American History Research Paper

Barbados – Barbados is an important part of the American history since it was an area where many sugar cane plantations where located. We all know that way back in the 17th century, large plantations like these were required a lot of workers. The manual labor came from the slaves from different tribes in Africa. Another concern was the displacement of farmers when British settlers developed the area into a commercial enterprise of large plantation estates. These displaced farmers relocated to British colonies in North America, most notable of which is South Carolina.West Africa – West Africa played an important role in the American history because this is the place where slave trades began, following the establishment of settlements by Portuguese traders. The slave trades had great negative effects on the region’s economy and population. Because of these slave trades, the population of West Africans poured in the New World. This increased the number of people liv ing in European and American regions during the 16th and the 17th century.Despite the efforts of the European and American governments to stop the slave trades, it continued until the late 19th century where the last country to abolish it was Brazil. Virginia Company – The Virginia Company is an important part of the American history because it was chartered to establish settlements on the coasts of North America. This is divided into two companies, the Virginia Company of London and the Virginia Company of Plymouth. These two companies are both given differing territories, wherein an area of overlapping territory was created.They were not permitted to establish colonies within a hundred mile separation, but the Plymouth Company wasn’t able to fulfill its charter. Its territory, now known as New England was also contested by France as theirs. Thomas Jefferson – Thomas Jefferson is famous because he’s the third President of the United States of America and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. He also promoted the ideals of Republicanism in the country, making him one of the most influential founding fathers of the United States.But his achievements weren’t limited to his contribution to American Independence. He is the President which gave a go to the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. These events were very important since it expanded the nation’s territories by acquiring more land through expeditions and sales. The Louisiana Purchase encompassed parts of 15 current U. S. states as well as two provinces of Canada. The Church of England – The Church of England, also known as the Anglican Church and the Protestant Episcopal Church of today, was one of the major churches during the early years of America.It has a great number of followings, yet it wasn’t given relative treatment from many historians. The attention was given to the Puritans, those who rejected the Refor mation of the Church of England. Many of these Puritans migrated to North America between 1620s and 1640s because of their belief that the Church of England can never be reformed from the state it was in during that time. These Puritans settled in the New England area and established settlements there. Iroquois – The Iroquois is a group of originally five nations, including the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca.The sixth member is the Tuscarora, who joined after the original five were formed. During the American Revolution, there has been the first major split of the Iroquois, when the Tuscarora and the Oneida sided with the Americans. On the other hand, the Mohawk, Seneca, Onondaga and Cayuga remained loyal to the side of Great Britain. Massachusetts Bay Company – The Massachusetts Bay Company is an English chartered company which established the Massachusetts Bay colony in New England. They became the only English chartered colony which is not under the di rect control of those in England.Despite all efforts by the Council for New England to annul the colony’s land claim, the colony remained in tact and the council was left unsuccessful. Pocahontas – Pocahontas was a Native American woman who is formally named Matoaka and Amonute. She was the daughter of Wahunsunacock or the Chief Powhatan, the ruler of almost all the neighboring tribes found in the Tidewater region of Virginia. She played an important role in American history because she was married to John Rolfe, an Englishman.Their marriage is one of the first unions of a Native American and a settler just like Rolfe. She was baptized Rebecca Rolfe on her marriage. Powhatan – The Powhatan is the Native American tribe and confederacy of tribes living in what is now the east area of Virginia during the time of the first European-Native encounters there. This confederacy of neighboring tribes became established in the late 16th and 17th century, through the creati on of a mighty empire by conquering or affiliating with around 30 other tribes. This was spearheaded by a tribal chief name Wahunsunacock.When the English settlers came, there were a lot of conflicts between these Natives and the settlers. When the tribal head died and was succeeded by his brother, more conflicts emerged resulting to the Indian Massacre of 1622 and 1636, nearly exterminating the members of the tribes. Slave codes – The slave codes were laws made by each state which defines the status of slaves and the rights of their owners or masters. This is usually for the benefit of the masters, giving them near-absolute power over the right of these slaves or human properties.This is an important part of the American history since it showed how the early people were into owning other humans as tools, which also awakened others to fight for the freedom and rights of these â€Å"human properties†. Reformation – The Reformation is the religious movements that arise in the Western Europe in the 16th Century. This movement calls for the internal renewal of the Catholic Church. These led to great revolts and the abandonment of the principal Christian beliefs during that time.This was the result of Martin Luther’s activities in 1517. Indentured servant – The indentured servant is a term pertaining to a laborer which is under contract of an employer for a period of time, usually four to seven years. This is in exchange for a ship’s passage, food, land as well as accommodations. This is a way to increase the number of colonists living in a settlement. In the case of America, most indentured servants were recruited from the increasing number of poor people without work in the urban areas of England.English Reformation-Henry VIII – One of the reasons for the reformation of the English church was because of King Henry VIII. This resulted from his desire for annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon so that he wi ll be able to marry Anne Boleyn. When the Pope Clement VII refused to annul the marriage, Henry took the position of Supreme Head of the Church of England in order to annul his marriage. He was excommunicated but maintained a strong preference for the traditional Catholic practices.John Calvin and Martin Luther – John Calvin and Martin Luther are both church reformers, who sought change in the Catholic Church during their times. John Calvin developed his own system of Christian theology which was called Calvinism or the Reformed Theology. On the other hand, Martin Luther laid out his ideologies which challenged the authority of the pope. He pointed that salvation can be attained through Jesus, without the mediation from the Church. His ideas became the inspiration of what transpired to be the Protestant Reformation, thus changing the course of the Western civilization.