In AP US History, Period 2 refers to the time period between 1607 (the founding of Jamestown) and 1754 (the start of the French and Indian War). It encompasses the establishment and growth of English colonies in North America.
Related terms
Exploration: The act of traveling to unfamiliar places with the purpose of discovering new lands, resources, or routes.
Colonialism: The policy or practice by which one country directly controls another territory with settlers sent to establish permanent communities.
Mercantilism: An economic theory prevalent during this period which held that a nation's wealth was measured by its reserves of gold and silver accumulated through trade.