APUSH Unit 2: The Structure of Colonial North America (1607–1754)

Mercantilism

Economic theory that posits nations seek to maximize wealth through trade; colonies exist to enrich the mother country.

Encomienda System

A system where Spanish colonists were granted land and the labor of Indigenous people.

Caste System

A hierarchy created in colonial Spanish America based on race and ethnicity due to intermarriage.

The Pueblo Revolt (1680)

A successful uprising by Pueblo Indians against Spanish religious suppression.

Fur Trade

The trade of animal pelts, especially beaver, which was a primary goal for France and the Netherlands.

Indentured Servants

Workers who contracted to work for a certain number of years in exchange for passage to America.

Chattel Slavery

A form of slavery where enslaved individuals are treated as property.

Act of Toleration

A law passed in Maryland granting religious freedom to Catholics.

Puritans

A group of English Protestants seeking religious freedom who settled in New England.

Mixed Economy

An economic system that combines agriculture and commerce.

Town Meetings

Gatherings in New England where adult male church members voted, an early form of direct democracy.

Quakers

Members of the Religious Society of Friends, known for their pacifism and opposition to slavery.

Anglicization

The process by which the American colonies became more culturally and politically aligned with Britain.

The First Great Awakening

A religious revival in the colonies emphasizing emotional engagement with faith.

Natural Rights

The philosophy that individuals possess inherent rights such as life, liberty, and property.

Stono Rebellion (1739)

A slave revolt in South Carolina that sought to escape to Spanish Florida.

Salutary Neglect

A period when Britain relaxed its enforcement of strict regulations, leading to colonial autonomy.

Navigation Acts

Laws that enforced mercantilism by requiring colonies to trade certain goods exclusively with Britain.

Triangular Trade

A trade network connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas that included the slave trade.

Family Labor

Labor conducted primarily by family units, typical in New England colonies.

Mestizos

Individuals of mixed European and Native American ancestry.

Gold, God, and Glory

The primary goals of Spanish imperialism in the New World—economic gain, religious conversion, and national prestige.

Bacon’s Rebellion (1676)

A revolt by Virginia frontiersmen against colonial authorities and elite planters.

Gullah

A creole language and culture maintained by enslaved Africans in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

Old Lights vs. New Lights

Divisions among churches during the First Great Awakening, with Old Lights being traditionalists and New Lights being revivalists.

Religious Tolerance

Acceptance of different religious beliefs; promoted in Pennsylvania under Quaker influence.