charters
documents granting the right ot organize settlements in an area
joint-stock company
investors buy stock, or part ownership in a company in return for a share of its future profits
expanded
to increase in size or scope
headright
a land grant of 50 acres to settlers who paid their own way to the colony
burgesses
representatives of the colony's towns and could make local laws for the colony
dissented
people who disagree with the beliefs or practices of the Anglicans
Puritans
Protestants who wanted to reform the Anglican Church
Separatists
people who wanted to leave and set up their own churches
Pilgrims
Separatists who journeyed to the colonies during the 1600's for a religious purpose
Mayflower Compact
a formal document, written in 1620, that provided law and order to the Plymouth colony
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
the first written plan for a government in America
policy
plan of action
patroons
landowner in the Dutch colonies who ruled like a king over large areas of land
proprietary colony
a colony in which the owner or proprietor, owned all the land and controlled the government
ethnic
a group of people sharing a common culture.
pacifists
people who refuse to use force or to fight in wars
functioned
operated
indentured servants
to pay for their passage to America, they agreed to work without pay for a certain length of time
estates
pieces of land
constitution
a list of fundamental laws to support a government
debtors
people unable to repay debts
tenant farmers
settlers who paid their lord an annual rent and worked for him for a fixed number of days each year
missions
religious settlements established to convert people to a faith