Flashcards

Colonial America to Early Republic: Key Terms

Ray Tant English 47 cards

Cards in this deck (47)

1Virginia CompanyIn April 1606, King James I created a joint stock company (The Virginia Company) in hopes of establishing colonies in North America. This establishment gave the King the power to appoint government officials, and provide essentials to the new colonists.
2JamestownJamestown, located in Virginia, was the first English settlement in North America. This was very successful for many decades, until the capital was moved to Williamsburg in 1699.
3Powhatan RelationsPowhatan Relations refers to the turbulent relationship between Powhatan Indians and Jamestown Settlers. When English settlers arrived on Powhatan land, there was a lot of controversy between the two groups. Things were settled when John Rolfe married Pocahontas, a beloved member of the tribe.
4House of BurgessesAfter the establishment of Jamestown, Virginia, Colonist needed a way to discuss town issues. In 1619, the House of Burgesses was created and served as a bicameral legislative body with elected officials.
5Bacon's RebellionNathaniel Bacon led an armed rebellion of Virginia settlers against Governor William Berkeley in 1676. The colonist were angered by Berkeley's friendly interaction with Native Americans, so they fought to remove him from his title as governor.
6King Philips WarKing Philips war refers to the armed conflict between Indians who lived on New England land and New England Settlers after the colonist displayed Philips head in Plymouth. This conflict lasted from 1675 to 1678.
7PuritansPuritans were a branch of protestants which was extremely popular among English settlers in the new land. Puritans wanted to rid the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices and other things which they believed to be evil.
8PilgrimsWhen England broke away from the Roman Catholic Church, everyone was forced to go to the Church of England. The Pilgrims wanted religious freedom, so they came to the Colonies where they established Plymouth.
9Development of Rhode IslandIn 1636, Roger Williams was banned from the Massachusetts Colony because of his religious beliefs. He found himself among the Narragansett tribe who granted him the tip of their land, which would soon be known a Rhode Island. Williams established the land as a place of religious freedom.
10Halfway CovenantThe Halfway Covenant was established in the 1660s when Puritan churches began to require evidence of personal conversion to attend the church. The halfway Covenant granted partial church membership to the church.
11Salem Witch TrailsThe Salem Witch Trails occurred in the Massachusetts colony, when many innocent people were accused, tried, and persecuted for witchcraft. The trails went on for a little over a year, and resulted in 19 deaths.
12Loss of the Massachusetts CharterIn 1684, the Massachusetts Bay Colonists were sent into a panic after their charter was revoked due to a number of violations.
13Dutch Settlement of AmsterdamThe Dutch established New Amsterdam at in Manhattan Island which would serve as part of the colonial government in New Netherland. The land was also used for trade, war, and agricultural purposes.
14Settlement of PennsylvaniaOn March 4,1681 William Penn was gifted the land of Pennsylvania by King Charles ll in order to pay off his debts. Many people came to the new land, because Penn founded it as a place of freedom and acceptance.
15French Settlement in QuebecIn 1608 Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec, which was the second French colony of Canada. This soon would become the capital of New France.
16MercantilismMercantilism is the belief that a counties wealth will grow if government was involved in all business, and trading with outside countries was limited.
17Transatlantic TradeThe Transatlantic trade refers to the trade of raw goods, manufactured goods, and slaves between America, Europe, and Africa lasting for 300 years.
18Middle PassageThe middle passage was part of the transatlantic trade where millions of Africans were sent to the New World where they were sold into slavery.
19Great AwakeningThe great awakening was a time of religious revival lasting from the 1730s to 40s. This resulted in a much more positive and accepting view of religion in the colonies.
20French and Indian WarThe French and Indian war, also known as the Seven Years' War occurred between Great Britain and France in the Colonies over trade with Indians on the Ohio River.
211763 Treaty of ParisOn February 10, 1763 Great Britain, France and Spain signed the 1763 Treaty of Paris after Great Britain won the French and Indian War.
22Proclamation of 1763On October 7, 1763 King George lll issued the Proclamation of 1763 after Great Britain took possession of Frances land in North America.
23Stamp ActIn 1765 the British Parliament imposed a tax on any printed material on the colonies. The colonist were extremely angered by this act, considering they had no representation in the parliament. Eventually, this would be one of the reasons for the American Revolution.
24Intolerable ActsThe intolerable acts were a set of laws set for the colonies by the British government after the Boston Tea Party. These included the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quebec Act.
25Thomas Paine's Common SenseIn 1775 Thomas Paine wrote the time changing pamphlet 'Common Sense', encouraging the Colonies to declare independence from Great Britain.
26Declaration of IndependenceOn July 4, 1776 56 men met in Pennsylvania to declare Independence from Great Britain. They colonies grew tired of being under King George lll, and wanted to rule themselves. This document would lead to the American Revolution and the Founding of the United States of America.
27John LockeJohn Locke, also known as the "father of liberalism" and one of the most influential philosophers of Enlightenment. Locke is often known for the Two Treatises on Government and the Second Treatise of Civil Government.
28French Assistance during the American RevolutionDuring the time of the American Revolution, Great Britain and France were enemies so obviously France wanted to help the colonies defeat Great Britain. Although France did not fight, they secretly shipped supplies and money to the colonies.
29Marquis De LafayetteLafayette was a French military officer who commanded American troops during the american Revolution.
30George Washington (presidency and role in military)Washington was on of the Founding Fathers, the first president of the United States, and also military General during the American Revolution, leading the colonies to victory.
31Crossing of the Delaware RiverOn Christmas day of 1776, George Washington organized the surprise attack on German Soldiers in Trenton, New Jersey. This was known as the "Crossing of the Delaware River" because the soldiers traveled across the river over night in order to arrive on shore unexpected on December 26.
32Valley ForgeDuring the American Revolution soldiers were stationed at Valley Forge in a extremely cold winter. 11,000 soldiers stayed here, including George Washington, where hundreds died of disease.
33Battle of YorktownThis is known as one of the most important battles of the American Revolution. 17,000 american and french soldiers gather in Yorktown, Virginia and took down Great Britain's military force. After this, Great Britain surrendered and the American Revolution ended.
34Treaty of Paris, 1783The 1783 Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War, and gave the US freedom from Great Britain.
35Articles of Confederation (weaknesses)The Articles of Confederation gave each state more power than the national government. This lead to debt within the country because the national government did not have the power to impose taxes.
36Daniel Shays RebellionIn 1786, Daniel shay lead a armed rebellion of thousands in Massachuetts in a fight for a better ecomony and civil rights.
37FederalistsIn the 1800's, the Federalist and Anti-federalist parties formed. Federalist believed and fought for a strong central government, and wanted to revise the Constitution.
38Anti-federalistAnti-federalists, on the other hand, wanted power to remain in individual states. These people wanted to keep the Articles of Confederation, and resisted the new 1787 Constitution.
39Checks & BalancesChecks and Balances is a system within the central government, designed so that no one branch (executive, judicial, or legislative) gains too much power. Within this system, each branch "checks" the others, hence the name.
40Alexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton played a huge role in creating the US as we know it today. Hamilton was a founder of the new Financial system, the US Coast Guard, the New York Post, and the Federalist party. Because of all his accomplishments and contributions to the country, Hamilton would also become one of the Founding Father of the United States.
41James MadisonJames Madison, the President of the United States from 1809 to 1817, was known as the "Father of the Constitution" due to his role in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Madison was also a founding father of the US, and overall had a huge impact on the country.
42The Great CompromiseDuring the Constitutional Convention of 1787, an agreement was made that allowed each state 1 Representative in the Senate, and said that representation in the House would be based on population of the State.
43Separation of PowersWithin the US Government, jobs and responsibilities are divided into three different branches. This makes it possibly for the branches to use the practice "checks and balances", defined earlier.
44Limited GovernmentLimited Government refers to the idea that power is restricted by something or someone. In the US, the Bill of Rights is an example of Limited Government because it gives citizens freedom of religion, speech, and press, the right to bear arms, the right to remain silent and many others.
45Bill of RightsThe Bill of Rights is the the first 10 amendments of the US Constitutions which give citizens certain basic rights.
46John AdamsJohn Adams was a Founding Father who helped construct the Declaration of Independence, the first Vice President, and the second President of the United States.
47Whiskey RebellionIn 1791, veteran Major James McFarlane, who fought in the American Revolution, led the Whiskey Rebellion as a protest against tax on liquor. Eventually, the rebellion would end three years later in 1794.