North American Geography and Early US Historical Milestones

North American Geography

Major Rivers of North America

• Brazos River: A significant river in Texas.
• Churchill River: Rises in Saskatchewan, Canada, and flows into Hudson Bay.
• Colorado River: Beginning in the Rocky Mountains of Northern Colorado, it is vital for irrigation and has over 30 electric power plants.
• Columbia River: Originating in the Canadian Rockies, it flows south through the State of Washington, providing electricity to the Pacific Northwest.
• Mississippi River: The major river of North America and the USA, flowing from Northwestern Minnesota south to the Gulf of Mexico. It is the third-largest river system in the world.
• Missouri River: Beginning in Southern Montana in the Rocky Mountains, it is the longest river in the USA.

Prominent Mountain Ranges

• Appalachian Mountains: Approximately 1,500 miles in length, extending from Alabama northward.
• Brooks Range: A mountain range located in Southern Alaska.
• Cascade Range: Stretching from Northeastern California across Oregon and Washington, including peaks like Mount Hood and Mount Rainier.
• Coast Range: Found along the Pacific Ocean coastlines of California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, Canada.

Early American History and Colonization

First European Contacts and Colonization Attempts

• 1526: A Spaniard named Lucas Vasquez made an early attempt at colonization.
• 1578: Sir Humphrey Gilbert, an Englishman, attempted to colonize North America but was lost at sea.
• 1587: John White led an expedition, including women and children, to Virginia.
• 1606: The Virginia Company was founded, aiming to establish a permanent colony.
• 1609-1610: Further expeditions returned to America, with more ships arriving from England.
• 1611: Sir Thomas Dale became the governor of the Virginia colony. John Rolfe began successfully cultivating tobacco, which became a key economic crop.
• 1624: The Virginia Company was dissolved, and Virginia became a royal colony. By then, the population in Virginia was approximately 27,000.

Key Events in Colonial and Revolutionary America

• December 11, 1620: The Mayflower arrived, bringing Pilgrims to Plymouth.
• 1629: The Massachusetts Bay Colony was formed.
• 1660: The Navigation Acts were enacted, stipulating that certain goods (such as cotton, indigo, sugar, and tobacco) could only be exported from the colonies to England or other English colonies.
• September 1776: During the American Revolutionary War, British forces captured New York.
• September 1777: American forces were defeated by the British at Brandywine.
• 1777: The Articles of Confederation were adopted, joining the states into a loose federation.
• 1779: Spain declared war on Britain, aiding the American cause.
• 1780: The Dutch Republic also declared war on Britain.
• 1789: The First Congress of the United States met, and George Washington became the first president.

Glossary of Terms

Immigrate:

To move to a new country to live permanently.

Immigrant:

Someone who moves to another country to live permanently.

Lecture:

A talk given to an audience, often for educational purposes.

Pumpkin:

A large, round, orange vegetable, typically grown for food or decoration.

Region:

An area of a country or the world having definable characteristics but not always fixed boundaries.