Colonial Foundations Vocabulary Quiz

Study Notes

Colonial Foundations Vocabulary

Debtors: Individuals unable to repay borrowed money, often leading to imprisonment or indentured servitude in colonial contexts.
Great Awakening: A significant religious revival in the 1730s and 1740s that fostered new denominations and increased religious participation in the English colonies.
House of Burgesses: Established after the founding of Jamestown, this was the first elected legislative assembly in the American colonies, representing a step towards self-governance.
Indentured Servants: Laborers who agreed to work without pay for a specific number of years in exchange for passage to America, housing, and food, effectively a form of debt repayment.
Mayflower Compact: A foundational document signed in 1620 by the Pilgrims, it established a self-governing agreement and set a precedent for future governance in America.
Mercantilism: An economic theory promoting governmental regulation of a nation's economy for augmenting state power, characterized by a favorable balance of trade and accumulation of precious metals.
Mid-Atlantic Colonies: Consisted of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, known for diverse populations and economies based on agriculture and commerce.
Middle Passage: The brutal sea voyage that enslaved Africans endured, transporting them from West Africa to the Americas, marked by appalling conditions and high mortality rates.
New England Colonies: Comprised Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire; known for their Puritan roots, early education emphasis, and economy focused on trade and shipbuilding.
Oglethorpe, James: The founder of Georgia in 1732, intended as a refuge for debtors and a strategic point to defend the Carolinas from Spanish Florida.