American

Jamestown

  • Founded in 1607 as the first permanent English settlement in North America.

  • Located in Virginia and funded by the Virginia Company.

  • Struggled initially due to famine, disease, and conflict with Native Americans.

Powhatan

  • A powerful Native American confederacy in Virginia.

  • Led by Chief Powhatan, father of Pocahontas.

  • Initially had tense relations with the Jamestown settlers.

Cash Crops (Tobacco, etc.)

  • Tobacco became the main cash crop in Virginia and Maryland.

  • Other cash crops included rice and indigo, particularly in the southern colonies.

  • Led to the rise of plantation economies and increased demand for labor.

Indentured Servants

  • Labor system where individuals worked for a set number of years in exchange for passage to America.

  • Common in the 17th century before being largely replaced by African slavery.

Lord Calvert of Maryland

  • George Calvert, also known as Lord Baltimore, founded Maryland as a haven for Catholics.

  • Established Maryland's religious tolerance policies through the Act of Toleration in 1649.

Virginia Company

  • Joint-stock company that funded the settlement of Jamestown.

  • Had the goal of profit from the resources of the New World.

Chesapeake Colonies

  • Consisted of Virginia and Maryland.

  • Economy centered on tobacco farming.

  • Relied heavily on indentured servants and later African slaves.

Middle Colonies

  • Included New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

  • Known for religious and ethnic diversity.

  • Economy was a mix of agriculture and trade.

New England Colonies

  • Included Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire.

  • Economy based on small farms, fishing, and shipbuilding.

  • Strong Puritan influence.

Mayflower Compact

  • Signed in 1620 by Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower.

  • First form of self-government in the New World.

  • Established a social contract for the Plymouth Colony.

William Bradford

  • Governor of Plymouth Colony for over 30 years.

  • Wrote "Of Plymouth Plantation," a detailed history of the colony.

  • Helped stabilize the colony and foster relations with Native Americans.

Plymouth

  • Settled in 1620 by Pilgrims seeking religious freedom.

  • Located in present-day Massachusetts.

  • Survived early hardships with the help of Native Americans.

John Winthrop

  • First governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

  • Delivered the famous "City upon a Hill" sermon.

  • Emphasized Puritan religious values and community.

"City upon a hill"

  • Phrase from John Winthrop's sermon, meaning the Puritans' colony should be a model Christian society.

  • Symbol of American exceptionalism.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

  • Established by Puritans in 1630.

  • Governed as a theocratic society with strict religious laws.

  • Economically successful due to trade and agriculture.

Wampanoag vs. Narragansetts

  • Two prominent Native American tribes in New England.

  • Allied with and fought against English settlers during various conflicts.

Pequot War

  • 1636-1638 war between the Pequot tribe and English settlers in New England.

  • Resulted in the near destruction of the Pequot people.

Thomas Hooker

  • Founded Connecticut in 1636 after dissenting from Puritan leadership in Massachusetts.

  • Advocated for greater religious tolerance and democratic governance.

Roger Williams

  • Founder of Rhode Island in 1636.

  • Championed religious freedom and separation of church and state.

  • Banished from Massachusetts Bay for his beliefs.

Anne Hutchinson

  • Religious dissenter in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

  • Banished for her controversial religious teachings.

  • Later settled in Rhode Island.

King Philip's War

  • 1675-1676 conflict between Native Americans led by Metacom (King Philip) and New England settlers.

  • One of the deadliest wars in American history by proportion of the population.

William Penn

  • Founder of Pennsylvania in 1681.

  • Quaker who promoted religious tolerance and good relations with Native Americans.

  • Pennsylvania became known for its diversity and democratic governance.

Virginia House of Burgesses

  • Established in 1619 as the first representative assembly in the American colonies.

  • Allowed colonists a voice in local governance.

Bacon's Rebellion

  • 1676 uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor Berkeley.

  • Protested the governor’s policies on Native Americans and representation.

  • Led to changes in labor systems, including a shift toward slavery.

King William's War

  • 1689-1697 conflict between French and English colonists in North America.

  • Part of a larger series of wars between France and England in Europe.

Triangle Trade

  • Trade system connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

  • Involved the exchange of slaves, raw materials, and manufactured goods.

  • Central to the Atlantic economy during the colonial era.

Olaudah Equiano

  • Former enslaved African who wrote a famous autobiography detailing the horrors of slavery.

  • Became a prominent abolitionist in England.

Middle Passage

  • The harrowing journey enslaved Africans endured across the Atlantic Ocean.

  • Many died due to brutal conditions on the ships.

Stono Rebellion

  • 1739 slave uprising in South Carolina.

  • Largest slave rebellion in the British colonies.

  • Led to stricter slave codes.

Mercantilism

  • Economic theory that colonies existed to benefit the mother country by providing raw materials.

  • Promoted export over import to accumulate wealth.

Navigation Acts

  • Series of British laws that restricted colonial trade to benefit England.

  • Colonists could only trade with England or English ships.

Salutary Neglect

  • British policy of loosely enforcing trade regulations in the colonies.

  • Allowed colonies to operate with considerable independence.

Harvard and Yale Colleges

  • Harvard (1636) and Yale (1701) were among the first institutions of higher education in America.

  • Both founded primarily to train ministers.

Cotton Mather

  • Influential Puritan minister and author in Massachusetts.

  • Known for his involvement in the Salem witch trials and his support of inoculation during a smallpox outbreak.

Poor Richard's Almanac

  • Published by Benjamin Franklin from 1732-1758.

  • Famous for its witty sayings and practical advice.

Halfway Covenant

  • 1662 Puritan policy that allowed partial church membership for the children of baptized, but unconverted, church members.

  • Aimed to maintain church membership as religious fervor waned.

Great Awakening

  • Series of religious revivals in the American colonies during the 1730s and 1740s.

  • Emphasized personal faith and emotional religious experiences.

George Whitefield

  • English preacher who was a key figure in the Great Awakening.

  • His emotional sermons drew large crowds and inspired widespread religious enthusiasm.

Jonathan Edwards

  • Puritan minister whose sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is one of the most famous from the Great Awakening.

  • Stressed human sinfulness and the need for personal repentance.

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"

  • Famous sermon by Jonathan Edwards.

  • Described the wrath of God and the potential for eternal damnation, aiming to inspire religious fervor.