Student Study Guide – Unit 1: Colonial America – Life in a New Land, 1492-1763
MAJOR ERAS AND EVENTS IN THIS UNIT

The Exploration and Colonization of North America
o The Discovery of America and Exploration of Lands Beginning in 1492
o The Establishment of the 13 English Colonies in North America
o The Origins of Representative Government (or Democracy & Republicanism) in the 13 Colonies
o The Origins of Religious Freedom in the 13 Colonies
o The Economic System of Mercantilism
DATES YOU MUST KNOW FOR THIS UNIT
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1492 – The Discovery of the Americas and Exploration of the West Indies by the Spanish Empire (Christopher
Columbus)
1607 – The founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World
1620 – The arrival of the Pilgrims in the New World and the signing of Mayflower Compact
1776 – The Declaration of Independence was written creating the United States of America
Section 1: European Exploration and Colonization
REASONS FOR EUROPEAN EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION
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The Crusades – a series of wars between the Christian Empires of Europe and the Muslim Empires of the Middle
East (Southwest Asia)
o
These wars took place over hundreds of years at the beginning of the Second Millennium in the
Common Era (also called AD) and were fought to gain control of the Holy Land (ancient Israel, holy to
both Christians, Jews, and Muslims)
o
As Christian warriors returned home from the Middle East, they passed down stories of far-away lands,
massive treasure, and high adventure to their descendants, who maintained an interest in traveling far
beyond Europe.
Reasons Why the Age of Exploration Began in the Late 1400’s
1. Religion (GOD) – Desire to spread Christianity around the world
2. Wealth (GOLD) – Potential of discovering vast sources of gold and silver (English & Spanish interests) and
animal furs (French interest)
3. Fame and Personal Glory (GLORY)
4. National Pride and Political Advantages over competing nations & empires
5. Curiosity and “a Spirit of Adventure”
6. New sailing technologies and instruments (such as the compass and astrolabe)
7. Faster, Cheaper, and Safer Trade Routes to Asia (mainly China and India)

Reasons for European Colonization of the Americas
1. Desire for Religious Freedom
2. The Change for Political Freedom (for the lower classes; those who were NOT nobility)
3. Economic opportunity for nations to gain more raw materials and new markets
4. Social mobility (individuals escaping the European class system, lower classes able to own land in the 13
English Colonies)
5. The possibility for a better way of life in America than back in Europe
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE

The Columbian Exchange
o The exchange of (both intended and unintended) plants, animals, and diseases between the Western
and Eastern Hemispheres, occurring after Christopher Columbus’ exploration of the Americas beginning
in 1492
o It was one of the most significant events in all of World History because of the impact it had, not just on
humans, but nearly every living thing on the planet
o Entire cultures changed (or were wiped out) in just a matter of years due to the influx of new plants,
animals, foods, and diseases
o Diseases, in particular, changed the demographics of the entire world. In the Americas, the Native
Americans had no resistance or immunities to the various diseases that had been killing Africans, Asians,
and Europeans for centuries. Therefore, the Native Americans died by the millions over a period of just
two centuries. Current estimates would have us believe that 18 million Native Americans died from
diseases (a vast majority of the people native to the Western Hemisphere as of 1492)
POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL REASONS FOR ESTABLISHING 13 ENGLISH COLONIES
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Political Reasons
o English competition with Spain and France, who already had many colonies in the America
o Charters were granted to companies to establish new colonies
o Monarchs in Europe had money to fund colonial expeditions
Economic Reasons
o To Increase trade and create new markets for English exports (The Policy of Mercantilism)
o To Search for new sources of raw materials
Religious Reasons
o People seeking religious freedom
o Freedom from European persecution for one’s religious beliefs
Social Reasons
o Opportunity for adventure and better way of life
o England was overcrowded and peasant settlers desired to own their own land; English debtors and
criminals were sent to the colony of Georgia to work off their debts to society
SECTION 2: Representative Government
REASONS FOR GROWTH OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AND INSTITUTIONS DURING COLONIAL PERIOD
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The distance from England created a need for colonists to make their own laws and keep peace and order.
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Colonists were accustomed to English traditions and political structures (like the Parliament back in England).
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Most colonies were self-governing; the people elected members of their community to a general assembly or
congress, which made their laws.
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Colonists had been allowed to rule themselves with little interference from the king for many years, and they
expected this to continue. (This is called Salutary Neglect, and it benefited English rule while maximizing colonial
freedom)
DOCUMENTS LEADING TO THE GROWTH OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN THE 13 ENGLISH COLONIES IN AMERICA

Magna Carta (1215) – This medieval document was drafted by English noblemen who were sick and tired of the
perceived abuses of King John of England. It limited the power of the King (our Constitution limits the power of
the central government)
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The Mayflower Compact (1620) – An agreement that established the idea of self-government and majority rule.
Signed by most of the men on the Mayflower, this compact was an agreement to form a political body and give
it the power to enact laws for the good of the colony. It provided a model for later development of
representative government. A social contract where all agreed to abide by these rules.
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The Virginia House of Burgesses (1619) – First representative (elected by the people) assembly in the American
colonies. Representatives immediately began to enact laws and to safeguard individual rights. This set the
precedent in the colonies for individual rights to be protected by law (British law did not provide for individual
rights at that time)
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The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1638) – First written constitution in the colonies. This document
stated that people had the right to elect governors, judges, and a legislature. Was written by Thomas Hooker
and the people of Connecticut; the fact that it was written down gave it credence.

English Bill of Rights (1689) – This document was created by Parliament with help from the popular King William
and Queen Mary of England after the Glorious Revolution of 1688-89, which was a bloodless revolution that
took Mary’s father, King James II (a very unpopular English king). It listed the individual rights of English citizens
(this became the model for the Bill of Rights in the Constitution, our first 10 Amendments)
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Enlightenment Philosophers and Thinkers, such as John Locke, believed that governments entered into a “social
contract” with their citizens when they first took power. These documents listed above reflected the colonists
belief in this idea.
ROLE OF SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUALS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN COLONIAL AMERICA
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John Locke – an English philosopher during the European Enlightenment who believed that personal liberty
should coexist with political order and that consent is the basis for government and fixes its limits; he stated that
government is a social contract with limited powers and has obligations to its creators, that government can be
modified by its creators at any time (this idea heavily influenced Thomas Jefferson and the writing of the
Declaration of Independence); he also discussed the idea of legislative and executive branches of a government,
and he wrote about God-given unalienable (meaning they are protected by God Himself; they can not be taken
away) rights which included life, liberty and protection of property
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Charles de Montesquieu – a French political thinker and social commentator who expanded on John Locke’s
beliefs and added the idea of a judiciary to Locke’s executive and legislative branches of government; he wrote
of the separation of powers in the government, and he believed that in a republic, education of the people is an
absolute necessity to keep it running
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William Blackstone – an English judge, jurist, and professor who wrote the historical and analytical treatise on
common law (Commentaries on the Laws of England); he was considered as the definitive pre-Revolutionary
War source of common law; he believed strongly in religious tolerance, he adamantly supported the idea of self-
defense (which later became the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution), and he wrote about the “natural rights”
which included life and liberty
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Thomas Hooker – a reverend and leader of a group of Boston Puritans that migrated to Hartford, Connecticut;
he gave a sermon in 1638 that influenced the writing of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (the first
written constitution in America which included some of the first “individual rights”); he believed that democratic
ideas flowed out of Christianity, such as elections conducted by the people, people have the power to limit the
power of the government, the government operates with the consent of the governed
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William Penn – a wealthy English nobleman who founded the colony of Pennsylvania so that Quakers could live
there according to their alternative (but still Christian) religious beliefs and make political decisions according to
those beliefs. Also, William Penn wrote the colony’s first constitution himself and created the Pennsylvania
Colonial Legislature because he recognized the need for a limited government and accountability to its citizens
SECTION 3: Religious Freedom
HOW RELIGION AND VIRTUE CONTRIBUTED TO THE GROWTH OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN THE 13 COLONIES
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Economic Opportunity was the ORIGINAL reason that the 13 English Colonies in North America were originally
established.
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Religious freedom was the MOST IMPORTANT reason for the growth of representative government and the
economic success of the 13 Colonies.
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Religious groups (the Pilgrims, the Puritans, the Quakers, etc.) created communities that were self-governed.
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Penn Colony (the Quakers in Pennsylvania) was one of the first experiments in the possibility of religious, racial,
and political equality by having citizens of minority races and minority Christian groups be involved in the
government.
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Disagreements between colonial religious leaders led to the formation of new colonies over time. Some colonial
leaders argued for the extension of voting rights beyond church members, while others wanted strict standards
and laws based on the Old Testament.
TIMELINE OF DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN THE 13 COLONIES
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1620: After the Pilgrims and “Strangers” sign the Mayflower Compact, a self-governing church with each
congregation being independent began electing their own pastor and officers in the Plymouth Colony
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1630’s: Churches in the Massachusetts Bay Colony were also democratic in that they elected ministers and other
officials, but kept the church closely tied with the colonial government
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1636: Pastor Roger Williams founded the colony of Rhode Island after disagreements with the Massachusetts
Bay colonial leaders and he separated “church and state” (meaning he would not allow the government to
control the church, or vice-versa)
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1681: William Penn’s Frames of Government guaranteed religious freedom to all settlers in Pennsylvania
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1632: The Colony of Maryland was founded as safe haven for English Catholics
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1689: The Parliament of England passed the Toleration Act, which protected religious freedom to most
Christians in the British homeland and colonies if they pledged their loyalty to the King (however, it did not apply
to Catholics and took away some religious freedom for Catholics in Maryland)
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1786: The Virginia Act For Establishing Religious Freedom, written by Thomas Jefferson, made Virginia the first
state to officially separate “church and state” and guaranteed the citizens’ right to practice religion free from
government intrusion
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1791: The Bill of Rights in the Constitution of the USA guaranteed freedom of religion and freedom from
government interference in religion (Known as “Separation of Church and State”)
o
NOTE: The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776, before the American Bill of Rights in 1791
RELIGIOUS MOTIVATION FOR IMMIGRATION AND INFLUENCE ON SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
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The Protestant Reformation – a Christian revolution against the Catholic Church over disagreements about
doctrine and anger about widespread corruption in the Catholic Church. The Reformation took place in Europe
during the early 1500’s and brought a variety of Christian denominations to the 13 Colonies, especially the New
England and Middle colonies (specifically Puritans and Quakers)
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The Puritans – a minority Christian group that opposed Catholic influences in English society and government
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o
Puritan immigration to the Americas during the early 1600’s was driven primarily by the English
Puritans’ frustration with the practices and theology of the Church of England (Anglicans), which was the
state-endorsed religion of England. They also suffered intense persecution at the hands of Anglicans.
o
However, the Puritans migrated to the New England region of the 13 Colonies as families and advocates
for a state-endorsed religion, feeling that having one religion (being Puritan Christianity, not Anglican)
was needed for social stability and peace.
The First Great Awakening (early 1700’s) had a huge effect on the 13 English Colonies:
o
This major religious movement stimulated growth in all Christian denominations and assured the
common man that he could have salvation as well as those believed to be predestined by God
o
It began the development of additional Christian denominational colleges throughout the colonies
(Harvard College was the first in 1636)
o
It democratized the Protestant faith by proclaiming salvation for all, not just those believed to be
predestined by God
o
It encouraged the ideas of equality and the right to challenge political authority
o
Churches began welcoming groups of women, Native Americans, and African Americans (which began
the early abolitionist movement against slavery), and
o
It inspired colonists to help others in ways that God would want them to.
o
Finally, it contributed to the revolutionary idea of independence from the British Empire years later in
the 1770’s
The Second Great Awakening (late 1700’s) had a huge effect on the United States of America
o
This major religious movement involved the renewal of Christian faith in the 1790s and 1800s as the
new United States of America was trying to survive.
o
Popular preachers traveled around the frontier and eastern cities hosting revival meetings addressing
many who were not a part of any particular organized Christian churches.
o
The movement emphasized the individual’s need to gain salvation from Jesus Christ and the need to
improve society.
o
The movement motivated many to become involved in reform efforts, such as ending slavery in the USA
(The Abolition Movement), reforming and cleaning up prisons, and prohibiting alcohol use amongst
husbands and fathers (The Temperance Movement).
SECTION 4: Physical and Human Geography
PLACES AND REGIONS OF IMPORTANCE IN THE 13 COLONIES DURING THE 17th (1600’s) and 18th (1700’s) CENTURIES
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The Early English Settlements:
o Jamestown, Virginia (John Smith’s group funded by the Virginia Company; originally started for
commercial reasons)
o Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts (the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock and created a Puritan colony)
o Massachusetts Bay Colony (the Puritans expanded beyond Plymouth and created a bigger colony)
The 13 English Colonies in North America – New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia
The Primary Colonial Regions in the 13 Colonies: New England (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut), Middle (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware), and Southern (Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia) colonial regions
The Major Cities in the 13 Colonies
o Boston, Massachusetts
o Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
o New York City, New York
PLACES AND REGIONS OF THE 13 COLONIES IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL AND HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS
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New England Colonies Region
o Examples of Physical Characteristics – the Atlantic Ocean, Subsistence farming, poor soil, cold winters
and mild summers, forest
o Examples of Human Characteristics
 Economic factors – abundance of raw materials, logging, fishing, large shipbuilding industries
 Political factors – regular town meetings, tradition of local, representative government
 Social factors – small coastal towns (Boston was the only large city in New England)
 Religious factions – Puritans (Christians)
Middle Colonies Region
o Examples of Physical Characteristics – Rich soil; broad, deep rivers; more natural ports and river valleys;
mild winters and summers; the Atlantic Ocean, the Appalachian Mountains
o Examples of Human Characteristics
 Economic factors – abundance of raw materials, large farms, logging, fishing, shipbuilding
industries
 Political factors – more tolerance of religious differences and Native Americans living in the area
 Social factors – small coastal towns (Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York were large cities)
 Religious factions – Quakers, Catholics (all Christians)
Southern Colonies Region
o Examples of Physical Characteristics – the Appalachian Mountains, navigable rivers, richer soil, warm
winters and hot summers, the Atlantic Ocean
o
Examples of Human Characteristics
 Economic factors – abundance of raw materials, many successful plantations
 Political factors – more slaves, more of a class-based society (clear differences between the
rich, poor, and middle class)
 Social factors – small coastal towns (Savannah, Charleston were large cities)
 Religious factions – Members of the Church of England (or Anglicans), Catholics (mostly in
Maryland), more diverse overall (all Christians)
EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL AND HUMAN GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS ON MAJOR HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY EVENTS IN
THE 13 COLONIES
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The New England Colonies
o The rocky soil, short growing seasons, and cooler temperatures of this northern region in North America
encouraged the development of small farms that grew food and the growth of fishing and shipping
industries.
The Middle Colonies
o This region had a mild climate and lengthy growing season, which gave it soil that was ideal for growing
food crops. Plantations were not ideal in this region of North America because the soil was not usually
fertile enough for cash crops.
The Southern Colonies
o With a longer growing season and a warmer climate, this southern region in North America developed
larger farms and plantations that grew cash crops such as indigo, cotton, and tobacco. The use of slave
labor also supported the growth of plantations and accumulation of wealth in this region.
Additional Physical Geographic factors – Proximity to Atlantic coastline determined where the earliest
settlements and colonies were created, while the Appalachian Mountains provided a natural, protective border
o NOTE: The Appalachian Mountains acted both as a border and a barrier, particularly to settlers wanting
to move into the open lands west of the mountains
Additional Human Geographic factors – The eventual removal of the Native Americans, through both disease
(brought over from Europe, Africa, and Asia) and conflicts started by both natives and colonists. As the colonies
grow, westward expansion became inevitable and desirable
o NOTE: Georgia was used as a buffer zone between the other British colonies and Spanish Florida in an
effort to avoid attacks on the wealthier Southern colonies
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND INFLUENCE ON POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, SETTLEMENT
PATTERNS, AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN THE 13 COLONIES DURING THE 17TH (1600’s) and 18TH (1700’s) CENTURIES
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New England and Middle Colonies had access to many waterways (ports and rivers) which resulted in high
population density and large urban areas (meaning more people lived in these areas).
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Southern Colonies had an abundant amount of fertile soil that resulted in an agricultural economy, a plantation
system, and a lower population density with less urban areas (people spread out over more land)
DIFFERENT IMMIGRANT GROUPS INTERACTION WITH THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE 13 COLONIES DURING THE 17th AND
18th CENTURIES
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French trappers and traders – They hunted and traded in the far north (up in Canada)
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British farmers – English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh farmers seeking their own land in the America
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British indentured servants – People who did not have the money to pay for their voyage from England to North
America promised 7 years of servitude to a client in exchange for the funds to make the journey
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Dutch businessmen – Moved to New Amsterdam (which becomes New York City after the British take it in 1664)
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Spanish missionaries and conquistadors – Moved to New Spain (modern Mexico and the Caribbean) and had
little contact with the 13 English Colonies outside of Florida/Georgia conflicts
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Africans – Most were brought as slaves (but some were Free Blacks) and were found throughout all of the 13
English Colonies, but mostly in the Southern English Colonies
WAYS CONFLICTS BETWEEN PEOPLE FROM VARIOUS RACIAL, ETHNIC, AND RELIGIOUS GROUPS WERE RESOLVED
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Conflicts with Native Americans – a treaty system predominated in the 1600’s and 1700’s with a reservation
system in existence from the 1800’s to the present (still exists today) which set aside certain areas for them to
live free of US political influence
o As populations grew, conflict became common among various tribes and groups of settlers. Various
treaties were signed concerning rights and territory and most of them were respected in the early years
of the USA; this changed as time went on and the population grew
POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN TO AMERICAN SOCIETY
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Political Example – Pocahontas helped John Smith and the English settlers survive in Jamestown, Virginia, and
used her political influence as a princess of the Powhatan to protect the settlement from being destroyed by her
people
Social Example – Anne Hutchinson led Bible studies against the orders of church leaders (meaning she
challenged their authority) and was an early leader for women’s rights in New England
Economic Example – Eliza Luca Pinckney changed agriculture in colonial South Carolina, where she developed
indigo as one of its most important cash crops, which became 33% of all of the colony's exports before the
Revolutionary War. She became the manager of three plantations at the age of 16 and had a major influence on
the colonial economy of South Carolina
SECTION 5: Economics
THE MAJOR ECONOMIC DIFFERENCES AMONG THE REGIONS OF THE 13 COLONIES DUE TO PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
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Economic Differences Due to Geography – Where each colony was founded had a direct impact on what the
people did:
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New England – Fishing, Timber Production, Shipbuilding, and Manufacturing region
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Middle Colonies – Agriculture, Cattle-raising, Metalworking (blacksmithing) region
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Southern Colonies – Cash-Crop Agricultural area (lots of tobacco, indigo, rice, and eventually, cotton)
CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC DIFFERENCES AMONG DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE 13 COLONIES
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New England
o Cause – long winters, rocky soil, and forests
o Effects – subsistence farming, shipbuilding, and fishing
Middle Colonies
o Cause – shorter winters, fertile soil, good ports, and natural resources
o Effects – farming, trade, and large immigrant population
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Southern Colonies
o Cause – warm climate and very fertile soil
o Effects – plantation system (rice, indigo, cotton, tobacco) and large slave system
REASONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLANTATION SYSTEM, THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE, AND THE SPREAD
OF SLAVERY
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The Plantation System
o
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There was a large amount of open land available in the Southern colonies, with rich soil and an almost
year-round growing season; the area was ideal for plantation crops (tobacco, rice, indigo, cotton) - with
enough labor these crops could be grown as cash-crops (which made plantation owners very wealthy)
The Transatlantic Slave Trade (One of the arms of the Triangular Trade System)
o
The Triangular Trade System developed between the 13 Colonies, England, and the West Indies (The
Caribbean Sea) and slaves were one of the many things traded between the three regions for other
goods (including the cash-crops that slaves would help cultivate).
o
The Transatlantic Slave Trade started in the British West Indies (the Islands of the Caribbean) to provide
a labor force for the huge sugar plantations.
o
Europeans traded with various African tribes – European goods and weapons were traded for African
prisoners-of-war from the various African wars (the prisoners-of-war were sold as slaves to the
Europeans)
o
African slaves were traded and sold in all of the European colonies (not just in the 13 English Colonies);
The Islands of the Caribbean would continue to have the largest collection of slaves in the Western
Hemisphere (particularly in the Portuguese colony of Brazil)
The Continued Spread and Growth of Slavery
o
The enormous demand for cash crops such as rice, indigo, tobacco, and cotton led to plantation owners
needing more and more slaves to keep up with demand, which caused the slave trade to increase over
many years.
EFFECTS OF POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL FACTORS ON SLAVES AND FREE BLACKS
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Slaves during the Colonial Period
o
Economic – Slaves were the “Labor of the Plantation System,” they were considered property, their
children were considered property and were sold with no regard to parents
o
Social – Being viewed as property, slaves were also viewed as being outside the “American Identity,”
they had three basic refuges: family, religion, and active resistance
o
Political – Slaves had no political voice (never allowed to vote), no accepted rights at all
Free Blacks (eventually known as African-Americans) during the Colonial Period
o
Economic – They were usually low wage earners, but many had their own small businesses
o
Social – They were considered the lowest social class, they had limited access to education, they were
socially isolated, and they had three basic refuges – family, religion, and resistance
o
Political – They had some, but very little political voice (usually not allowed to vote), and limited or
restricted rights
IMPACT OF SLAVERY ON DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE 13 ENGLISH COLONIES

REMEMBER! - The Transatlantic Slave Trade brought African slaves to all colonies in the Western Hemisphere,
whether they be Spanish, French, or English. Most of the slaves brought to North America, however, went to
the Southern Colonies to work on plantations.

The Southern Colonies during the Colonial Period
o
Economics: Slaves were always viewed as property and as a valuable labor supply
o
The Slaves aided the development of the Plantation System in the agrarian South
SELECTED RACIAL, ETHNIC, AND RELIGIOUS GROUPS THAT SETTLED IN THE 13 COLONIES AND THEIR REASONS FOR
IMMIGRATION
o
o
o
o
Racial Groups – Europeans and Africans (enslaved and free)
Native Groups – American Indians or Native Americans (500 tribes in North America alone)
Ethnic Groups –
 Dutch (New York) – economic reasons
 Swedes (Delaware) – economic reasons
 English and other Britons – most for religious and political freedom, some for economic reasons
Religious Groups – English and other Britons immigrated to North America to flee religious persecution
back in Europe
 The Separatists (also known as the Pilgrims) – settled in Massachusetts
 Note: The Pilgrims were Puritans, but considered themselves to be a different group
 Puritans – settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (or Massachusetts) in New England
 Quakers – settled in William Penn’s colony (Pennsylvania) in the Middle Colonies
 Catholics – settled in Maryland in the Southern Colonies
KEY VOCABULARY FOR UNIT 1

Exploration – travel for the purpose of discovering new places and things

Colony – when a group of people leave their native country to settle in a new land, but are still connected with
the parent nation (also known as the mother country)

Representative Government – when power is held by the people and exercised through the efforts of
representatives elected by those same people; also generally called democracy and republicanism

Colonial Charter – a legal contract given to someone by the King for the purposes of establishing a colony

Mercantilism – an economic system by which a nation seeks to increase its wealth and power by obtaining gold
and silver from its colonies. It also seeks to create a favorable balance of trade, which means that a country
seeks to profit from business transactions while denying as much profit as possible to the other business
partner. The colonies became sources of raw materials for the mother country. The colonies are expected to be
the purchasers of manufactured goods from the mother country only. The theory of Mercantilism includes the
idea that a colony’s primary reason for existing is for the economic benefit of the mother country.

Commercial – This term refers to the practice of business, or commerce; of, or relating to, goods and services
being produced and distributed for the purpose of creating a profit

Absolute chronology – the exact date of an event; the idea of time defined in actual dates

Relative chronology – a general time period or era; the idea of time defined in relation to other events

Nobility – a social class which possesses more rights, privileges, and social importance than members of the
other social classes, with membership typically being hereditary (as in related to the king and other nobles)

Peasants – a term usually used to refer to a social class which traditionally was made up of farmers, either
laborers or owners of small farms, in a pre-industrial society. In Europe, peasants were divided into three
classes: freemen, serfs, and slaves

Virtue – moral excellence; a positive trait or quality deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a
foundation of principle and good moral being

The Colonial Period – the years BEFORE the United States of America came into existence, 1585 – 1776

Refuge – ideas to hold onto; something that gives one mental and spiritual aid, relief, or escape

Agrarian – a word usually referring to a society that depends on agriculture as its primary means for support,
sustenance, and economic success (the main way the people make money and take care of themselves)

Plantation System – an economic system which is based on agricultural mass production, usually of a few
profitable products (called cash-crops) grown on very large farms called plantations. They almost always
required very large labor forces, which were usually made up of slaves purchased in Africa

Subsistence Farming – a type of farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed the people
living on the farm. Subsistence farmers usually take their surplus crops to use for trade and to make purchases
in a marketplace (such as the various shops and business in cities)

Related Vocabulary
o
Harbors
o
Cash Crop
o
Parliament
o
Social Contract
o
Primary Source
o
Secondary Source
o
Migration
o
Immigration
o
Proliferation
o
Abolition
o
Temperance
o
Haven
o
Self-Governance
o
Population Density
o
Trans-