Atlantic World, Colonial Regions, and Revolutionary Foundations (1607–1815)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Unit 1 USHC notes: colonial motives, migration, governance, economy, religion, and early American political thought.

Mercantilism

Economic policy where colonies exist to enrich the mother country by providing raw materials and serving as markets; wealth measured by precious metals.

Triangle Trade

Interregional network linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas through exchange of goods, enslaved people, and raw materials under mercantilism.

Salutary Neglect

British policy of loosely enforcing trade laws in the colonies, which unintentionally encouraged colonial self-government.

Mayflower Compact

1620 self-government agreement by the Pilgrims establishing a civil body politic in the Massachusetts area.

City Upon a Hill

Puritan motto describing Massachusetts Bay as a model Christian community for the world.

Puritans

English religious reformers who sought to purify the Church of England and settled in Massachusetts Bay.

Quakers

Religious group emphasizing inner light and spiritual equality; promoted religious tolerance.

Rhode Island

Colony founded by Roger Williams for religious liberty and dissenters.

Joint-Stock Colony

Colony owned and run by a company; investors share profits and risks (e.g., early Massachusetts Bay system).

Proprietary Colony

Colony granted to individuals to govern as they see fit (e.g., Pennsylvania under William Penn).

Headright System

Land grant of 50 acres for each indentured servant brought to the colony to attract settlers.

Indentured Servant

Person who pledges years of labor in exchange for passage to the colonies and basic needs.

Slavery (Middle Passage)

Forced labor system where Africans were transported to the Americas; Middle Passage was the brutal voyage.

Plantation System

Large-scale agricultural system in the South relying on slave labor and cash crops.

Cash Crops

Crops grown for sale (e.g., tobacco, rice, indigo) that drove colonial economies.

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement emphasizing natural rights, reason, and separation of powers influencing American government (Locke, Montesquieu).

Albany Plan of Union

1754 proposal by Ben Franklin for colonial unity, prefacing later calls for collective action.

Join or Die

Slogan and cartoon promoting colonial unity during early resistance efforts.

First Continental Congress

1774 gathering of colonial delegates to coordinate resistance to British policies.

Stamp Act Congress

1765 meeting of delegates to organize resistance to the Stamp Act.

Declaration of Independence

1776 document declaring the American colonies independent from Britain.

Articles of Confederation

First national framework (1781–1789) with a weak central government and strong states.

Constitution

1787 framework establishing a stronger federal government, replacing the Articles.

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments (1791) protecting individual liberties and limiting government power.

Federalism

Division of power between national and state governments; central theme in the 1787 Constitution.

Separation of Powers

Division of government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent tyranny.

Impeachment

Process of charging a public official with wrongdoing; may lead to removal.

Veto

Executive power to reject legislation; a check on the legislative branch.

Judicial Review

Power of courts to declare laws unconstitutional; established in Marbury v. Madison (1803).

Marbury v. Madison

1803 Supreme Court case that established judicial review as a check on legislation.

First Great Awakening

Early 18th-century religious revival emphasizing personal faith and undermining strict denominational control.

Roger Williams

Puritan dissenter who founded Rhode Island and advocated religious liberty and separation of church and state.