[0001 [0214 [0000 Ec[000000]LBf[16]AfricaB The second-largest continent in the world, comprising more than 20 percent of the world's land, Africa is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south, the Indian Ocean to the east and south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. It is connected to Asia by the Sinai Peninsula. Ec[000000]f[16]LFThe Nile, Congo, and Zambezi Rivers, the Sahara Desert, Lake Victoria, and Mount Kilimanjaro are all found in Africa. Africa contains less than 10 percent of the world's population. Ec[000000]f[16]LBAsiaB The largest continent, comprising nearly 30 percent of the world's land, Asia also is the most populous, containing nearly 60 percent of the world's people. Asia is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Indian Ocean to the south, and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Asia and Ec[000000]f[16]LFEurope are part of the same land mass, but Asia's western limit is considered to be the Ural Mountains, although the countries of the Middle East jut further to the west. Asia is home to the world's highest mountain range: the Himalayas. Ec[000000]f[16]LBAtlantic OceanB The second largest of the world's oceans, the Atlantic extends from the Antarctic to the Arctic and separates the Americas to the west--the New World--from Europe and Africa to the east. Its area is about 32 million square miles, covering one-sixth of the earth's total surface. The average Ec[000000]f[16]LFdepth is around 12,000 feet, with its deepest point north of Puerto Rico at 28,374 feet. Ec[000000]f[16]LBAzoresB A group of nine main islands in the North Atlantic Ocean that belong to, and lie about eight hundred miles west of, Portugal. The United States maintains NATO air bases on the islands. Ec[000000]f[16]LBberiberiB A disease resulting from a dietary deficiency of thiamine--vitamin B1. Beriberi--along with scurvy, a disease resulting from a dietary deficiency of vitamin C--was common among sailors on long voyages because of the lack of a variety of fresh foods. Ec[000000]f[16]LBbuffaloB The popular name for the American bison, but more correctly restricted to certain related Asian and African mammals of the cattle family. Bison have a huge low-slung head, a large hump, and may reach a weight of 2,500 pounds. Bison graze on prairie grasses, migrating south in winter Ec[000000]f[16]LFto forage. They roamed in vast herds over much of North America--and were hunted by Native Americans for their flesh and hides--but with the arrival of European settlers they were subjected to wholesale slaughter that resulted in their near extinction. Ec[000000]f[16]LBCabeza de VacaB Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca (1490-1560) was a Spanish explorer who, along with Estevanico and other companions, was shipwrecked in 1528 on an island off the coast of present-day Texas. Estevanico and Cabeza de Vaca spent eight years exploring the American Southwest. In Ec[000000]f[16]LF1539, Estevanico led an expedition to determine if legends he and Cabeza de Vaca heard about treasure-filled cities in the Southwest were true. Ec[000000]f[16]LBCaliforniaB A western state of the United States, bordered on the north by Oregon, on the east by Arizona and Nevada, on the south by the Mexican state of Baja California, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. California--the third-largest state, with an area of 156,537 square miles--was under Ec[000000]f[16]LFSpanish, and then Mexican control until the Mexican War (1846-1847), when it was ceded to the United States by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848). California was admitted to the Union in 1850 as a free state under the Compromise Act. Its capital is Sacramento. Ec[000000]f[16]LBCanadaB Second only to Russia in size, Canada is a North American country bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the northwest by Alaska, on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south by the United States. Most of Canada's population of 27 Ec[000000]f[16]LFmillion--about one tenth the U.S. population--is concentrated within a few hundred miles of the U.S. border. Its principal languages are English and French. Its capital is Ottawa. Ec[000000]f[16]LBCanary IslandsB The name for this group of seven volcanic main islands in the Atlantic Ocean off northwest Africa was derived from the ancient Roman name, ICanaria,I so called because of the many dogs--IcanesI in Latin--that lived there. The canary, the popular cage bird, was named after these, Ec[000000]f[16]LFits native islands. The islands have belonged to Spain since 1479; Columbus provisioned his ships there during his voyages to the New World. General Francisco Franco (1892-1975) started the Spanish Civil War in 1936 when he used the islands as a base from which to begin his attack on the Spanish republic. Ec[000000]f[16]LBcannonB A large, heavy gun of at least an inch in caliber. Bronze cannon were first used in warfare about 1350; later cannon were cast of iron. Early cannon were muzzle-loaded--the gunpowder and the cannonball or other projectile were packed down the barrel. Breech-loaded, rifled, and shell-Ec[000000]f[16]LFfiring artillery weren't developed until the nineteenth century. The term IcannonI can apply to almost all heavy artillery. The word comes from the Latin word Icanna,I meaning ItubeI. Ec[000000]f[16]LBcaravansB Groups of travelers, such as merchants, who sought safety in numbers by journeying together through central and southern Asia, often across deserts or other hostile environments. Ec[000000]f[16]LBCaribbean SeaB A tropical sea of 970,000 square miles, bordered on the north and east by the West Indies, on the south by South America, and on the west by Central America. The Caribbean's deepest point--24,720 feet--lies between Cuba and Jamaica. After the Caribbean was visited Ec[000000]f[16]LFby Columbus, Spain claimed the area and its ships searched for treasure. With the Spanish discovery of the Pacific Ocean in 1513, the Caribbean became a main route of their expeditions. Ec[000000]f[16]LBCarolinaB This early American colony south of the Virginia colony was chartered by the English king Charles II to eight Lords Proprietors in 1663. This charter was nullified in 1729 when separate royal governments were established in North and South Carolina. Less than fifty years Ec[000000]f[16]LFlater, they were to become two of the thirteen colonies that sought independence from England. Ec[000000]f[16]LBChesapeake BayB A 193-mile-long inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, running north to south, with its upper section in Maryland and its lower section in Virginia. Its width varies from three to twenty-five miles and it has an area of about 3,200 square miles. Rivers emptying into Chesapeake Bay include the Ec[000000]f[16]LFSusquehanna from the north, the Potomac and the Patuxent from the west, the Chester, Choptank, and Nanticoke from the east, and the Rappahannock, York, and James from the southwest. Ec[000000]f[16]LBChurch of EnglandB Established by Henry VIII in 1534 as a result of the pope's refusal to grant Henry's request for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, the Church of England steered a middle course between Roman Catholicism and Calvinism. The Puritans clashed with the Ec[000000]f[16]LFchurch because they felt that it was too political, too compromising, and too Catholic. This clash led to their persecution, resulting in many seeking religious freedom in the New World. Ec[000000]f[16]LBConnecticutB An eastern state of the United States, bordered on the north by Massachusetts, on the east by Rhode Island, on the south by Long Island Sound, and on the west by New York. With an area of about 5,000 square miles, it is the third-smallest state. Its first permanent settlements were made Ec[000000]f[16]LFby colonists from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who founded the three river towns of Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford--the present-day capital. Connecticut was one of the original thirteen colonies. Ec[000000]f[16]LBDakotasB The Dakota Territory was named for a group of Siouan tribes. In addition to including territory that in 1889 became the states of North and South Dakota, it originally included much of what are now the states of Wyoming and Montana, but the territory was reduced in size in 1868. Ec[000000]f[16]LFSettlement--and conflict with Native Americans--was hastened by the discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1874. Ec[000000]f[16]LBdebtorsB People who owe money or goods to others. In England and colonial America, those who couldn't pay their debts could be thrown into debtors' prisons. As a result, many such prisons were overcrowded with poor folk. This practice of imprisoning those unable to pay their Ec[000000]f[16]LFdebts was ended in theory in England and the United States by laws enacted in the nineteenth century. Ec[000000]f[16]LBDelawareB A Middle Atlantic state bordered on the north by Pennsylvania, on the east by the Delaware River, Delaware Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south and west by Maryland. One of the original thirteen colonies, Delaware, with an area of 2,057 square miles, is the second-smallest state Ec[000000]f[16]LFin the Union. Its capital is Dover. The area was part of New Sweden from 1638 to 1655, when it was captured by the Dutch, becoming part of New Netherland. The English, in turn, captured it in 1664. Ec[000000]f[16]LBdescendantsB The offspring of a specific ancestor; the offspring of an individual in a family tree who lived at an earlier time than a grandparent. Ec[000000]f[16]LBdirect actionB Certain measures used by radical labor groups to fight capitalism. Such measures included the strike, the general strike, the boycott, and sabotage--frequently accompanied by violence. More generally, the term applies to the belief in the use of violence and confrontation instead of Ec[000000]f[16]LFnegotiation and compromise to obtain political objectives. Some Native Americans embraced the theory of direct action due to their frustration over the U.S. government's lack of good-faith treaty negotiations regarding their tribal lands. Ec[000000]f[16]LBDutchB People of the Netherlands, some of whom settled in America. The Netherlands, also called Holland, is a small western European country bordered by the North Sea on the north and west, Belgium on the south, and Germany on the east. Its capitals are Amsterdam and the Hague. Ec[000000]f[16]LBEnglandB The southern and major part of the island of Great Britain, excluding Wales. England is the largest unit of the present-day country of the United Kingdom. England is bounded by Wales and the Irish Sea on the west, and Scotland on the north. The English Channel, the Strait of Ec[000000]f[16]LFDover, and the North Sea separate it from continental Europe. London is the capital and largest city. In the American Revolution (1775-1783), the thirteen original American colonies won independence from English colonial rule. Ec[000000]f[16]LBEstevanicoB A Moor (Arab) who was shipwrecked in 1528, along with the Spanish explorer Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca (1490-1560) and other companions, on an island off the coast of present-day Texas. Estevanico and Cabeza de Vaca spent eight years exploring the American Southwest. In Ec[000000]f[16]LF1539, Estevanico led an expedition to determine if legends he and Cabeza de Vaca heard about treasure-filled cities in the Southwest were true. Ec[000000]f[16]LBEuropeB Europe is part of the Eurasian land mass and is sometimes called the peninsular continent. Europe is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north; the Atlantic Ocean to the west; the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, and the Caucasus Mountains to the south; and the Ural Ec[000000]f[16]LFMountains and the Caspian Sea to the east. Europe is the second-smallest continent, having only 7 percent of the world's land. It contains about 15 percent of the world's population. Ec[000000]f[16]LBexpeditionsB Journeys initiated for a particular purpose, such as when Spanish explorers of the sixteenth century set out on searches for gold in the New World. Ec[000000]f[16]LBFloridaB The most southeasterly of the United States, Florida has an area of 58,560 square miles and is bounded on the north by Alabama and Georgia, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Straits of Florida, and on the west by Alabama and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida, Ec[000000]f[16]LFat first a Spanish possession, was ceded to England in 1763, but became Spanish again in 1783. It was purchased from Spain by the United States in 1819. Florida was admitted to the Union in 1845. Its capital is Tallahassee. Ec[000000]f[16]LBFranceB France is the largest country in western Europe, and is only exceeded in size in all of Europe by Russia and the Ukraine. France is bordered by the English Channel, the North Sea, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany to the north; the Atlantic Ocean to the west; the Ec[000000]f[16]LFMediterranean Sea, Spain, and Andorra to the south; and Germany, Switzerland, and Italy to the east. France's capital and largest city is Paris. Ec[000000]f[16]LBgameB Wild animals, such as deer or caribou--and in the past, the American bison--that are hunted by humans as a source of food. Small game includes squirrels and wild rabbits, as well as wild birds such as quail. Ec[000000]f[16]LBGenoaB The major seaport of Italy, located on the Ligurian Sea--an arm of the Mediterranean Sea--on the Italian Riviera in the northwest. Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was born in Genoa. Ec[000000]f[16]LBGeorgiaB A southern state of the United States, Georgia, with an area of 58,876 square miles, is bounded on the north by Tennessee and North Carolina, on the east by South Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Florida, and on the west by Alabama. Its capital is Atlanta. Ec[000000]f[16]LFDiscovered by the Spanish, Georgia became an English colony in 1733, the last of the original thirteen colonies to be founded. It served as a refuge for debtors and also as a buffer state between Spanish Florida and the Carolinas. Ec[000000]f[16]LBgoldB The "king" of the metals, gold is soft, lustrous, and valuable. Most gold is found as dust, grains, flakes, or nuggets. The purity of gold is measured in carats, with 24 carats being pure. Gold was possibly the first metal used by man. It was valued for ornaments and some thought it Ec[000000]f[16]LFmagical. The quest for gold stimulated European explorations and conquests in the New World, and its discovery led to many a gold rush. The chemical symbol for gold, IAu,I comes from the Latin word Iaurum,I meaning Ishining dawnI. Ec[000000]f[16]LBGrand BanksB An undersea plateau rising from the continental shelf off the coast of Newfoundland. This important fishing ground is 300 miles long and 400 miles wide, with depths ranging from 120 to 600 feet. The relatively shallow water and the mingling of ocean currents form a Ec[000000]f[16]LFfavorable environment for plankton and other small sea life upon which cod, haddock, halibut, and other fish feed. The Grand Banks are noted for the persistent fog that enshrouds the area. Ec[000000]f[16]LBGrand CanyonB A great gorge of the Colorado River and one of the natural wonders of the world. Located in northern Arizona, the mile-deep canyon is from four to eighteen miles wide and 217 miles long. Hundreds of ancient pueblos--Indian villages--dot the lower canyon walls and rim. The first European Ec[000000]f[16]LFto see the canyon was Garcia Lopez de Cardenas, a member of Coronado's expedition, in 1540. Set aside by the U.S. government in 1908 as a national monument, the Grand Canyon was expanded and designated a national park in 1919. Ec[000000]f[16]LBGreat LakesB A group of five large lakes of central North America that creates a natural border between the United States and Canada and forms the largest freshwater body in the world, with a combined area of 95,000 square miles. From west to east--a distance of 1,160 miles--they are Lakes Ec[000000]f[16]LFSuperior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, out of which flows the Saint Lawrence River. They were formed at the end of the last Ice Age when retreating glaciers carved out the lake basins, which were then filled with meltwater. French traders of the early 1600s were the first Europeans to see the lakes. Ec[000000]f[16]LBGreat PlainsB A vast North American plateau occupying an area of about 1,125,000 square miles, the Great Plains are semiarid grasslands extending from the Rio Grande in the south to the Mackenzie River delta in the north, and from the Central Lowlands and the Canadian Shield in the east to the Rocky Ec[000000]f[16]LFMountains in the west. The plains embrace parts of ten U.S. states and the three Prairie Provinces and portions of the Northwest Territories of Canada. Ec[000000]f[16]LBGreenlandB Straddling the Arctic Circle, this largest island in the world (840,000 square miles) is part of North America but is a territory of Denmark. The island, most of which lies under an ice sheet, is bounded by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Greenland Sea and Denmark Strait to the east, the Ec[000000]f[16]LFAtlantic Ocean to the south, and Davis Strait and Baffin Bay to the west. First colonized around 982 by Vikings, modern colonization began in 1721 by the Norwegians and Danes. Denmark gained possession of Greenland in 1814 and granted it home rule in 1979. Godthab is the capital. Ec[000000]f[16]LBGuadeloupeB An overseas department of France, the island group of Guadeloupe measures 687 square miles and lies in the Leeward Islands, West Indies. Sighted by Columbus in 1493, Guadeloupe was colonized by the Spanish but abandoned in 1604. Settlement was begun in 1635 by Ec[000000]f[16]LFthe French, who eliminated the native Caribs and imported slaves for plantation work. Within a few decades, Guadeloupe became a leading world sugar producer and one of France's most valuable colonies. Today, tourism is the major industry. Basse-Terre is the capital. Ec[000000]f[16]LBGulf of MexicoB An arm of the Atlantic Ocean, located along the southeast coast of North America, the Gulf of Mexico measures 700,000 square miles. It is bounded by the U.S. southeast coast from Florida to Texas, and by Mexico's east coast to the Yucatan Peninsula. Near the entrance to Ec[000000]f[16]LFthe gulf lies the island of Cuba. On the northern side of Cuba, the gulf is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Straits of Florida; on the southern side of Cuba, it is connected to the Caribbean Sea by the Yucatan Channel. The Mississippi River and the Rio Grande empty into the gulf. Ec[000000]f[16]LBhorizonB The line where earth and sky seem to meet. At sea, the horizon forms a perfect circle around the observer, but on land it is irregular because of the terrain. Because the tops of ships' sails were the last to be seen disappearing below the horizon, Columbus (1451-1506) deduced that this Ec[000000]f[16]LFwas evidence of the curvature of the earth. Ec[000000]f[16]LBhornbooksB Schoolbooks used from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries to teach children to read. On one side of a sheet of paper or parchment the matter to be learned was written or printed; over the sheet, for its protection, a transparent sheet of horn was placed; and the two were fastened to a thin board. Ec[000000]f[16]LBIndiaB The second most populous country, India makes up what is known as the Indian subcontinent, a vast peninsula that juts southward from Asia into the Indian Ocean. India is bordered by the Bay of Bengal and Myanmar (Burma) to the east, the Arabian Sea to the west, Pakistan to Ec[000000]f[16]LFthe northwest, and China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north. Nestled in India's northeastern section is the country of Bangladesh. India's capital is New Delhi. Ec[000000]f[16]LBIndiansB Applies to the natives or inhabitants of India and also to American Indians, who acquired the name through the mistaken belief held by Columbus (1451-1506) that the islands he reached were part of the East Indies. Ec[000000]f[16]LBindigoB First produced in ancient India, from which the name was derived, indigo is a blue dye obtained from IIndigoferaI plants. Use of the natural dye greatly decreased after man-made indigo was developed in 1880. Ec[000000]f[16]LBiron horseB A locomotive engine. Early steam locomotives of the first half of the nineteenth century could barely match the speed of a galloping horse, and so the term "iron horse" was coined to describe the locomotive's performance. Refinements to the steam locomotive as Ec[000000]f[16]LFwell as the development of diesel and electric types have made the term "iron horse" obsolete; these more modern engines are much more powerful than their predecessors. Ec[000000]f[16]LBIsthmus of PanamaB An isthmus is a narrow neck of land connecting two larger land areas. Because an isthmus commands the only land route between two large areas and is on two seas, it has great strategic and commercial importance. The Isthmus of Panama connects North and South Ec[000000]f[16]LFAmerica and separates the Caribbean Sea from the Pacific Ocean; the Spanish explorer Vasco de Balboa (1475-1519) crossed it and reached the Pacific in 1513. The U.S.-built Panama Canal, completed in 1914, cuts through the forty-mile-wide isthmus. Ec[000000]f[16]LBJamestownB The first permanent English colony in America, Jamestown was founded on Virginia's lower James River in 1607. Jamestown and the James River, which flows into Chesapeake Bay, were named in honor of the English monarch James I, who ruled England from 1603 to 1625. Ec[000000]f[16]LFThe three ships that brought the first settlers to Jamestown were the IGodspeed,I IDiscovery,I and ISusanI IConstant.I Pocahontas, a Native American princess, befriended Captain John Smith (1580-1631) of Jamestown and later married John Rolfe (1585-1622), another English colonist. Ec[000000]f[16]LBjewelsB Cut gemstones usually set in gold or silver and worn for adornment. The qualities sought in jewels are beauty, rarity, and durability. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds are examples of jewels, or gems, that occur in nature and can now also be produced synthetically. Ec[000000]f[16]LBJohn SmithB English colonist who invested in the London Company and, sailing from London, arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. Smith (1580-1631) established trade relations with the Native Americans, drew up a map of Virginia, and fell into the hands of the Indian chief Powhatan. As Ec[000000]f[16]LFthe story goes, he was saved from death by Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas. Smith's leadership of the Jamestown colonists helped see the colony through its "starving time" during the winter of 1608-1609. Ec[000000]f[16]LBLondon CompanyB A corporation composed of London stockholders, which, together with the Plymouth Company, was granted a charter in 1606 by King James I to found colonies in America. The company sent an expedition that, in 1607, founded Jamestown, Virginia--the first permanent Ec[000000]f[16]LFEnglish colony in America. Controversy surrounding conditions in the Virginia colony led to the company's dissolution in 1624. Ec[000000]f[16]LBlonghousesB Long communal dwellings of some Native American tribes, such as the Iroquois. Ec[000000]f[16]LBlookoutB One engaged in keeping watch. On sailing ships, the lookout was usually posted in the "crow's nest," a partly enclosed platform atop a ship's mast, which afforded the best shipboard view of the surrounding area. Until the development of optical instruments, radar, and other technological Ec[000000]f[16]LFadvances, a ship's captain and crew were dependent on an alert lookout's naked-eye observations to warn them of danger, such as the approach of an enemy ship or the nearness of a reef. Ec[000000]f[16]LBlumberB Timber or logs that have been cut for use as building material. Ec[000000]f[16]LBMartiniqueB An overseas department of France, the volcanic island of Martinique--discovered by Columbus in 1502--measures 425 square miles and lies in the Windward Islands, West Indies. Fort-de-France is the capital. The French settled in 1635, eliminated the native Caribs, and imported Ec[000000]f[16]LFslaves for plantation work. Martinique backed the Vichy regime during World War II, but a U.S. blockade in 1943 forced a change of heart. Sugar and rum production, petroleum refining, and tourism are the major industries. Mount Pelee erupted in 1902, killing 38,000. About 360,000 now live on the island. Ec[000000]f[16]LBMassachusetts Bay Colony BThe colony established in 1628 by the New England Company, which was reorganized under the name Massachusetts Bay Company in 1629. The reorganized company's Puritan stockholders thought of the colony as a religious and political refuge for their sect, Ec[000000]f[16]LFso the colony's emphasis shifted from trade to religion. The company and colony were synonymous until 1684, when the charter was withdrawn, and the company ceased to exist. In 1691, a new charter made Massachusetts a royal colony and extended its jurisdiction over Plymouth and Maine. Ec[000000]f[16]LBIMayflowerBI The ship that in 1620 brought the Pilgrims from England to New England. The ship set sail from Plymouth, England, on September 16 and sighted land at Cape Cod on November 19. Some time was spent selecting a suitable place for the colony and drawing up the Mayflower Ec[000000]f[16]LFCompact, an agreement for the temporary governing of the colony under majority rule. On December 26, the Pilgrims finally landed at a place they named Plymouth, after the port from which they set sail more than three months earlier. Ec[000000]f[16]LBmerchantsB Persons involved in buying and selling goods for profit. Ec[000000]f[16]LBMexicoB A country in southern North America bordering on the United States to the north, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to the east, Belize and Guatemala to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the south and west. Civilizations flourished in Mexico before Ec[000000]f[16]LFthe arrival of the Spanish conquistadores in the early sixteenth century: the Olmec was the earliest (800 B.C.-400 B.C.), then the Maya (A.D. 300-900), the Toltec (900-1200), and the Aztec (1200-1519). Mexico's capital and largest city is Mexico City. Ec[000000]f[16]LBMiddle ColoniesB The British colonies in America were divided into regional groupings: the Middle Colonies, the New England Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The Middle Colonies were New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The New England Colonies were Connecticut, Ec[000000]f[16]LFRhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. The Southern Colonies were Maryland, the Carolinas, and Georgia. Virginia wasn't at first considered part of the Southern Colonies because it did not originate under a proprietary charter but was founded instead as a trading company. Ec[000000]f[16]LBmissionariesB Persons belonging to a religious order or other religious organization who are sent to foreign lands on missions to gain converts to their faith and its teachings. Spanish religious orders established missions in the New World that sought to convert Native Americans to the Catholic faith. Ec[000000]f[16]LBmissionsB Ministries or churches established in a foreign land by members of a religious order or other religious organization in order to gain converts to their faith and its teachings. Spanish religious orders established missions in the New World that sought to convert Native Americans to the Catholic faith. Ec[000000]f[16]LBMississippi RiverB The longest river in North America, the Mississippi River is located in the central United States and is 2,348 miles long As measured from the headwaters of the Missouri River, the entire river system wends its way through 3,860 miles to empty into the Gulf of Mexico. The Ec[000000]f[16]LFSpanish explorer Hernando de Soto (1500 -1542), the first European to see the mighty river, crossed it in 1541. The Mississippi's upper reaches were explored by the French explorers Marquette (1637-1675) and Joliet (1645-1700) in 1673; its lower part was traced by La Salle (1643-1687) who claimed the entire Mississippi valley for France in 1682. Ec[000000]f[16]LBMontrealB Named for Mount Royal, a hill at its center, Montreal today is Canada's largest city, with a population of more than a million. Located on an island in the Saint Lawrence River, this city in the Province of Quebec is Canada's chief port of entry for both ocean-going and inland shipping; it Ec[000000]f[16]LFis also a major land transportation center. First visited by the French explorer Cartier (1491-1557) in 1535, Montreal was first settled in the 1640s and became a center of exploration and the fur trade. Montreal was captured by the British in 1760 during the colonial wars between Great Britain and France. Ec[000000]f[16]LBmosquitoesB Mosquitoes are small, long-legged, winged insect pests belonging to the fly family. Most of these pesky insects are harmless, but a few species of the bloodsucking pests have been known to be carriers of human disease organisms. The IAnophelesI is sometimes a carrier of Ec[000000]f[16]LFmalaria, the IAedesI can transmit both yellow and dengue fevers, and the ICulexI can cause encephalitis. Ec[000000]f[16]LBnaval storesB Products obtained from resinous conifers (cone-bearing trees), especially pines. Naval stores included turpentine, tar, pitch, rosin, and lumber, and were used in the construction and maintenance of wooden sailing ships. Because Great Britain was an island nation dependent on its large Ec[000000]f[16]LFnavy to keep the sea lanes open for trade--and to force its will on others--its American colonies, which had extensive pine forests, had a crucial strategic value. This was a major reason why England fought to keep its colonies during the American Revolution. Ec[000000]f[16]LBnavigatorsB Persons qualified to set the course of a ship or aircraft. In ancient times, navigators used the sun and stars to determine their position and course. By the fifteenth century, the compass was in common use and Columbus used it on his voyages to the New World. Maps and Ec[000000]f[16]LFcharts grew in use as they became more accurate. More modern navigational developments include radar, gyroscopes, and the Global Positioning System (GPS), which uses satellite computer links to pinpoint a position anywhere on Earth. Ec[000000]f[16]LBNetherlandsB The Netherlands, also called Holland, is a small western European country bordered by the North Sea on the north and west, Belgium on the south, and Germany on the east. Its capitals are Amsterdam and the Hague. The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg are referred to as the Low Ec[000000]f[16]LFCountries because some of their areas lie near, at, or below sea level. The Netherlands has reclaimed several hundred square miles of land from the Zuider Zee--an inlet of the North Sea--through the use of sea walls, or dikes, and a drainage system. Ec[000000]f[16]LBNew EnglandB The northeastern region of the United States comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Ec[000000]f[16]LBNew FranceB The territorial possessions of France in North America from the late sixteenth century to 1763, which included the eastern region of present-day Canada, the Great Lakes region, and the Mississippi River valley. Ec[000000]f[16]LBNew HampshireB One of the original thirteen colonies, this northeastern state measures 9,300 square miles and has a population of about one million. New Hampshire is bordered on the north by the Canadian province of Quebec, on the east by Maine and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Ec[000000]f[16]LFMassachusetts, and on the west by Vermont. Concord is its capital. New Hampshire was first settled by the English near Portsmouth in 1623. Ec[000000]f[16]LBNew JerseyB One of the original thirteen colonies, this eastern state measures 7,836 square miles and has a population of about 8 million. New Jersey is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by New York and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Delaware Bay, and on the west by Ec[000000]f[16]LFPennsylvania. Trenton is its capital. First settled by the Dutch, it was ceded to England in 1664. During the American Revolution, important battles were fought at Trenton, Princeton, and Monmouth. Ec[000000]f[16]LBNew MexicoB This southwestern state--admitted to the Union in 1912--measures 121,666 square miles, has a population of about 1,500,000, and is bordered on the north by Colorado, on the east by Oklahoma and Texas, on the south by Texas and Mexico, and on the west by Arizona. Its capital is Ec[000000]f[16]LFSanta Fe. Explored by Coronado (1510- 1544) in 1540s, and settled by the Spanish around 1600, the area was governed by Mexico after 1821. The region east of the Rio Grande was included in the annexation of Texas in 1845. Most of the rest was ceded by Mexico to the United States in 1848. Ec[000000]f[16]LBNew OrleansB The largest city in the state of Louisiana, with a population of 500,000, New Orleans is situated near the mouth of the Mississippi River. It has long been one of the busiest U.S. ports. Founded in 1718, New Orleans became the capital of the French colony of Louisiana in 1723. Ec[000000]f[16]LFCeded to Spain in 1763, New Orleans was briefly returned to French hands before passing to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The French influence is still seen today. New Orleans was the scene of the victory by U.S. troops, led by Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), over the British in 1815. Ec[000000]f[16]LBNew WorldB The Western Hemisphere; the half of the earth that includes the continents of North and South America. Because this part of the world was virtually unknown to Europeans before Columbus's fateful voyage, it was to them a completely "new world." Ec[000000]f[16]LBNew YorkB Originally the capital of the Dutch colony of New Netherland from 1626 to 1664, the settlement of New Amsterdam, located at the mouth of the Hudson River at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, was renamed New York following its capture by the British in 1664. New York City is now Ec[000000]f[16]LFone of the world's greatest cities, and the state of New York is one of the most important in the United States. Ec[000000]f[16]LBNorth AmericaB The third largest continent--about 16 percent of the world's land--North America includes Anglo-America, comprising the United States and Canada; Middle America, comprising Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies; and Greenland. The continent, which contains Ec[000000]f[16]LFabout 8 percent of the world's population, is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. It is connected to South America by the Isthmus of Panama. Ec[000000]f[16]LBNorth CarolinaB Carolina was chartered by the English king Charles II to eight Lords Proprietors in 1663. This charter was nullified in 1729 when separate royal governments were established in North and South Carolina. They were soon to become two of the thirteen colonies that sought Ec[000000]f[16]LFindependence from England. Today, North Carolina measures 52,586 square miles and has a population of about 600,000. It is bounded on the north by Virginia, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by South Carolina and Georgia, and on the west by Tennessee. Raleigh is its capital. Ec[000000]f[16]LBoreB A mineral containing a valuable ingredient--usually metal--for which it is mined and then worked and refined to extract that valuable ingredient. For example, hematite, limonite, and magnetite are iron ores that are refined in a process that uses a blast furnace to produce pig iron, Ec[000000]f[16]LFwhich then can be further refined to produce cast iron and wrought iron. Ec[000000]f[16]LBPacific OceanB The largest and deepest of the world's oceans, the Pacific extends from the Antarctic to the Arctic, between Asia and Australia to the west and North and South America to the east. Its area is about 70 million square miles, covering one-third of the earth's total surface. The average Ec[000000]f[16]LFdepth is around 14,000 feet, with its deepest point believed to be southwest of Guam at 36,198 feet. Ec[000000]f[16]LBPalosB A former seaport in Huelva province of southwest Spain, on the Rio Tinto. Columbus (1451-1506) sailed from Palos on August 3, 1492, on his fateful voyage to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The harbor is now silted up from deposits from the Rio Tinto, and so has been rendered useless. Ec[000000]f[16]LBPennsylvaniaB A Middle Atlantic state, and one of the original thirteen colonies, Pennsylvania is bounded on the north by New York; on the east by New Jersey and New York; on the south by Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia; and on the west by Ohio and West Virginia. It has an area of 45,333 Ec[000000]f[16]LFsquare miles and a population of 12 million. Harrisburg is its capital. The Dutch gained control of the region from the Swedes in 1655, but were overpowered by the British in 1664. William Penn (1644-1718), for whom the state is named, was a Quaker who was granted proprietary rights to the region in 1681. Ec[000000]f[16]LBPeruB A South American republic, Peru is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Columbia, on the east by Brazil and Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Its capital is Lima. Most of Peru is covered by the Andes Mountains, some peaks rising to Ec[000000]f[16]LF22,000 feet. Peru was the seat of the Inca empire, which was seized by the Spanish conquistador Pizarro in 1533. Pizarro (1476-1541) captured Atahualpa, the Incan emperor, and collected a huge ransom in gold and silver for his release, but had him executed anyway. Peru remained Spanish until 1824, when it won independence. Ec[000000]f[16]LBpitchB A thick, black substance obtained by the distillation of coal, wood, petroleum, and certain other organic materials. During colonial times, the major source of pitch was the pine tree, from which other important naval stores were also taken. When ships were made of wood, pitch had Ec[000000]f[16]LFnumerous uses, such as sealing cracks. Because Great Britain was an island nation dependent on its large navy to keep the sea lanes open for trade--and to force its will on others--its American colonies, which had extensive pine forests, had a crucial strategic value. Pitch is more solid than tar. Ec[000000]f[16]LBplantationsB Large areas where workers grow a single crop. Slave-labor plantations were established by some western Europeans in their southern American colonies. They financed and managed the plantations, but slaves or indentured servants did the work. These plantation owners were the Ec[000000]f[16]LFruling class in their society. After the abolition of slavery in America after the Civil War, some plantations continued to operate with the use of free labor, but the power of the American plantation owner was broken. Ec[000000]f[16]LBPlymouthB The IMayflowerI set sail from Plymouth, England, on September 16, 1620, and sighted land at Cape Cod--part of present-day Massachusetts--on November 19. On December 26, the Pilgrims finally landed at a place they named Plymouth, after the port from which they set sail more than three months earlier. Ec[000000]f[16]LBpoultryB Domesticated birds--such as chickens--kept for eggs or meat. Ec[000000]f[16]LBPortugalB A republic of southwest Europe, Portugal is bounded on the north and east by Spain, and on the south and west by the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Lisbon. Portugal shares the Iberian Peninsula with Spain. During the fifteenth century, Portugal began to flourish as a Ec[000000]f[16]LFmaritime and colonial power. Under the leadership of Portugal's patron of exploration, Prince Henry the Navigator, Portuguese seafarers mapped the African coast and eventually sailed round Africa to find a sea route to India and the East Indies. Ec[000000]f[16]LBPrince HenryB The patron of Portuguese exploration during the fifteenth century. In 1416, Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) established a base in southwest Portugal for explorations, later adding a naval arsenal, an observatory, and a school for the study of geography and navigation. Ec[000000]f[16]LFHis contributions to the art of navigation and the progress of exploration provided the groundwork for the development of Portugal's colonial empire and for the country's rise to international prominence in the sixteenth century. Ec[000000]f[16]LBprinting pressB A machine used to print words on paper. In Europe before the 1400s, text was carved into wooden blocks, which were inked and then used to stamp paper. In the 1430s in Germany, Johannes Gutenberg (1400-1468) invented a method of printing from movable type cast from Ec[000000]f[16]LFmetal, using a special press and inks he developed, and which, with refinements, remained in use until the twentieth century. Gutenberg's press was a major advance because it enabled printers to assemble and disassemble pages of type quickly. Ec[000000]f[16]LBprospectorsB Those who explore for valuable mineral deposits, usually gold or other precious metals. Ec[000000]f[16]LBQuakersB Also called the Religious Society of Friends, the Quakers--originally a term of derision--are a religious sect that began in England in the 1600s. The Quakers regarded the sacraments of the church as nonessential to Christian life. They refused to attend worship in the Ec[000000]f[16]LFestablished church and to pay tithes. Quakers resisted the taking of oaths and opposed war. They also believed in the equality of men and women, and of people in general, and so were persecuted until the passage of the Toleration Act of 1689. William Penn (1644-1718) was the leader of the Quakers in Pennsylvania. Ec[000000]f[16]LBQuebecB A province of eastern Canada and also the name of its capital city. The French Canadian province is bounded on the north by Hudson Strait; on the east by Labrador; on the south by New Brunswick, the United States, and Ontario; and on the west by Ontario and the Hudson and Ec[000000]f[16]LFJames Bays. The city of Quebec was made the capital of New France in 1663 and became the center of the fur trade. Because of the city's strategic position on the Saint Lawrence River, it was attacked several times by the British, who finally captured it in 1759. Ec[000000]f[16]LBrangeB An open region over which animals may roam and feed. Ec[000000]f[16]LBreservationsB Tracts of public land Native Americans were forced to inhabit after their tribal lands were expropriated. Ec[000000]f[16]LBRhode IslandB This northeastern seaboard state is the smallest in the Union, measuring only 1,214 square miles. Rhode Island is bounded on the north and east by Massachusetts, on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by Connecticut. It has a population of about Ec[000000]f[16]LFa million and its capital is Providence. Rhode Island was settled by religious exiles from the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s. These settlements united when Charles II of England granted a charter to Roger Williams (1603-1683) in 1663. Many settlers were drawn to the colony by the guarantee of religious freedom. Ec[000000]f[16]LBSaint Lawrence RiverB The major navigable river of Canada, the Saint Lawrence is about 760 miles long and flows northeastward from Lake Ontario to form the boundary between the Province of Ontario and New York state; it then courses through southern Quebec to empty into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Ec[000000]f[16]LFThe Saint Lawrence Seaway, an important waterway that includes the river, the Great Lakes, and the system of canals, locks, and dams that make it navigable to some ocean-going vessels, measures about 2,342 miles in length. Ec[000000]f[16]LBsavages BPeople who are uncivilized, barbaric, or primitive. Also can refer to those in civilization who are rude or lack tact and manners. Ec[000000]f[16]LBscurvyB A disease resulting from a dietary deficiency of vitamin C. Scurvy--along with beriberi, a disease resulting from a dietary deficiency of thiamine, or vitamin B1--was common among sailors on long voyages because of the lack of a variety of fresh foods. Ec[000000]f[16]LBSea of DarknessB A name given to the Atlantic Ocean by Europeans before it was successfully crossed by Columbus (1451-1506). The vastness of the Atlantic Ocean, coupled with the belief that no one could cross it and return to tell the tale, made it a symbol of mystery, danger, and the unknown. Ec[000000]f[16]LFStories abounded about sea monsters and ships falling off the edge of the world. After Columbus discovered the New World, Europeans suddenly were falling all over themselves to cross the Atlantic in the mad scramble for empire. Ec[000000]f[16]LBSeminoleB A Native American tribe that separated from the Creek in the early 1700s and settled in Florida. The Seminoles became involved in several major confrontations with the United States. In 1817, General Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) invaded Florida with more than 3,000 men to force Ec[000000]f[16]LFthe Seminoles to move to the West. Most Seminoles, led by Osceola, refused to go, and this led in 1835 to the Seminole War--the most costly Indian war in which the United States engaged. The Seminoles were finally subdued and forced to move west in 1842, although some remained isolated in the Everglades. Ec[000000]f[16]LBsilksB Fine, translucent, yellowish fibers produced by the silkworm in making its cocoon. The collection and weaving of silk into valuable fabrics was a jealously guarded secret of the Chinese for hundreds of years. By the Middle Ages, however, the art of making silk had spread Ec[000000]f[16]LFto Europe, but the finest silks were still thought to come from China. Ec[000000]f[16]LBsilverB A soft, white, lustrous, and valuable metal, silver was one of the first metals used by humans. Silver is used today, as in the past, to make coins, jewelry, and silver utensils. Coin silver is 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper; sterling silver contains 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 Ec[000000]f[16]LFpercent copper. More modern uses of silver include the plating of tableware, the making of common and optical quality mirrors, and the manufacture of compounds essential for modern photography. Its chemical symbol, IAg,I comes from the Latin word for silver: Iargentum.I Ec[000000]f[16]LBSouth AmericaB The fourth largest continent, comprising about 12 percent of the world's land, South America is connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama, and is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. South Ec[000000]f[16]LFAmerica is home to the Amazon River and the Andes Mountains. It contains about 5.5 percent of the world's population. Ec[000000]f[16]LBSouthern ColoniesB The British colonies in America were divided into regional groupings: the Middle Colonies, the New England Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The Middle Colonies were New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The New England Colonies were Connecticut, Ec[000000]f[16]LFRhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. The Southern Colonies were Maryland, the Carolinas, and Georgia. Virginia wasn't at first considered part of the Southern Colonies because it did not originate under a proprietary charter but was founded instead as a trading company. Ec[000000]f[16]LBSouthwestB Since the mid-nineteenth century, the term "American Southwest" has applied to Texas plus all of what was formerly the northern part of Mexico, which was annexed by the United States following the Mexican War of 1846-48. This mostly arid region later became the states of New Ec[000000]f[16]LFMexico, Arizona, and California, and the southern parts of the states of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Oklahoma.B Ec[000000]f[16]BLSpainB Spain, which shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal, is bounded on the north by France and the Bay of Biscay; on the east by the Mediterranean Sea; on the south by the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ec[000000]f[16]LFOcean. Spain's capital is Madrid. Christopher Columbus, a Genoese, claimed the New World for Spain in 1492. As a result, Spain became the supreme European power during the sixteenth century, a position it enjoyed until the defeat of the Spanish Armada at the hands of the English in 1588. Ec[000000]f[16]LBspicesB In modern usage, aromatic vegetable products used as seasonings. The term was formerly applied to aromatic foods, ingredients of incense or perfume, and to embalming agents. Spices were also used to preserve meat. Spices from the Far East were in demand since ancient times, Ec[000000]f[16]LFand caravans carried them across China and India to Europe, where they were sold at high prices. When caravan routes were cut by the Turks and Mongols, the demand for spices became a major factor in motivating Europe's search for new trade routes around Africa and across the Atlantic Ocean. Ec[000000]f[16]LBspinB To draw out, twist, and wind fibers into a continuous thread or yarn, which can then be woven to make cloth. From the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries, thread and yarn were made on spinning wheels, traditionally by women at home. Improvements to the loom--a machine Ec[000000]f[16]LFused to make cloth from thread or yarn--in eighteenth-century England changed the making of cloth into a factory enterprise, ultimately leading to the industrial revolution. The spinning wheel, however, remained a fixture in colonial American homes until the early nineteenth century. Ec[000000]f[16]LBsugarcaneB A tall, tropical plant of the grass family, sugarcane--a major source of sugar--was probably cultivated in Asia from prehistoric times. It was not until the Middle Ages that sugarcane was introduced to the Middle East and became accessible to Europe. Later, sugarcane was introduced by Ec[000000]f[16]LFSpanish and Portuguese explorers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries throughout the Old and New World tropics. By-products obtained from sugarcane include molasses, rum, alcohol, fuel, livestock feed, paper, and wallboard. Ec[000000]f[16]LBswamps BRegions covered either permanently or periodically with slowly moving water and in which mostly trees and shrubs are growing. A swamp is distinct from a marsh in that the latter has no trees but an abundance of grasses. Ec[000000]f[16]LBSweden BLocated in northwest Europe, occupying the larger portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Sweden is bounded on the west by Norway and a strait called the Kattegat, on the northeast by Finland, and on the east by the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea. Its capital is Stockholm. From Ec[000000]f[16]LF1638 to 1655, the Swedes established the colony of New Sweden in parts of what are now the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The Dutchman Peter Stuyvesant (1610-1672), with a Dutch force larger than the entire population of New Sweden, conquered the little colony in 1655. Ec[000000]f[16]LBtarB A thick, black substance obtained by the distillation of coal, wood, petroleum, and certain other organic materials. During colonial times, the major source of tar was the pine tree, from which other important naval stores were also taken. When ships were made of wood, tar had numerous Ec[000000]f[16]LFuses, such as sealing cracks. Because Great Britain was an island nation dependent on its large navy to keep the sea lanes open for trade--and to force its will on others--its American colonies, which had extensive pine forests, had a crucial strategic value. Tar is more fluid than pitch. Ec[000000]f[16]LBThomas HookerB A Puritan clergyman in the American colonies, Thomas Hooker (1586-1647) had a dispute with John Cotton (1585-1652), a leader of the clergy in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, over the strict theological rule in Massachusetts. As a result, Hooker and many of his flock Ec[000000]f[16]LFmoved from Massachusetts in 1636 to found Hartford, the present-day capital of Connecticut, where he was pastor until his death in 1647. Ec[000000]f[16]LBtobaccoB The leafy plant used to make cigars, cigarettes, snuff, and pipe and chewing tobacco. In the United States, most of the tobacco crop is grown in North Carolina and Kentucky. The use of tobacco originated with Native Americans in pre-Columbian times. Tobacco was Ec[000000]f[16]LFintroduced into Spain and Portugal in the mid-sixteenth century. It spread to other European countries, and then to Asia and Africa. Its use became common in the seventeenth century. By 1619, tobacco had become a leading export of Virginia, where it was later used as a basis of currency. Ec[000000]f[16]LBtribeB A social group bound by common ancestry, language, and territory; and characterized by an organization intermediate between small, family-based bands and larger chiefdoms. Ec[000000]f[16]LBUnited StatesB The most populous country on the North American continent, the republic of the United States of America comprises fifty states and is bordered on the north by Canada, on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south by Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico. Its capital is Washington, D.C. Ec[000000]f[16]LBVeniceB A historic seaport and cultural center in northern Italy, located at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea, an arm of the Mediterranean Sea. The explorer Marco Polo (1254?-1324?) was from Venice. Ec[000000]f[16]LBVerrazanoB An Italian navigator and explorer, Verrazano (1480-1527) discovered New York Bay in 1524 while exploring the North American coast from North Carolina to Nova Scotia for France. In 1526, he again sailed from France to explore the West Indies, where he was killed by natives in 1527. Ec[000000]f[16]LBVinlandB A portion of the coast of North America visited and named as such by Norse (Viking) voyagers around A.D. 1000, according to whose accounts it was well wooded and produced fruit, especially grapes. No one is quite sure where these voyagers landed in North America, and so Ec[000000]f[16]LFit is thought that Vinland could be anywhere from Labrador to New Jersey. Ec[000000]f[16]LBVirginiaB An eastern state, Virginia is bounded on the north by West Virginia and Maryland; on the east by Maryland, Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean; on the south by North Carolina and Tennessee; and on the west by Kentucky and West Virginia. It has an area of 40,817 square miles, a Ec[000000]f[16]LFpopulation of about 6.3 million, and has its capital at Richmond. One of the original thirteen colonies, Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, but its western counties refused to follow. These western counties were admitted to the Union as the state of West Virginia in 1863. Ec[000000]f[16]LBweaveB To form a fabric by interlacing two or more sets of yarn or other material. Weaving is one of the most ancient of the fundamental arts. Performed on a loom--a frame that holds the fabric and the interlacing yarn--weaving has been performed almost exclusively by women since ancient times Ec[000000]f[16]LFand until the industrial revolution, when fabrics were produced in textile mills instead of on looms at home. Ec[000000]f[16]LBwigwamsB Native American dwellings that were found among Algonquian tribes of the Eastern Woodlands area of the United States. Some of these conical dwellings were small, accommodating a single family; others were large communal abodes. They were covered by squares of bark, reed mats, or thatch. Ec[000000]f[16]LBwildernessB An area undisturbed--and perhaps uninhabited--by humans, and with its wildlife still in its natural state. Ec[000000]f[16]LBWilliam PennB An English Quaker, William Penn (1644-1718) obtained a charter for Pennsylvania in 1681 from King Charles II, who named the colony in honor of Penn's father. He drew up a liberal "Frame of Government" for the colony, and established friendly relations with the Native Americans. His Ec[000000]f[16]LFown steward swindled him to such an extent that he was imprisoned for debt in 1707, and the continued difficulties of his colony and troubles concerning his eldest son caused him much grief. A stroke in 1712 removed him from active life.