American Colonial and Revolutionary History Key Figures and Events

Christopher Columbus

An Italian explorer who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, opening the way for the widespread European exploration and colonization of the Americas.

Cortes

Hernán Cortés, a Spanish Conquistador known for leading the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire.

encomienda

A system that allowed Spanish colonists to demand labor from Native Americans in exchange for protection and Christian teaching.

Malinche

An indigenous woman who acted as an interpreter and advisor to Cortés during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Barbados Code

A set of laws governing the treatment of enslaved people in Barbados, which influenced slave codes in other colonies.

Powhatan

A Native American chief who oversaw a confederation of tribes in Virginia at the time of the English settlement.

Act of Toleration

A 1649 Maryland law that granted religious freedom to all Christians and was one of the first laws of its kind in the colonies.

John Rolfe

An English settler known for introducing tobacco cultivation in Virginia, which became a profitable cash crop.

Virginia Company

A joint-stock company chartered by King James I to establish settlements in Virginia.

Roger Williams

A religious dissenter who founded the colony of Rhode Island as a place of religious freedom.

King Philip's War

A conflict between Native American inhabitants of New England and English colonists from 1675 to 1676.

Dominion of New England

A short-lived administrative union of English colonies in the New England region of North America.

New Amsterdam

A 17th-century Dutch settlement that later became New York City.

Bible Commonwealth

A term used to describe the Puritan society in New England that was governed by biblical law.

Salem Witch Trials

A series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693.

Poor Richard's Almanack

A yearly almanac published by Benjamin Franklin that included weather forecasts, practical household hints, and other information.

Harvard

The oldest institution of higher education in the United States, established in 1636.

Jonathan Edwards

A preacher and theologian known for his role in the First Great Awakening and his fire-and-brimstone sermons.

Regulators

A group of American colonists in the 1760s who protested against colonial officials and the lack of government representation.

Quebec Act

An act passed by the British Parliament in 1774 that extended the boundaries of Quebec and granted religious freedom to Catholics.

Baron von Steuben

A Prussian military officer who trained American soldiers during the Revolutionary War.

Whigs

A political party in the 18th and 19th centuries that opposed the policies of the British government.

Saratoga

A significant battle in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War that marked a turning point in favor of the Americans.

Boston Tea Party

A political protest by the Sons of Liberty in 1773 against the Tea Act, where they dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

Treaty of Fort Stanwix

A 1768 treaty between the British and the Iroquois that established boundaries for colonial expansion.

William Pitt

A British statesman who led the government during the Seven Years' War and was known for his support of the American colonies.

Townshend Acts

A series of British laws passed in 1767 that taxed goods imported to the American colonies.

Proclamation of 1763

An order issued by King George III that prohibited American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Pocahontas

A Native American woman associated with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, known for her relationship with John Smith.

Quebec (battle)

A pivotal battle in 1759 during the French and Indian War, leading to British control of Canada.