Early Exploration and Colonization (1492–1763)

These flashcards cover key people, events, ideas, and economic conditions from the period of early exploration and colonization from 1492 to 1763.

Who is credited with discovering the Americas in 1492?

Christopher Columbus

What was the first permanent English settlement?

Jamestown (1607)

What was the Mayflower Compact?

The first self-government agreement in the colonies (1620).

What is Mercantilism?

The economic theory that colonies existed for the benefit of the mother country.

What were the motivations for colonization summarized as?

God (religion), Gold (economic gain), and Glory (power/expansion).

Which colonies are known as the New England Colonies?

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire.

What was a significant aspect of New England human geography?

Town meetings as an early form of direct democracy.

What was the economy of the Middle Colonies known for?

Grain farming, referred to as the 'Breadbasket colonies'.

Who founded Rhode Island for religious freedom?

Roger Williams

What was a key economic feature of the Southern Colonies?

The plantation system using enslaved labor for cash crops.

What significant event was the First Continental Congress responding to?

The Intolerable Acts.

What famous speech did Patrick Henry deliver?

'Give me liberty or give me death!'

Who wrote Common Sense in 1776?

Thomas Paine.

Which British monarch was blamed for tyranny during the American Revolution?

King George III.

What did Benjamin Franklin do to help the American colonies?

Tried to unify colonies and helped gain French support.