Term | Definition |
Paxton Boys | (1764): armed march on Philadelphia by Scotts Irish frontiersmen in protest against the Quaker establishment’s lenient policies toward Native Americans |
Regulator Movement | (1768-1771): eventually violent uprising of back-country settlers in North Carolina against unfair taxation and the control of colonial affairs by seaboard elite; Paxton boys started this to go against the taxation that helps the rich and not the poor |
Triangular Trade | exchange of rum, slaves, and molasses between the North American Colonies, Africa, and the West Indies. A small but immensely profitable subset of Atlantic Trade |
Molasses Act | (1737): tax on imported molasses passed by Parliament in effort to squelch the North American trade with the French West Indies; it proved ineffective due to a widespread of smuggling |
Arminianism | belief that salvation is offered to all humans on acceptance of God’s grace. Different from Calvinism; which emphasizes predestination and unconditional election |
Great Awakening | (1730’s and 1740’s): religious revival that swept the colonies. Participating ministers, most notably Johnathan Edwards and George Whitfield placed an emphasized on direct, emotive spirituality. Second Great Awakening arose in the 19th century |
Old Lights | orthodox clergymen who rejected the emotionalism of the Great Awakening in favor of more rational spirituality |
New Lights | ministers who took part in the revivalist, emotive religious tradition pioneered by George Whitefield during the Great Awakening |
Poor Richard's Almanack | (1732-1758): widely read annual pamphlet edited by Benjamin Franklin. Best known for is proverbs and aphorisms emphasizing thrift, industry, morality, and common sense |
Zenger Trial | (1734-1735): NY libel case against John Peter Zenger. Established the principle that truthful statements about public officials could not be prosecuted as libel |
Royal Colonies | colonies that governors that were directly appointed by the King; the governors often ran into trouble with legislators that did not like getting controlled by the king from overseas (over the Atlantic) |
Proprietary Colonies | Colonies – Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware – under the control of local proprietors, who appointed colonial governors |