Salutary Neglect

In American history, salutary neglect is the 17th and 18th

century British Crown policy of avoiding strict

enforcement of parliamentary laws meant to keep British

colonies obedient to England.

Toleration Act of 1649

An act passed in the Maryland colony that was meant to

ensure freedom of religion for Christian settlers of diverse

persuasions in the colony. Established freedom of

religion.

Cash Crop

A crop grown for sale not to be eaten, such as cotton and

tobacco.

Subsistence Farming

Small farms that grow enough for the survival of the

farmer and their family. Any extras are traded for supplies

they cannot produce themselves.

Triangular Trade

The trade in the 18th and 19th centuries that involved

shipping goods from Britain to West Africa to be

exchanged for slaves, these slaves being shipped to the

West Indies and exchanged for sugar, rum, and other

commodities which were in turn shipped back to Britain

Middle Passage

A stage of the triangular trade in which millions of

Africans were forcibly transported to the New World as

part of the Atlantic slave trade. The voyage across the

Atlantic from Africa to the Americas.

Maritime industries

Economic activity that is dependent on waterways

(ocean, lakes & rivers). Examples would be ship building,

shipping cargo, commercial fishing and whaling.

Free Labor

The work completed by free people, who are not slaves

and receive payment for their efforts.

Slave Codes

Harsh laws written in the colonies to limit the actions of

slaves, most of the codes were written out of fear of

rebellion.

John Peter Zenger

John Peter Zenger was a printer and journalist in New

York City. Zenger printed The New York Weekly Journal.

He was accused of libel in 1734 by William Cosby, the

royal governor of New York, but the jury acquitted

Zenger, who became a symbol for freedom of the press

in the American colonies.

Great Awakening

The Great Awakening was a religious revival that

impacted the colonies in America during the 1730s and

1740s. The movement came at a time when the idea of

secular rationalism (Enlightenment thinking) was being

emphasized, and passion for religion had grown stale.

Christian leaders often traveled from town to town,

preaching about the gospel, emphasizing salvation from

sins and promoting enthusiasm for Christianity. The

result was a renewed dedication toward religion.

Public Education

The first American schools in the thirteen original

colonies opened in the 17th century in New England. Boston Latin School was founded in 1635 and is both the first public school and oldest existing school in the United States. The first free taxpayer-supported public school in

North America, the Mather School, was opened in

Massachusetts, in 1639.

Colonial Assemblies

The colonial assemblies had a variety of titles, such as

House of Delegates, House of Burgesses, or Assembly

of Freemen. Assemblies were made up of

representatives elected by the landowners of the colony

and acted as legislatures.

Mercantilism

Mercantilism is an economic practice by which

governments used their economies to augment state

power at the expense of other countries. Governments

sought to ensure that exports exceeded imports and to

accumulate wealth in the form of gold and silver.

Colonies were used to gain wealth. Colonies were not

allowed to trade amongst themselves only with their

mother country.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement of the late 17th and 18th

centuries emphasizing reason and individualism rather

than tradition. It was heavily influenced by 17th-century

philosophers such as Locke, Rousseau, and Adam

Smith.

Fort Necessity

The Battle of Fort Necessity took place on July 3, 1754,

The engagement, it was George Washington's first

military experience and the only surrender of his military

career.

John Edwards

Jonathan Edwards an Anglican minister was one of the

leaders of the Great Awakening. Edwards’ message

centered on the idea that humans were sinners, God was

an angry judge and individuals needed to ask for

forgiveness. In 1741, Edwards gave an infamous and

emotional sermon, entitled “Sinners in the Hands of an

Angry God.”

General Braddock

He was a major general who commanded both British

and American forces with General Washington as his

assistant during the French & Indian War. Washington

suggested that he use the tactics of the Native

Americans (guerrilla warfare) but was ignored leading to

the general’s death in battle.

Treaty of Paris

The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Treaty of 1763,

was signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of

Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in

agreement, after Great Britain's victory over France and

Spain during the French & Indian War (aka: Seven Years'

War.)

Pontiac’s Rebellion

In May 1763, Pontiac, a leader of the Odawa tribe, led a

force of 300 members of different tribes in an attack on

Fort Detroit, attempting to wrest it from the British. The

British commander of the fort learned of Pontiac's plan,

however, and successfully defended against the siege.

Proclamation of 1763

After Britain won the French & Indian War and gained

land in North America, it issued the Royal Proclamation

of 1763, which prohibited American colonists from

settling west of Appalachia. The Treaty of Paris, which

marked the end of the French and Indian War, granted

Britain a great deal of valuable North American land, but

the proclamation forbid colonist from settling on it out of

fear of more wars erupting with Native Americans.