Key Events and Figures in American History

1st Continental Congress- All colonies except Georgia went to this congress in Philadelphia in 1774 to respond to the Intolerable Acts

Articles of Confederation- 1st Constitution had no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade

The Aztec- Nomadic tribe of hunter-gathers, capital city Tenochtitlan, bloodthirsty ruler, made many sacrifices.

BTP- Citizens disguised as Indians, dumped tea into the harbor in 1773.

Braddock- British commander during the F&I war. Attempted to capture Fort Duquesne in 1755. Defeated by the F&I Braddock was mortally wounded.

Bunker Hill- The British took over a hill in Boston

Cabral- Claimed Brazil for Portugal

Cahokia- Mound-builder settlement, located near today's East St. Louis, Illinois;

Cartier- French explorer who explored the St. Lawrence river & laid claim to the region for France (1491-1557)

Champlain- French, sailed to West Indies, Mexico, Panama, & St. Lawrence river/Quebec

Columbian Exchange- Exchange of plants, animals, diseases, & technologies between the Americas & Columbus's voyages.

Columbus- Italian explorer, sailing for Spain, reached the Americas in 1492 while searching for a western sea route from Europe to Asia

Conquistadores- Spanish explorers who conquered civilizations in the New World.(GGG)

Coronado- Explored the southwest.

Cortes- Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs & conquered Mexico (1485-1547)

Da Gama- Portuguese explorer. In 1497-1498, expedition from Europe to India, led to Portuguese control of the spice trade

De Lafayette- Aided George W, spent time in Valley Forge, French nobleman/soldier

De Soto- Discovered Mississippi

Declaratory Act- Parliament had the supreme authority over the colonies

Dias- Portuguese explorer in 1488 led the 1st expedition to sail around the southern tip of Africa from Atlantic

Duquesne- French fort that was site of first major battle of French & Indian War;

Encomienda- Land grant from Spain to a settler in America, had rights to use Native Americans as laborers on it.

George W- 1st Pres of U.S./commander-in-chief of the Continental Army

Hudson- English explorer who explored for Dutch. Claimed the Hudson River around present day New York & called it New Netherland. Had the Hudson Bay named for him

Inca- A pre-Columbian civilization in the Andes Mountains. Excelled at engineering, & developed new food crops like potatoes.

Intolerable Acts- Laws meant to punish Boston after the Tea Party. Stamp Act

Iroquois- Indian people who were allies of Britain during the American Revolution

James Oglethorpe- Founded the colony of Georgia where debtors from England could begin new lives.

Jamestown- 1st permanent English settlement in North America, found in East Virginia

John Winthrop- First governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630.

La Salles- Claimed Louisiana for the French

Line of Demarcation- This was the line drawn by Alexander VI that gave Portugal most of Brazil & Spain the rest of South America

Lord Baltimore- 1694 Founder of Maryland, offered religious freedom for persecuted Roman Catholics.

Lord De la Warr- New governor of Jamestown who arrived in 1610, Delaware was named after.

Magellan- Was the leader/captain of the first people to circumnavigate the world, led Spanish expedition to Philippines

Massachusetts Bay Colony- Colony founded in 1630 by John Winthrop, part of the Great Puritan Migration, founded by Puritans.

Maya- Noted for architecture & city planning, mathematics, calendar & hieroglyphic writing system.

Mercantilism- The state regulates economy, by taxes, tariffs, subsidies, laws.

Pinckney’s Treaty- Established friendship between the United States & Spain.

Pizarro- Crushed Inca & enslaved them

Plymouth- Settled by the Pilgrims, later merged with Massachusetts Bay colony.

Pueblo- Southwestern U.S, extensive irrigation systems to water corn. Houses were multi-storied buildings made of adobe.

Puritans- Wanted to purify the church

Quakers- Wanted to break away from Church of England

Quartering Act- Required colonists to provide housing for redcoats

Sam Adams- Founder of the Sons of Liberty, a patriot, signed DOI

Sons of Liberty- A secret society formed to oppose British policies

Thomas Jefferson- Founded the Democratic Republicans, creator of the Constitution, & was a president.

Thomas Paine- Wrote Common Sense

Triangle Trade- Shipping goods from Britain to West Africa to be exchanged for slaves, these slaves being shipped to the West Indies & exchanged for sugar, rum, & other commodities, which were in turn shipped back to Britain.

Von Steuben- Prussian drill master & captain who volunteered to George Washington

William Penn- Quaker founded Pennsylvania as a place where his people could be free from persecution.

Yorktown- Cornwallis & his troops were trapped in the Chesapeake Bay by the French fleet. He was sandwiched between the French navy & the American army.