American Literature and Historical Terms
Week 1
Name: Yasmin Mitchell
LIST #1 Early American history
The Protestant Reformation:
In the 16th century, there was a religious revolution that took place in the Western church.
Its top-tier leaders really were Martin Luther and John Calvin. The Reformation came as
the base for the founding of Protestantism, one of the three major branches of
Christianity.
King Henry VIII:
Was born on June 28th of 1494 and lived until January 28, 1547. Was the King of
England for 36 years, leading over broad changes that brought his nation into the
Protestant Reformation. He had six wives in his hunt for political alliance and a healthy
manly heir at law. His desire to annul his first marriage led to the start of a separate
church in England. Two of his marriages ended in dissolution, two in natural deaths, and
two with his women executed for infidelity and disloyalty. His children Edward VI, Mary
I, and Elizabeth would each get their turn to rule England.
Anne Boleyn:
Was born in the year 1507 and lived until the year 1536, she was beheaded after being
found guilty of adultery and other charges. She was the second queen of Henry VIII; she
played an important part in English history in the start of a separate church in England.
For Henry VIII to marry Anne his marriage to Catherine of Aragon needed to be
annulled. Even though divorce was not allowed in the Catholic church Henry VIII tried to
plead his case with Pope Clement VII who refused to annul the marriage, and this led to
the creation of a new Church of England because Henry VIII broke ties with the Catholic
church.
John Calvin:
Was born on July 10th of 1059 and lived until May 27, 1564. Was a French Protestant and
an expert in theology, he also was a significant figure in the second generation of the
Protestant Reformation. He is known for his important Institutes of the Christian Religion
in 1536 which was the first methodical composition of the reform movement.
Martin Luther:
Was born on November 10th of 1483 and lived until February 18, 1546. He was a 16thcentury monk and an expert in theology, his beliefs helped bear the Protestant
Reformation. Through his words and conduct, Luther rained a movement that
reformulated certain introductory tenets of Christian belief and redounded the division of
Western Christendom between Roam Catholicism and the new Protestant traditions.
Roger Williams and the Mayflower 1620:
Was born in the year 1603 and lived until the year 1683, he is best known for founding
the state of Rhode Island. He was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony because
he didn’t approve of taking away land from the Native Americans and because of his
views on religious freedom.
Plymouth Rock:
In 1620 it is acknowledged as the point where William Bradford and the Mayflower
Pilgrims land their ship. Following this, the Plymouth Colony was established. There is
no evidence in history that they ever stepped off the ship.
Puritanism in America:
A religious movement in the late 16th and 17th centuries that aspired to “purify” the
Church of England. Which lead to the civil war in England and to the founding colonies
in North America
The Salem Witch Trials:
The notorious Salem witch trials were a series of executions for witchcraft starting in
1962 in Salem Village, Massachusetts. In 1697 the courts considered the trials to be
unlawful and the hurt and damage to the community remained.
“What is an American?” by Crevecouer:
The writer is documenting his experiences of how America is changing for the better
compared to Europe. He felt free and united in the new America.
The Age of Reason:
An intellectual and cultural movement of the 17th and 18th centuries that made a point of
reason over beliefs.
The Boston Tea Party:
Was a political outcry that transpired on December 16, 1773, at Griffin’s Wharf in
Boston, Massachusetts? American pioneers dumped 342 cases of tea brought in by the
British East India Company into the harbor due to exasperation from the British imposing
“taxation without representation”.
The 13 colonies:
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and
Georgia were the 13 colonies that came together to form the United States. The 13
colonies also called American colonies or colonial America were established during the
17th and 18th centuries and were established for different reasons. Now they are a part of
the eastern United States
Crispus Attucks:
Was born in the year of 1723 and died in the year of March 5, 1770. He is alleged of
mixed race and is known for escaping slavery and was the first to die in the cause of
American independence.
Thomas Paine and Common Sense:
Was born on January 29th of 1737 and lived until June 8, 1809. He was an English
American author whose Common Sense pamphlet was one of the important influences on
the American Revolution.
The Revolutionary War:
Also known as the American Revolution (1775-1783). British troops started the war
against the Americans, but the Americans won the fight for their independence.
The Declaration of Independence
The legal document was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, and
signed by many of the founding fathers. This document announced the separation of 13
united colonies to be free independent states.
The United States Constitution:
A landmark document of American democracy. It was completed in 1787 at the
Constitutional Convention it influenced American power and its way of life. The US
constitution separated the government into 3 branches to create balance.
The first three presidents of the United States and dates:
The first president was George Washington and his years of service as president were
April 30, 1789, through March 3, 1797. The second president was John Adamas and his
years of service as president were March 4, 1797, through March 3, 1805. The third
president was Thomas Jefferson and his years of service as president ere March 4, 1801,
through March 3, 1809.
References
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from https://www.britannica.com/event/Reformation
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24, 2022, from https://www.history.com/topics/british-history/henry-viii
Catton, P. (2018, April 20). How Anne Boleyn Lost her head. History.com. Retrieved
June 24, 2022, from https://www.history.com/news/anne-boleyn-beheaded-facts
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