DuckstersDucksters
History Biography Geography Science Games

History >> Colonial America

Colonial America

Glossary and Terms



Blacksmith - A craftsman who worked with iron. He made iron tools, nails, pots, and iron shoes for horses.

Breeches - Knee-length pants worn by men.

Cabinetmaker - The cabinetmaker made more than just cabinets, but all sorts of furniture including tables, desks, and chairs.

Charter - A legal document that was issued by the king allowing a company or person to establish a colony.

Cobbler - A person who made new shoes and mended old shoes.

Coif - A cloth hat worn by women at home to keep their hair clean.

Colony - A place or region that is settled and ruled by another country that is typically far away.

Cooper - A person who made barrels and buckets. Barrels were important in colonial times and were used to store all sorts of items including ale, water, and salted meat.

Doublet - A short jacket worn by men.

Governor - The leader of the colony usually held the title of governor.

Jamestown - The first permanent English settlement in North America. It served as capital of the Virginia Colony from 1607 to 1699.

Lost Colony - The Colony of Roanoke, Virginia is sometimes called the "Lost Colony" because the colonists disappeared and could not be found when supply ships arrived three years later.

Mayflower - The ship that carried the Pilgrims to Plymouth Colony.

Meetinghouse - A building that was first used as a place of worship for the Puritans and later became a place for the town to hold public meetings.

Middle Colonies - The colonies that were located between New England and the South. They included Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Miller - The miller ground corn into cornmeal and wheat into flour using the mill.

Musket - A gun with a long barrel that was loaded through the muzzle. It was used by the colonials before the invention of the rifle.

Native Americans - The people that lived in America before the Europeans arrived. They were called Indians by the settlers at the time.

New England - The colonies in the northeast including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

New World - The name that people in Europe called America.

Pilgrims - The name often given to the first settlers of the Plymouth Colony. They were called this because many of them came to America to find religious freedom.

Plantation - A large farm that grew crops such as tobacco, sugar, and cotton.

Puritans - A religious group of English Protestants that wanted a simpler way of life and worship.

Quaker - A religious group formed in the mid-17th century. They are officially called the Religious Society of Friends. They were known for their simple life and an effort to avoid organized worship.

Settler - A person who moves to a relatively uninhabited land or frontier to live.

Southern Colonies - The southernmost five colonies including Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Trencher - A wooden plate.

Wattle and Daub - A way of making building walls using interwoven sticks and or wooden strips covered with mud or clay.

Wheelwright - A person whose job was to make wooden wheels for carts and wagons.


To learn more about Colonial America:

Colonies and Places
Lost Colony of Roanoke
Jamestown Settlement
Plymouth Colony and the Pilgrims
The Thirteen Colonies
Williamsburg

Daily Life
Clothing - Men's
Clothing - Women's
Daily Life in the City
Daily Life on the Farm
Food and Cooking
Homes and Dwellings
Jobs and Occupations
Places in a Colonial Town
Women's Roles
Slavery
People
William Bradford
Henry Hudson
Pocahontas
James Oglethorpe
William Penn
Puritans
John Smith
Roger Williams

Events
French and Indian War
King Philip's War
Mayflower Voyage
Salem Witch Trials

Other
Timeline of Colonial America
Glossary and Terms of Colonial America


Works Cited

History >> Colonial America


Ducksters Footer Gif with Ducks


About Ducksters Privacy Policy 

 

This site is a product of TSI (Technological Solutions, Inc.), Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use.