Colonial America and the Revolution

Native Americans viewed land as a source of life and sustenance, not as a commodity to be bought and sold.

Native American cultures believed that spirits inhabited living creatures, animals, and even inanimate objects.

Native American societies placed a strong emphasis on family and community, particularly respecting elders for their wisdom and experience.

Native American labor roles were typically divided based on gender, age, and social status, creating a system of cooperation and efficiency.

Disease, primarily smallpox, decimated the Native American population, killing an estimated 90% within a short period.

European settlers engaged in violent conflict with Native Americans, often resulting in scalping and paid killings.

The encomienda system, a form of forced labor, was commonly used by the Spanish to exploit Native American labor.

Native Americans were forcibly displaced from their ancestral lands, often through brutal policies like the Trail of Tears, which forced the relocation of Cherokee people to Oklahoma.

The first fort in Jamestown had a focus on collecting gold and resources, neglecting the cultivation of land and building efforts, leading to conflicts between social classes and laziness.

When John Smith took over, he implemented a strict rule that those who didn't work wouldn't receive food. This policy transformed the colonists' work ethic.

The Powhatan tribe, who initially aided the settlers, reacted with hostility to the arrival of 600 new colonists, attacking Jamestown's livestock and farms in retaliation.

The Mayflower Compact aimed to establish the first colony in northern Virginia through a civil body politic, guaranteeing equal rights to all colonists. This document set the stage for a unique form of governing in the New World.

The economic system where nations strive to increase their wealth by exporting more goods than they import, aiming for a favorable balance of trade.

The European practice of expanding their power and control over other lands, often through military conquest, for economic and political gain.

The desire for wealth, often in the form of gold and silver, was a major motivation for European exploration and colonization.

A doctrine that justified European conquest and colonization by claiming a moral obligation to spread Christianity to non-Christian populations.

Diseases carried by Europeans, such as smallpox, influenza, and the bubonic plague, had a devastating impact on indigenous populations, contributing to their vulnerability.

European exploration and colonization was influenced by their successful experience in conquering other regions, like Malta, Sardinia, and the Canary Islands, which demonstrated the potential for wealth and power.

The region of the thirteen colonies known for its rugged terrain, colder climate, and focus on manufacturing and trade.

The region of colonial America characterized by a mix of coastal plains and inland hills, a moderate climate, and a diverse economy including farming and manufacturing.

The region of the thirteen colonies marked by its warm climate, fertile land, and emphasis on agriculture, particularly plantation crops like tobacco and cotton.

The Jamestown colony's early struggles were a testament to the hardships faced by early European settlers in the Americas.

The period of severe food shortage in Jamestown, Virginia, during the winter of 1609, marked by extreme hardship and death.

Powhatan leader who played a key role in helping the early Jamestown settlers survive, eventually marrying John Rolfe.

The conflict between colonists and Native Americans, resulting in the death of over 340 colonists.

John Rolfe, a Jamestown settler, significantly contributed to the colony's success by developing a high-quality strain of tobacco.

A crop cultivated for profit and sale, not personal consumption, which played a vital role in stabilizing Jamestown.

A system established in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1618, that granted 50 acres of land to each settler or person sponsoring a settler's arrival.

A person who agreed to a limited term of servitude in exchange for passage to North America, food, and shelter.

The beginning of the practice of forced labor in the American colonies, which involved the arrival of Africans into the colonies.

The Northwest Ordinance divided the land into townships and territories, and it set requirements for admitting new states to the nation. To join the union, a state needed at least 60,000 people.

The Constitution divides government powers between the national, state, and shared levels, with each level having specific responsibilities.

Enumerated powers are listed in the Constitution as belonging to the national government, such as declaring war, maintaining a military, and creating a postal system.

Reserved powers are those left for the states and local governments, including establishing schools, regulating state commerce, and setting marriage laws.

The Separation of Powers divides governmental authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, ensuring no one branch becomes too powerful.

Colonists organized boycotts of British goods to protest unjust taxes and demonstrate their opposition to King George III and Parliament.

The colonists viewed Parliament as inconsistent, greedy, and shortsighted, failing to represent their interests. They initially hoped King George would become their ally against Parliament, but the Tea Act changed their view on the King.

The Boston Tea Party, where colonists dumped tea into the harbor, enraged the British government. In response, they passed the Declaratory Act, asserting their right to tax the colonies, and the Intolerable Acts, which further punished the colonists.

The Sugar Act imposed a tax on sugar and other goods, sparking the first boycott of British goods, led by Sam Adams. This tax came after the French and Indian War and during an economic depression, adding to colonial frustration.

The British Bill of Rights of 1689 was ignored by the British government, resulting in violations of colonial rights, including taxation without representation, where colonists were taxed without having a voice in Parliament.

Writs of assistance, open-ended search warrants, allowed British inspectors to search colonial ships and homes without cause, cracking down on smuggling and customs evasion. This further inflamed the colonists, who felt their right to privacy was violated.

The Proclamation of 1763 prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains, meant for 'native land,' The result was a refusal by Parliament to let colonists settle in the newly acquired territories for fear of angering Native American allies. This angered the colonists, who saw it as unjustly limiting their westward expansion.

The American Revolution was sparked by a series of causes, including taxation without representation, violations of the British Bill of Rights, and the imposition of unfair taxes like the Sugar Act. These actions violated colonial rights and fueled their desire for independence from British rule.