Colonial History Flashcards (1580s-1754)

$1492$ Exploration: Christopher Columbus arrived in the Western Hemisphere, a region previously unknown to Europeans, initiating the period of Spanish dominance and global interaction.
$1500 ext{s}$ Spanish Expansion: Throughout this century, Spain explored the Western hemisphere and successfully conquered territories rich in gold and silver.
European Atlantic Exploration: Other European nations concurrently explored the hemisphere, primarily engaging in fishing operations along the Atlantic coast during the $1500 ext{s}$ .
Indigenous Mortality: During the $1500 ext{s}$ , Native Americans (Indians) living along the coasts died at alarming rates due to a lack of biological immunity to diseases introduced by Europeans.
The "COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE": This period saw an acceleration of trade between Europe and the Americas, characterized by the exchange of various produce and biological agents.

The Protestant Revolution ( $1517$ ): Led by figures such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, this movement posed a definitive challenge to the established power of the Catholic Church.
The Anglican Church ( $1527$ ): King Henry VIII severed England's ties with the Catholic faith to establish the "Anglican Church," placing the English monarch at the head of religious life.
Roanoke Colony ( $1585$ ): Established by England as an early colonial attempt, the settlement famously vanished, leaving its fate a mystery.

Jamestown ( $1607$ ): Settled by the Virginia Company; the colony faced extreme hardship, with over $50\%$ of the population dying within the first year.
Captain John Smith ( $1608$ - $1609$ ): Smith is credited with bringing order and ensuring the survival of Jamestown; he eventually left the colony after suffering a burn injury.
Tobacco Discovery ( $1614$ ): John Rolfe discovered that tobacco grew exceptionally well in the soil of Virginia and Maryland, creating a viable economic foundation.
The "Headright" System ( $1618$ ): To encourage migration, Virginia offered $50$ acres of land to any individual who traveled to the colony.
Major Developments of $1619$ : - The first African slaves were sold in Jamestown. - The introduction of "democracy" through the establishment of the House of Burgesses.
Establishment of Maryland ( $1634$ ): Settled by the Calvert family (proprietary governors) as a specific haven for Catholics, though they were ultimately outnumbered by Puritans.
Bacon's Rebellion ( $1676$ ): A conflict in Virginia pitting the wealthy elite under Governor William Berkeley against the "rabble" led by Nathaniel Bacon.

The Pilgrims ( $1620$ ): Separatists landed at Plymouth after signing the Mayflower Compact; they received assistance from Squanto and utilized indentured servants from Virginia.
The Puritans ( $1630$ ): Congregationalists arrived in Massachusetts in numbers $10$ times higher than the original Plymouth settlement.
John Winthrop: The Massachusetts governor who established the "city on a hill" focus, envisioning the colony as a model of Christian society.
Puritan Work Ethic: In the $1630 ext{s}$ , this ideology emerged, signifying that hard work was a sign of God's financial blessing, fostering a belief that the wealthy were spiritually superior.
Half Way Covenant ( $1662$ ): New England church leadership established this to allow the children of existing members to participate in the church, even if they had not had a full conversion experience.
Salem Witchcraft Trials ( $1692$ ): An outbreak of social disorder that reflected underlying economic disparities within the community.

New Amsterdam ( $1624$ ): Originally established by the Dutch in Manhattan; it was seized by the English and renamed "New York" in $1664$ .
Rhode Island ( $1636$ ): Established by Roger Williams, who championed the "separation of Church and State."
Connecticut ( $1636$ ): Established by Thomas Hooker, a Puritan seeking an even more pure version of the church than Massachusetts offered.
The Pequot War ( $1636$ ): A violent conflict where Puritans massacred Pequot Indians for land, most notably during the Mystic River Massacre.
King Phillip’s War ( $1675$ ): A conflict between Massachusetts Puritans and their former ally Metacomet (known to the English as Phillip).
The Carolinas ( $1663$ ): Originally one entity, they were separated into North and South Carolina in $1729$ ; North Carolina was characterized as poor, while South Carolina grew wealthy.
Pennsylvania ( $1681$ ): Established by William Penn as a Quaker colony open to people of any religious faith.
Georgia ( $1732$ ): Founded by James Oglethorpe as a haven for debtors and a strategic military buffer against Spanish interests to the south.

The First Great Awakening ( $1730 ext{s}$ - $1740 ext{s}$ ): A Protestant evangelical revival emphasizing individual faith and personal salvation. Key figures included evangelical pastor George Whitefield. It created a divide between "New Lights" (revivalists) and "Old Lights" (traditionalists).
The Enlightenment ( $1740 ext{s}$ ): Ideals such as the "consent of the governed" began to influence colonial political thinking.
French and Indian War ( $1754$ ): The start of a major conflict; during this year, Benjamin Franklin introduced "The Albany Plan" for colonial union, though it was not adopted.

Regional Economic Drivers: - New England and New York: Characterized by subsistence farming to feed families, requiring residents to take other jobs to earn money. - Middle Colonies: Focused on "Staple Crops" such as wheat, corn, and oats, which served as one-season commodities. - Southern Colonies: Driven by highly profitable "Cash Crops" which led to the deep rooting of slavery.
Specific Crop Regionalization: - Chesapeake (Virginia and Maryland): Dominated by Tobacco production. - Deep South: Specialized in Rice and Indigo, which offered an alternative growing season.

Religious Regionalization: - New England: Congregationalist (Puritan), operating as a democratic theocracy led by an elite leadership. - Middle Colonies: Primarily Quaker, but notable for religious acceptance (e.g., Jewish populations in New York and Philadelphia). - Southern Colonies: Anglican; a very formal English form of Catholicism.
Governance: The overarching system was a Mercantilist economy regulated by democratically elected colonial assemblies.