Unit 2 Key Terms Flashcards
Roanoke
1587-1590
* The first colony established by the English in the USA, established in Virginia
* Colonists disappeared without a trace, and the English chose to ignore the USA for a while
Jamestown
1607
* England’s second attempt at a colony in the US, established in Virginia
* Heavily focused on economic gains
* Barely survived, 40 of 110 made it through a year because of disease, famine and native attacks
* Had the Powhatan tribe as on/off allies, Pocahontas existed and attempted peace
Joint-Stock Companies
- A private business funded by investors who profited when the business did well
Tobacco
- A very labor-intensive crop, could grow 9 months a year in Jamestown
- One of the first American cash crops, allowed Jamestown to survive
Forced Labor in the Early USA
- The English couldn’t enslave natives, had to find other labor services
- People worked as indentured servants, worked for a few years then got land and were free
- Switched to African slaves after Bacon’s rebellion
People Moving in the Early USA
- The English crown attempted to coerce people to go to America, focusing on people of lower classes and criminals who wanted to restart their lives
- England was going through enclosure movements and kicked families off land to use for themselves. Those families then moved to the US for land
Treatment of Farmers/Indentured Servants
- Farmers usually got land closer to water and farther from Native Americans
- Former indentured servants got land in the back county, which couldn’t grow much and was near Natives
Economics in the Early USA
- Ruled with mercantilist ideals
- Relied heavily on cash crops like tobacco
- Poor heavily outnumbered the rich
Politics in Jamestown
- Governors were initially appointed by the king, and laws bounced back to the mainland crown
- Had a system of checks & balances
Bacon’s Rebellion
1676
* Nathaniel Bacon left his plantation to return and see his overseer killed by natives
* Bacon asked Gov. Berkley for protection, but Berkley refused saying it was too expensive
* Bacon allied with back county farmers and rebelled, Berkley fled and Bacon took control
* Rebellion died when Bacon died and Baconites were separated by race
* Brits stopped sending indentured servants and the colonies switched to slavery
Plymouth colony
1620-1691
* Located on the handle of Massachusetts, the Pilgrims/Separatists who came for religious isolation
* The second successful British colony, had a tenuous relationship with Natives
Mayflower Compact
1620
* A legal document binding the Pilgrims together when they reached New England
* Brought English concepts of law and liberty to the New World, the first document to establish self-government
House of Burgesses
1619
* An assembly in Virginia that could levy taxes and pass laws
Puritans
- Crazy religious, believed life after death was decided before birth
- Any selfish thoughts were banned, thought they had to set god’s example as the perfect people
- Lots of social interaction and supervision, the non-pure were banished to die
King Phillip’s War / Metacom’s War
1675-1678
* A Native American Wampanoag convert warned the colonies about an impending attack and got executed by the Natives
* War began, was a last-ditch effort by Natives not to recognize English authority
* English won, started taking more land and attacking natives more frequently
Salem Witch Trials
1692-1693
* Salem was split into town (near water, focus on fish and trade) and village (near land, focus on crops).
* Salem village began accusing people in Salem town of being witches, rooted in jealousy
* Only took an accusation to go to trial, targeted post-menopausal, widowed, or outspoken women
* Went to trial without evidence until evidence was made mandatory, trials died after that
The Enlightenment
1700s-1800s
* A movement towards science and questioning the existence of god
* Encouraged people to use logic and reasoning instead of just believing
* People began challenging god, leading to people challenging other authorities
The First Great Awakening
1720s-1740s
* After the Enlightenment people needed religious support, itinerant preachers preached for people to select their own beliefs
* One of the first unifying experiences for the colonies and gave people individual choice
Triangular Trade
- Trade between Europe, Africa, and the US colonies
- US traded resources, Europe traded finished goods, Africa traded slaves
Navigation Acts
- A set of laws requiring merchants to trade with the English colonies and ships
- Allowed colonial ports and merchants to thrive
Stono Rebellion
1739
* A small group of slaves took weapons and killed their owners
* Marched along the Stono River, killing white people and burning down plantations as they went
New Light Clergy
- A group of Christian colonial ministers who grieved over the Enlightenment’s attack on religion
- Emphasized the democratic principles of the Bible
Anglicanization
- To become more English-like, used to describe the US colonies
