colony
A group of people in one place who are ruled by a parent country elsewhere.
Columbian Exchange
The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus's voyages.
Conquistador
A Spanish conqueror of the Americas
coureurs de bois
(runners of the woods) French fur traders, many of mixed Amerindian heritage, who lived among and often married with Amerindian peoples of North America.
Missionary
An individual who helps to diffuse a universalizing religion.
Slavery
A system of enforced servitude in which some people are owned by other people.
cash crop
a crop produced for its commercial value rather than for use by the grower.
Charter
A document that gives the holder the right to organize settlements in an area
democratic
Ensuring that all people have the same rights
Mayflower Compact
1620 - The first agreement for self-government in America. It was signed by the 41 men on the Mayflower and set up a government for the Plymouth colony.
Mercantilism
An economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods than they bought
slave trade
The business of capturing, transporting, and selling people as slaves