Lecture 2: The Formation of the 13 Colonies pt. 1

Vocabulary flashcards covering major terms and concepts from The Formation of the 13 Colonies pt. 1.

Northwest Passage

A legendary sea route sought by European explorers to connect the Atlantic and Pacific via a northern passage through North America.

Quebec (1608)

The first permanent French settlement in Canada, founded in 1608, central to the fur trade and French colonial presence.

Fur Trade

Exchange of animal pelts between Europeans and Indigenous peoples; a major economic activity driving French colonization in Canada.

Middle Ground

Frontier zone of intercultural exchange between French settlers and Indigenous peoples, involving trade, alliances, and conflict.

Fort Chambly

French fortress on the Richelieu River used to control access to the St. Lawrence and protect fur-trade routes.

Fort Michilimakinac

French fort at Mackinac Island controlling Great Lakes trade routes and inland access.

Fort Frontenac

French fortress on Lake Ontario that controlled access to the interior and the fur trade network.

Trois-Rivières (1634)

French settlement established in 1634 along the St. Lawrence as a fur-trading post.

Montréal (1642)

Major French settlement at the confluence of the St. Lawrence River, center of trade and mission activity.

Tadoussac (1600)

Early French trading post at Tadoussac, key site for the fur trade in the Quebec region.

Plaisance (1662)

French settlement in Newfoundland (Placentia), part of Acadia’s network of ports.

Acadia

French territory along the Atlantic coast in what is now Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, NB, parts of Maine).

Port-Royal (1605)

Early Acadian settlement important to French presence in the Atlantic region.

Fort Richelieu

French fortification used to defend the Richelieu River corridor and control regional trade.

Louisbourg (1719)

French fortress on Île Royale (Cape Breton) guarding the Gulf of St. Lawrence and regional trade.

Fort Détroit

French fort at the Detroit River area controlling movement between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi basin.

New Netherland

Dutch colony in North America (1614–1674) centered around settlements like New Amsterdam (later New York).

Henry Hudson

Explorer who navigated for the Dutch, reaching the river that bears his name and boosting Dutch claims in North America.

New Amsterdam

Capital of New Netherland located at the southern tip of Manhattan; renamed New York in 1664 after English takeover.

New Netherland (1614–1674)

Dutch colonial territory in North America that included parts of modern-day New York and New Jersey.

Roanoke (1585)

English attempt to establish a colony at Roanoke Island; the mysterious “Lost Colony.”

Jamestown (1607)

First permanent English settlement in North America; faced famine, disease, and conflict with Indigenous groups.

Powhatan Confederacy

Network of Indigenous tribes in Virginia led by Chief Powhatan; key interactions with Jamestown settlers.

Pocahontas

Daughter of Powhatan who aided Jamestown; later married John Rolfe, symbolizing colonial-era diplomacy.

John Rolfe

English colonist who cultivated tobacco in Virginia and married Pocahontas, stabilizing the colony’s economy.

Tobacco

Cash crop that sustained Virginia’s economy and spurred labor demands and migration.

Indentured Servants

Workers who exchanged years of service for passage to America and the promise of land or freedom.

Headright system

Policy granting land (often 50 acres) to settlers who paid for their own or others’ passage.

House of Burgesses (1619)

First representative assembly in Colonial America, established in Virginia.

Africans in 1619

Arrival of 20 Africans in Virginia; beginning of African slavery within British North America.

Puritans

Religious group seeking to reform the Church of England; established the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Pilgrims

Separatists who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620 seeking religious freedom.

City upon a Hill

Puritan ideal of a morally exemplary, covenant-rich society in Massachusetts Bay.

Roger Williams

Founder of Rhode Island; advocated religious liberty and separation of church and state.

Rhode Island

Colony established by Roger Williams as a haven for religious freedom and separation of church and state.

Salem

Town in Massachusetts Bay; later associated with the witchcraft trials and Puritan settlement.

Plymouth

Settlement established by Pilgrims in 1620 as part of early English colonization.

Boston

Major city and port of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

New Haven

English colony in Connecticut founded by Puritans as part of New England settlement.