Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore
Proprietor of Maryland after his father passed away in 1634, came up with the Act of Toleration
Act of Toleration
A 1649 Maryland law that provided religious freedom for all Christians, the first of its kind in the colonies; however, it also called for the death of anyone who denied the divinity of Jesus
Roger Williams
A dissenter who clashed with the Massachusetts Puritans over separation of church and state (believed in superiority of the individual) and was banished in 1636, after which he established the town of Providence, later joined with Portsmouth to found the
Anne Hutchinson
Woman who challenged Puritan religious authorities in Massachusetts Bay with her antinomianistic beliefs. Left that colony to start Portsmouth, later joined with Providence to found the colony of Rhode Island
antinomianism
the belief that faith alone, not deeds, is necessary for salvation
Halfway covenant
a way for people to become partial members of the Puritan church even if they had not felt a "conversion" (profound religious experience); intended to boost church membership
Quakers
A sect of Christianity that believes in pacifism, inner divinity and social equality. Found refuge from English persecution in William Penn's colony
William Penn
The proprietor of Pennsylvania, the mid-Atlantic colony founded on Quaker principles; he also designed Philadelphia's grid system
Holy Experiment
William Penn's term for the government of Pennsylvania, which was supposed to serve everyone and provide freedom for all.
Charter of Liberties
Penn's written constitution which guaranteed freedom of worship for all and unrestricted immigration
staple crops of the 13 colonies
rice, indigo, tobacco, wheat and corn
Jamestown
the first permanent English settlement in the New World, 1607
Puritans
A religious group who wanted to purify the Church of England. Persecuted for their beliefs, they came to America in the 1630s for religious freedom and settled Massachusetts Bay.
Separatists
A religious group who wanted to completely reform the Church of England and make it independent of royal control. Known as the "Pilgrims," they settled Plymouth in 1620.
Pilgrims
Group of English Protestant dissenters who established Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts in 1620 to seek religious freedom after having lived briefly in the Netherlands. Originally known as the "Separatists
Mayflower
The name of the ship the Pilgrims sailed to America on
Plymouth Colony
A colony established by the English Pilgrims, or Separatists, in 1620. Became part of Massachusetts in 1691.
John Winthrop
A founder and governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Great Migration
the movement of some 15,000 settlers to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s
Thomas Hooker
Puritan minister who founded the colony of Hartford (later Connecticut) in 1636 after tensions with the Massachusetts authorities. Established a tradition of self government and helped write the first constitution in American history.
John Davenport
Puritan clergyman and co-founder of the colony of New Haven (later Connecticut).
New Hampshire
Originally part of Massachusetts, established by royal charter by Charles II in 1679 because he wanted more royal control in New England
Virginia
Royal colony established by charter in 1624
The Carolinas
Royal colony established by charter in 1663. In 1729, split into the distinct colonies of North and South Carolina
New York
Originally New Amsterdam and controlled by the Dutch, in 1664 was taken over by Charles II's brother the Duke of York.
New Jersey
Originally part of New York, it was separated from that colony in 1664 and given to Lord John Berkeley and Sir John Carteret. In 1674, split into West and East. This being too confusing to rule, was combined into one colony in 1702.
Pennsylvania
Established by William Penn as a "holy experiment" in 1681
Delaware
Originally the lower three counties of PA, given their own assembly in 1702, although shared a governor with PA until the revolution
James Oglethorpe
the founder of Georgia in 1732
Georgia
The southernmost and last colony to receive a royal charter in 1732. Originally for English debtors.
Wampanoags
A tribe whose chief, Metacom, known to the colonies as King Philip, united many tribes in southern New England against the English settlers
Metacom
chief of the Wampanoags, known to the colonies as King Philip
King Philip's War
1675-76, a war between southern New England tribes and colonial settlers over land. The settlers won, ending most Native American resistance in New England.
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.
House of Burgesses
Virginia's representative assembly, the first in America, set up in 1619.
Sir William Berkeley
Governor of Virginia at the time of Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion
1676 revolt against Native Americans on Virginia's western frontier, led by Nathaniel Bacon who was angry over Berkeley's lack of response to Native American attacks on settlers. Fizzled out when Bacon died, but perpetrators were punished severely.
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
The first constitution of colonial America, written 1639; called for power of government to derive from the governed and established a representative assembly elected by the people.
New England Confederation
1643-1684 formed by the New England colonies to settle border disputes, handle runaway slaves and have a military coalition against the Native Americans and Dutch troops
Frame of Government
1682-83, document guaranteeing Pennsylvania a representative assembly elected by landowners
corporate colonies
colonies operated by joint-stock companies, at least in their early years, such as Jamestown
royal colonies
colonies under the authority and rule of the king's government, such as Virginia after 1624
proprietary colonies
colonies under the authority of individuals granted charters of ownership by the king, such as Maryland and Pennsylvania
Chesapeake colonies
Maryland and Virginia
joint-stock company
A business, often backed by a government charter, that sold shares to individuals to raise money for its trading enterprises and to spread the risks (and profits) among many investors.
Virginia Company
the joint-stock company that started the settlement of Jamestown
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. It looked upon trade, colonies and the accumulation of wealth as the source of a nat
Navigation Acts
Acts passed in 1660 by British parliament to increase colonial dependence on Great Britain for trade; limited goods that were exported to colonies; specific goods ("enumerated goods") could be exported to Britain only; caused great resentment in American
Dominion of New England
1686 - The British government combined the colonies of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Connecticut into a single province headed by a royal governor. The governor proved unpopular and the arrangement ended after James II fell from power in
Sir Edmund Andros
The governor of the Dominion of New England
indentured servants
Colonists who received free passage to North America in exchange for working without pay for a certain number of years
headright system
System of attracting colonists in which parcels of land consisting of about 50 acres which were given to immigrants who paid for their own passage or to colonists who brought indentured servants into America
triangular trade
A three way system of Atlantic trade during 1600-1800s. Africa sent slaves to America, America sent raw materials to Europe, and Europe sent guns and rum to Africa
Middle Passage
A voyage that brought enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to North America and the West Indies