Key Terms and Concepts from Early American History

These flashcards summarize key terms and concepts from the lecture on Early American History, focusing on important events, figures, and theories that shaped the development of the United States.

Joint-stock company

A system where merchants share shipping investments to lower the risk of exports, primarily used by the English, Dutch, and French.

Calvinism

A branch of Protestantism founded by John Calvin, emphasizing predestination and the belief that one's fate is determined by God.

Encomienda

A labor system established by the Spanish where natives worked in exchange for protection and education; often led to severe mistreatment.

Metis

Colonists of mixed European and Native American ancestry who participated in trade and cultural exchange.

Middle Ground

A space of interaction and negotiation between Native Americans and colonizers, where both sides exchanged goods and ideas.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in America established in 1607, which faced starvation and conflict with local tribes.

Headright system

A system granting land to settlers based on the number of people brought into the colonies, creating tension with Native Americans.

Mercantilism

An economic theory (16th-19th century) where colonial wealth is accumulated by trade and resource extraction for the benefit of the mother country.

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of people, animals, foods, and diseases between the Old World and the New World.

Pueblo Revolt

An uprising against Spanish rule in 1680 led by Popé, which communicated through knotted ropes.

New Amsterdam

A Dutch colony that became present-day New York City, significant for its role in trade.

Richard Hakluyt

An English writer who promoted colonization of the New World through advocacy and propaganda.

Powhatan Confederacy

A group of Native American tribes in Virginia that interacted with English settlers at Jamestown, leading to conflict.

House of Burgesses

The first legislative assembly in the American colonies, established in Virginia in 1619.

Act of Toleration

A 1649 Maryland law granting religious freedom to Trinitarian Christians.

Mayflower Compact

The first governing document of Plymouth Colony, establishing a form of self-governance.

John Winthrop

A leading figure in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony who envisioned it as a 'City on a Hill'.

Anne Hutchinson

A Puritan woman who challenged the church's authority and was banished for her beliefs.

Pequot War

A violent conflict between English settlers and Pequot Indians in the 1630s over territory.

Triangle Trade

A transatlantic trading system between Europe, Africa, and the Americas involving the exchange of goods and slaves.

Bacon's Rebellion

A 1676 revolt by Virginia settlers against the governor's policies, highlighting tensions between English settlers and Native Americans.

Halfway Covenant

A form of partial church membership created to allow more people to join the Puritan church.

Navigation Acts

A series of laws that restricted colonial trade to benefit England.

Deism

A belief in a creator who does not intervene in the universe, popular in the 18th century.

Great Awakening

A series of religious revivals in the American colonies during the 1730s and 1740s that emphasized personal faith.

Salutary neglect

An English policy of relaxing the enforcement of regulations in its colonies, leading to an increase in colonial self-governance.

Albany Plan

A plan proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 to create a unified government for the Thirteen Colonies.

French and Indian War

A conflict from 1754 to 1763 between Britain and France in North America, resulting in British dominance.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

The agreement that ended the French and Indian War, ceding French territories in North America to Britain.

Proclamation of 1763

A British decree prohibiting colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Sugar Act

A tax imposed in 1764 on sugar and molasses imported into the colonies.

Currency Act

A 1764 law requiring colonists to use British currency, limiting their own paper currency.

Stamp Act

A 1765 law requiring colonists to pay tax on every piece of printed paper they used.

Quartering Act

A law requiring colonists to provide housing and supplies for British troops.

Sons of Liberty

A group of patriots formed to resist British policies and taxes.

Boston Massacre

A deadly confrontation in 1770 between British soldiers and Boston colonists.

Boston Tea Party

A 1773 protest against British taxation where colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

Continental Congress

A gathering of representatives from the Thirteen Colonies to discuss and respond to British policies.

Common Sense

A pamphlet by Thomas Paine advocating for American independence and criticizing British rule.

Republican motherhood

The idea that women should be educated to raise virtuous citizens in a republic.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, which created a weak central government.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The treaty that ended the Revolutionary War, recognizing American independence.

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

Legislation that provided a method for admitting new states to the Union and set a precedent for future governance.

Shays' Rebellion

An armed uprising in 1786-1787 by Massachusetts farmers protesting economic injustices.

Virginia Plan

A proposal for a bicameral legislative structure based on state population.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal to create a unicameral legislature with equal representation for all states.

Federalism

A system of government that divides power between a national government and regional governments.

Checks and balances

A principle of government that ensures no one branch becomes too powerful.

Three-fifths compromise

An agreement during the Constitutional Convention that each slave would count as three-fifths of a person for representation.

Federalists

Supporters of the Constitution who advocated for a strong central government.

Anti-federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who feared a strong central government would threaten individual liberties.

The Federalist Papers

A series of essays written to support the ratification of the Constitution.