Jamestown Vocabulary Flashcards

Jamestown and Key Concepts

• Indentured Servant: An individual who agrees to work for a period of time in exchange for passage to the New World and basic necessities.
• Gold: A primary motivation for English colonists at Jamestown, sought after for wealth and prosperity.
• Job Opportunities: The settlement provided prospects for employment, attracting various individuals seeking work.

Historical Context

• Roanoke: A failed English colony that became known for its mysterious disappearance, often referred to as a nightmare for early settlers.
• Jamestown: The first permanent English settlement in North America, established in Virginia in 1607.
• Virginia Company: A joint-stock company chartered by King James I to establish settlements in America, promoting the colonization effort.

Economic Concepts

• Joint Stock Company: A business model allowing multiple investors to share the risks and rewards of colonization and trade.
• Investors: Individuals who put money into ventures such as the Virginia Company, expecting financial returns.
• Mercantilism: An economic policy focused on strengthening national economies by limiting imports and maximizing exports, hence ensuring wealth for the state.

Key Figures

• John Smith: A leader of the Jamestown colony who played a crucial role in its survival; famously saved by Pocahontas.
• John Rolfe: An important figure in Jamestown known for introducing tobacco cultivation, which became the colony's cash crop.
• Pocahontas: A Native American woman of the Powhatan tribe who is credited with helping to establish relations between the settlers and her tribe.

Cultural and Social Developments

• Tobacco: Emerged as a significant cash crop for Jamestown, transforming the colony's economy.
• House of Burgesses: Established in 1619, the first elected legislative assembly in the American colonies, marking a step towards self-governance.

Exchanges and Migrations

• Columbian Exchange: The widespread transfer of plants, animals, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World, fundamentally changing both societies.
• Pilgrims: Separatists who broke away from the Church of England; they sought religious freedom and settled at Plymouth.
• Puritans: A religious group aiming to reform the Church of England, emphasizing purity and addressing doctrinal issues.

Indigenous Relations

• Powhatan People: Native American tribe in Virginia, significant for their initial interactions and relationships with the Jamestown settlers.

Explore essential vocabulary related to Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. This quiz features key terms such as 'Indentured servant', 'Gold', and 'Job Opportunities'. Enhance your understanding of this historical period through focused definitions.