

Indentured servant; Head right system

A labor system in the 17th and 18th centuries where individuals would work for a specified number of years in exchange for passage to the American colonies and land grants. Indentured servants were typically low-income individuals from England or other regions who agreed to work for landowners for a set period, usually 4 to 7 years, to pay off their debt for transportation costs.

Roger Williams

A theologian and founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams advocated for the separation of church and state and promoted religious freedom for all individuals.

Anne Hutchinson

A Puritan spiritual leader in colonial Massachusetts who challenged the authority of the clergy and advocated for religious freedom and women's rights. She was ultimately tried and banished from the colony, leading her to help establish a settlement in Rhode Island.

Antinomianism

A theological doctrine that asserts that, by virtue of grace, individuals are not bound by moral law and can interpret God's will through their own beliefs, often associated with Anne Hutchinson's challenges to Puritan orthodoxy.

Puritans

A group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England, advocating for stricter religious discipline and simpler forms of worship.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639)

The first written constitution in America that created a government for the Connecticut River towns, establishing a framework for self-government and granting voting rights to property owners.

Halfway covenant

A religious practice adopted by New England Puritans in the 1660s, allowing the children of baptized but unconverted church members to be baptized and limited participation in church affairs, in response to declining church membership.

New England Confederation

A loose alliance of four New England colonies formed in 1643 for mutual defense against Native American tribes and external threats, marking one of the first steps toward colonial unity.

New England Confederation

A collaborative agreement among Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven to provide mutual defense and support during the 17th century.

Metacom

A Wampanoag leader known as King Philip, who led a major conflict against English colonists in New England during the 1670s, seeking to resist encroachment on Native lands.

Quakers

A religious group known for their pacifism, equality, and commitment to social justice, prominent in the 17th century and instrumental in the founding of Pennsylvania.

William Penn’s holy experiment

founding of the Pennsylvania colony as a haven for religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, particularly for Quakers who faced persecution in England. It was an attempt to establish a colony based on Quaker principles of peace, brotherly love, and religious freedom. 

Georgia; James Oglethorpe

was a key figure in the founding of the Georgia colony. He spearheaded the effort to establish a new British colony in America, primarily as a haven for debtors and as a buffer against Spanish Florida. Oglethorpe is credited with personally funding the initial expedition and playing a crucial role in the early development of Savannah. 

Mercantilism

the economic theory that trade generates wealth and is stimulated by the accumulation of profitable balances, which a government should encourage by means of protectionism

Navigation Acts

series of English laws passed, primarily in the 17th and 18th centuries, that regulated colonial trade to benefit Great Britain. These acts restricted colonial trade to English or colonial ships and required certain colonial goods to be shipped to England before being exported elsewhere. This system was rooted in the economic policy of mercantilism, which aimed to maximize a nation's wealth by controlling trade and accumulating resources. 

Dominion of New England

a short-lived administrative union of English colonies in North America, established by King James II in 1686

Triangular trade

also known as triangular or three-way trade, refers to a historical pattern of commerce that involved the exchange of goods and enslaved people between three regions or continents, often across the Atlantic Ocean.

Slave trade/Middle Passage

the sea journey undertaken by slave ships from West Africa to the West Indies.

Great Awakening; Jonathan Edwards;George Whitefield

a series of religious revivals in the 1730s and 1740s that swept through the British American colonies, emphasizing personal, emotional religious experience

Cotton Mather

was a prominent Puritan minister, prolific writer, and influential figure in colonial America during the late 17th and early 18th centuries

Benjamin Franklin

was one of the most prominent figures in early American history, embodying the spirit of the Enlightenment through his diverse contributions. He was an accomplished statesman, author, publisher, scientist, inventor, and diplomat, playing a crucial role in the founding of the United States. 

John Peter Zenger case 

was a landmark legal case in 1735 involving a German immigrant printer in colonial New York

Stono Rebellion

a significant slave revolt that occurred in South Carolina in September 1739. A group of enslaved Africans, led by a man named Jemmy, rose up, killing white colonists and attempting to reach Spanish Florida for freedom. The rebellion, though ultimately suppressed, is notable as one of the largest and most organized slave uprisings in colonial America and had a lasting impact on the legal and social structures surrounding slavery. 

salutary neglect

an unofficial British policy in the 17th and 18th centuries where Britain loosely enforced trade regulations and colonial supervision on the American colonies.