Comprehensive U.S. Colonial and Native American History Key Terms

Great ice age

Extended period when glaciers covered most of the North American continent

bering land bridge

a strip of land connecting Alaska with Russia that emerged from underwater around 38,000 BC

Mexico

The Aztecs in Mexico were able to develop a

sophisticated society primarily due to their cultivation of

corn. The people fed their population on corn and based

their entire ways of life on this staple crop. Around 20

million people in Mexico alone were fed on corn and

established societies due to earlier settlers.

South America

Many settlers made their way South to

South America where different tribes such as the Incas,

Mayans, and Aztecs developed civilizations. These

civilizations grew and developed due to the cultivation of

maize. Within these tribes in South America, discoveries

were made and they were able to survive even without

advanced technology.

corn

The cultivation of corn became a staple crop to feed

the large populations of South American civilizations. The

planting of corn allowed for societies to grow as it led to

them being able to feed people and give their population a

job to do. Corn was crucial to the Pueblo population in

particular and created more complex societies.

Mound builders

native american civilizations of the eastern region of north america that created distinctive earthen works that served as elaborate burial places

three sister farming

Agricultural system employed by North American Indians as early as 1000 A.D.; maize, beans, and squash were grown together to maximize yields.

iriquois confederecy

The Iroquois people were located

in the northeastern woodland region of North America.

They were led by leader Hiawatha who helped establish

the Iroquois Confederacy, a political organization

designed to form a military against its neighbors.

Hispaniola

First island in Caribbean settled by Spaniards; settlement founded by Columbus on second voyage to New World; Spanish base of operations for further discoveries in New World.

columbian exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus's voyages.

bartolome de las casas

First bishop of Chiapas, in southern Mexico. He devoted most of his life to protecting Amerindian peoples from exploitation. His major achievement was the New Laws of 1542, which limited the ability of Spanish settlers to compel Amerindians to labor.

conquistadores

Spanish 'conqueror' or soldier in the New World. They were searching for the 3-G's: gold, God, and glory.

california missions

-Jesuits established five permanent settlements in Baja California in the early 1700s

-Franciscan friars established 21 Spanish missions along the California coast from San Diego to Sonoma (one day's journey apart at completion), 1769-1823

-Linked by California's first transportation route, the El Camino Real

-Father Serra is credited with the development of the mission system; his lasting contributions are controversial

-Around 1830, the mission system began a secularization process. By 1836, most mission property was privately owned

pueblo revolt

Native American revolt against the Spanish in late 17th century; expelled the Spanish for over 10 years; Spain began to take an accommodating approach to Natives after the revolt

Jacques cartier

French explorer who explored the St. Lawrence river and laid claim to the region for France (1491-1557)

Robert de la salle

Frenchman who followed the Mississippi River all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, claiming the region for France and naming it Louisiana in honor of King Louis XIV

potosi

Located in Bolivia, one of the richest silver mining centers and most populous cities in colonial Spanish America.

black legend

False notion that Spanish conquerors did little but butcher the Indians and steal their gold in the name of Christ.

protestant reformation

A religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches.

spanish armada

"Invincible" group of ships sent by King Philip II of Spain to invade England in 1588; Armada was defeated by smaller, more maneuverable English "sea dogs" in the Channel; marked the beginning of English naval dominance and fall of Spanish dominance.

Richard hakluyt

English promoter of exploration. In 1584 he wrote A Discourse of Western Planting in which he pleaded for colonies to accomplish diverse objects: to extend the reformed religion, to expand trade, to supply England's needs from her own dominions, and various other reasons for exploration.

joint stock company

A company made up of a group of shareholders. Each shareholder contributes some money to the company and receives some share of the company's profits and debts.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, found in East Virginia

Powhatans

The native inhabitants of Virginia who helped the English

colonists by trading with them.

John Rolfe

He was one of the English settlers at Jamestown (and he married Pocahontas). He discovered how to successfully grow tobacco in Virginia and cure it for export, which made Virginia an economically successful colony.

tobacco

Cash crop that made a profit and saved Jamestown

slavery

A system of enforced servitude in which some people are owned by other people.

house of burgesses

1619 - The Virginia House of Burgesses formed, the first legislative body in colonial America. Later other colonies would adopt houses of burgesses.

lord Baltimore

Founded the colony of Maryland and offered religious freedom to all Christian colonists. He did so because he knew that members of his own religion (Catholicism) would be a minority in the colony.

West Indies

islands that lie between southeastern North America and northern South America, and separate the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean

sugar

Sugar was the crop that the West Indian economy

relied heavily on. Sugar was known as the rich man's crop

as it could only be planted extensively to yield large

quantities of it. The production of sugar was a capital

intensive business and only wealthier people were able to

be successful in sugar as it required a lot of money to

invest.

barbados slave code

The harsh system of laws governing African labor, first developed in Barbados and later officially adopted by South Carolina in 1696

English civil war

civil war in England between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists under Charles I

carolinas

1665 - Charles II granted this land to pay off a debt to some supporters. They instituted headrights and a representative government to attract colonists. The southern region of the Carolinas grew rich off its ties to the sugar islands, while the poorer northern region was composed mainly of farmers. The conflicts between the regions eventually led to the colony being split into North and South Carolina.

Georgia

Georgia was founded in 1733 and was the last of

the 13 original colonies. The original intent of Georgia by

the English was to serve as a buffer between the Spanish

and French who had control of other colonies near the

Carolinas. Since the colony suffered from the wars against

the Spanish, the colony had trouble growing as much as

the others.

plantations

Huge farms that required a large labor force to grow crops

John Calvin

1509-1564. French theologian. Developed the Christian theology known as Calvinism. Attracted Protestant followers with his teachings.

puritanism

The religion of a group of religious dissidents who came to the New World so they would have a location to establish a "purer" church than the one that existed in England

plymouth

Colony settled by the Pilgrims. It eventually merged with Massachusetts Bay colony.

William Bradford

A Pilgrim, the second governor of the Plymouth colony, 1621-1657. He developed private land ownership and helped colonists get out of debt. He helped the colony survive droughts, crop failures, and Indian attacks.

mayflower compact

the first governing document of Plymouth Colony

first winter at Plymouth

The Pilgrims didn't have enough food or proper shelters. Nearly half the settlers, including the governor, died from diseases or starvation. Their faith remained strong.

Massachusetts bay colony

One of the first settlements in New England; established in 1630 and became a major Puritan colony. Became the state of Massachusetts, originally where Boston is located. It was a major trading center, and absorbed the Plymouth community

John Winthrop

Puritan governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony. Speaker of "City upon a hill"

anne hutchinson

A Puritan woman who was well learned that disagreed with the Puritan Church in Massachusetts Bay Colony. Her actions resulted in her banishment from the colony, and later took part in the formation of Rhode Island. She displayed the importance of questioning authority.

Roger williams

He founded Rhode Island for separation of Church and State. He believed that the Puritans were too powerful and was ordered to leave the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious beliefs.

New England confederation

New England colonists formed the New England Confederation in 1643 as a defense against local Native American tribes and encroaching Dutch. The colonists formed the alliance without the English crown's authorization.

connecticut river

Source in far northern New Hampshire, forms all of border between Vermont and New Hampshire before emptying into Long Island Sound (major cities: Hartford)

Ipswich

Town in Massachusetts where east anglican puritans settled.

king Phillips war

The last significant effort by the Indians of southern New England to drive away English settlers. The Indians were led by Metacom, the Pokunoket chief whom English setters called "King Philip."

King Charles II

He was asked to be king by Parliament in 1659. He restored the monarchy, therefore his rule is known as the Restoration.

navigation laws

Series of laws passed, beginning in 1651, to regulate colonial shipping; the acts provided that only English ships would be allowed to trade in English and colonial ports, and that all goods destined for the colonies would first pass through England.

new netherlands

A colony founded by the Dutch in the New World. It became New York.

thirty years war

Protestant rebellion against the Holy Roman Empire ends with peace of westpahlia.1618-48) A series of European wars that were partially a Catholic-Protestant religious conflict. It was primarily a batlte between France and their rivals the Hapsburg's, rulers of the Holy Roman Empire.

Peter Stuyvesant

The governor of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, hated by the colonists. They surrendered the colony to the English on Sept. 8, 1664.

William penn

A Quaker that founded Pennsylvania to establish a place where his people and others could live in peace and be free from persecution.

quakers

English dissenters who broke from Church of England, preache a doctrine of pacificism, inner divinity, and social equity, under William Penn they founded Pennsylvania

middle colonies

New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware

unhealthy Chesapeake

life in the American wilderness was harsh, disease killed many, few died to live to 40 or 50 years, women were very scarce, few people knew grandparents

indentured servitude

A worker bound by a voluntary agreement to work for a specified period of years often in return for free passage to an overseas destination. Before 1800 most were Europeans; after 1800 most indentured laborers were Asians.

William Berkley

Governor of Virginia, who profited from his position and was blamed for a drop in tobacco prices which incited Bacon's Rebellion, after which he was removed from office.

bacons rebellion

1676 - Nathaniel Bacon and other western Virginia settlers were angry at Virginia Governor Berkley for trying to appease the Doeg Indians after the Doegs attacked the western settlements. The frontiersmen formed an army, with Bacon as its leader, which defeated the Indians and then marched on Jamestown and burned the city. The rebellion ended suddenly when Bacon died of an illness.

virginia slave codes

Laws that made it harder for slaves to gain freedom, and it gave the masters more rights to treat them terribly

banjo

a stringed instrument of the guitar family that has long neck and circular body that africans brought to america

africans

The Africans being brought to America soon

became known as African-Americans, as their

descendants were American born. As the black population

began to grow in slave colonies, the Africans had to work

to preserve their traditions when assimilating into a new

place. Their traditional ways of life became mended into

ideas from both the Old and New World in which they

were referred to more as African-Americans than just

Africans.

slave culture

While on plantations laves created their own culture such as the language pidgin, religion, and the importance of family. This showed that no matter what blacks would not lose their faith.

New England family

less disease, longevity, tended to migrate as families, more women than in the south, more stable family life, grandparents,

half way covenant

A Puritan church document; In 1662, the Halfway Covenant allowed partial membership rights to persons not yet converted into the Puritan church; It lessened the difference between the "elect" members of the church from the regular members; Women soon made up a larger portion of Puritan congregations.

Salem witch trials

Several accusations of witchcraft led to sensational trials in Salem, Massachusetts at which Cotton Mather presided as the chief judge. 18 people were hanged as witches. Afterwards, most of the people involved admitted that the trials and executions had been a terrible mistake.

new England climate

Moderate summers, cold/harsh winters