8Th Grade Biographical Glosary

8th Grade Biographical Glossary

Person / Who he/she is? What he/she did? What event(s) is he/she associated with? List any documents from the document glossary that he/she is associated with under his/her name.
Colonial Era (Ch. 3–5)
Thomas Hooker / Led about one hundred people from Massachusetts to settle along the Connecticut River. Later three settlements merged to form the Connecticut Colony. This colony put Hooker's principles, into practice when it adopted the Fundamental Orders sometimes called the first written constitution. These principles included theidea that voting should be extended to non-church members.
William Penn / He established a colony in Pennsylvania as a refuge for Quakers and a place where they could create a government based on their own standards. Penn attempted to treat Native Americans and settlers from other colonies residing in the grant fairly.
Colonial Expansion/American Identity (Ch. 5)
Charles de Montesquieu / He defined the principle of federalism and separation of powers, calling for a system of checks and balances in government
John Locke / Created a doctrine of natural rights which outlined the fundamental rights all humans should enjoy: life, liberty, and property. Promoted the idea that government develops at the consent of the governed and is designed to protect citizens’ natural rights. It can be dissolved if the citizens believe that their government fails to act in their best interests
William Blackstone / An Enlightenment thinker, Blackstone believed human laws were like scientific laws. They were creations of God waiting to be discovered just as Isaac Newton had discovered the laws of gravity a century before. Also known as the father of English Common Law.
Rebellion and the American Revolution (Ch. 6–7)
Abigail Adams / She was the wife of John Adams. They wrote to one another during absences. In her most famous letter to her husband, she asked him to “Remember the Ladies.” She pressed him to give women equal status with men when forming the new government. Abigail Adams is also known to have advocated for public education for girls.
John Adams / He was a Harvard lawyer who defended the British soldiers after the Boston Massacre. He served as a delegate to both Continental Congresses and was on the committee to write the Declaration of Independence.
Wentworth Cheswell / A beloved and respected patriot from Massachusetts. He was elected town messenger for the regional Committee of Safety, one of the many groups established in Colonial America to monitor events pertaining to public welfare. He delivered messages for the Committee as a rider in the New England colonies. As soldier, he served in the Battles of Saratoga
Samuel Adams / In 1765 he was elected to the Massachusetts Assembly. He was a member of the First Continental Congress and an outspoken patriot who was well known for his oratory skills and as a passionate advocate of independence from Britain. Adams was a member of the Sons of Liberty and secretly helped organize the Boston Tea Party. Cousin to John Adams, he helped organize the committees of correspondence to help bring unity to the colonies.
Mercy Otis Warren / An American patriot. She was a writer who authored plays, poems and essays supporting the idea of independence. Her writings convinced many in Massachusetts to become Patriots. Sister to James Otis and wife of patriot James Warren, co-founder of the Boston committee of correspondence, Mercy was a very outspoken woman for her time. She was also a close friend of Abigail Adams. Her writings have helped historians in the study of the American Revolution and she is often considered the first historian of the Revolution
James Armistead / One of General George Washington’s most effective weapons against the British, James Armistead. Armistead was enlisted as a patriotic spy who worked as a “double-agent” spy for the US. Pretending to be a runaway slave, Armistead was able to infiltrate the British defenses and acquire countless important British war secrets which helped turn the tide of the Revolution in favor of the Americans. Marquis de Lafayette wrote the letter of recommendation for his freedom, which was granted in 1787.
Benjamin Franklin / An inventor, writer, printer, diplomat, scientist, humorist, and statesman. He was born in Boston in 1706. In 1733 he started publishing Poor Richard’s Almanack. What distinguished Franklin’s almanac were his witty sayings and lively writing. During the French and Indian War, Franklin advocated colonial unity with his Albany Plan which encouraged the colonists to “Join or Die.” He was a delegate to the both Continental Congresses and a member of the committee to write the Declaration of Independence.
Bernardo de Gálvez / A descendant of ancient Spanish nobility, Gálvez was the acting Governor of the Louisiana Territory. Due Spains support of the American colonists during the Revolution, Gálvez naturally sided with the Americans throughout the war. He was instrumental in buying Spanish weapons, gunpowder, clothing and many other vital supplies that were essential to the colonial army. He was influential in keeping the port of New Orleans and the Mississippi River out of the control of the British, thus preventing British attacks from the west and the south during the revolution
Crispus Attucks / In 1770, Crispus Attucks, an African American former slave was the first of five unarmed American civilians to be shot and killed by British soldiers in a riot known as the Boston Massacre. Attucks was credited as the leader and instigator of the heroic upheaval against the British army.
King George III / King of England from 1760-1810. During his reign, there were many conflicts involving his kingdom. After the French and Indian War, the British Parliament, with the King’s approval angered the American colonists by taxing them to pay for military protection. In 1776 the American colonists declared their independence and listed their grievances against the king.
George Washington / He was a Virginia planter and a delegate to the House of Burgesses. Washington fought during the French and Indian War and was a delegate to the Continental Congress. He was chosen Commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution . Washington lead the Continental Army in is retreat from New York, then commanded the American victories at Trenton, lead the army through the winter at Valley Forge and coordinated the victory at Yorktown that lead to the surrender of Cornwallis.
Haym Salomon / A Polish-born Jewish immigrant who played an important role in financing the American Revolution.. He was a member of the American [spy] ring and helped convince many Hessians to desert the British military. He was arrested as a spy by the British but escaped before he could be hung. Salomon became a financial broker in Philadelphia. He went on to help finance the Continental Congress, using his own personal money to finance the patriot cause. Known as the “American Financier.”
Patrick Henry / A symbol of America’s struggle for liberty and self-government, he was a lawyer, patriot, orator, and willing participant in virtually every aspect of the founding of America. He served as a Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779. He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. During the American Revolution, he famously said “Give me liberty or give me death.” He was a delegate to the First Continental Congress from Virginia.
Thomas Jefferson / As a Virginia planter, he was also a delegate to the House of Burgesses and to the 1st and 2nd Continental Congress. He was selected to draft the Declaration of Independence and is thus considered the author of the Declaration of Independence.
Marquis de Lafayette / A French officer who came to help the Americans fight the Revolution against Great Britain. He was given the rank of major general, since he represented the highest rank of French nobility. He developed a friendship with George Washington which lasted as long as Washington lived. Lafayette was also able to obtain troops and supplies from France for the patriots. He was the first foreigner to be granted honorary United States citizenship.
Thomas Paine / He authored the pamphlet Common Sensewhich encouraged the colonies to break with England and become independent. He was a soldier in the Continental Army and wrote the pamphlet The Crisis to encourage Continental soldiers to continue to fight. In the pamphlet, he penned his famous line, "These are the times that try men's souls."
John Paul Jones / In 1776 with his ship the Bonhomme Richard, he defeated the British warship Serapis, which raised American spirits. Jones’ success against the best navy in the world angered the British and inspired the Americans. Jones’ famous words during this battle were “I have not yet begun to fight!” which became a slogan for the U.S. Navy. Some consider him the “Father of the U.S. Navy.”
Creating American Government/New Republic (Ch. 8–9)
James Madison / A Virginia delegate to the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention, and is considered the “Father of the Constitution” for his many contributions to the basic structure of our gov’t. He authored the Virginia Planwhich proposed representation in the Congress based on population. He supported ratification of the new U.S. Constitution and wrote over a third of the Federalist Papers, promoting its ratification. He proposed the Bill of Rights. Switched sides during George Washington’s administration and help found the Democratic-Republican party with Thomas Jefferson. The party opposed many of the Federalist ideas, including: opposition to the national bank, a strict interpretation of the Constitution, favoring states’ rights over federal law (Alien and Sedition Acts), a pro-French sympathy over Great Britain, and supporting an economy of farmers and craftsmen over manufacturing and industry
Alexander Hamilton / A delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 from New York. As a proponent of a strong central government, he was one of theauthors of The Federalist Papers (essays that promoted the ratification of the Constitution).Appointed by Pres. Washington as the Secretary of the Treasury who developed the republic’s financial plan, which created a national bank, a very controversial issue and considered the founder of the Federalist Party
Patrick Henry / He was a symbol of America’s struggle for liberty and self-government; he was a lawyer, patriot, orator, and willing participant in virtually every aspect of the founding of America. He was a delegate to the First Continental Congress from Virginia. He did not attend the Constitutional Convention in 1787 because he “smelled a rat” and later fought against ratification of the U.S. Constitution
George Mason / A member of the Virginia Legislature and wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 but did not sign the Constitution. He became an Anti-Federalist and worked against ratification of the U.S. Constitution. He believed in basic American liberties such as freedom of the press, religious tolerance and the right to a trial by jury.
George Washington / Commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Later, he became the President of the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention in 1787. He sides with the Federalists in the debate over ratification.Elected the First President of the United States in 1788. He set many precedents: served two terms, met with his cabinet and supported Alexander Hamilton's plans to deal with war debts and create a currency system. He was a Federalist, believed in a strong central government; tried to avoid another war with European powers, Britain and France, by issuing the Neutrality Proclamation, this stands as one of his greatest accomplishments because it allowed the United States to build a solid system of government, expand westward. He warned against the formation of political parties in his farewell address
Early Republic/Industrial Revolution and Sectionalism/Jacksonian Democracy (Ch.10–15)
John Marshall / Nominated as the Supreme Court Chief Justice by John Adams in 1801, under the Judiciary Act of 1801. Involved in many key landmark decisions including: Marbury v Madison, McCulloch v Maryland, and Gibbons v Ogden. Decision in the Marbury case led to the growth in power of the judicial branch by incorporating the principle of judicial review.His opinion in the Gibbonscase led to Congress as the regulator of interstate commerce and the McCulloch case led to the superiority of the federal gov’t, they helped to grow the strength of the court and federal government. Ruled in theWorcester v Georgia case that the federal government’s treaties are superior to Georgia laws limiting Cherokee rights, it was ignored by the executive branch and the Cherokee were forced to move.
Andrew Jackson / Hero of the Battle of New Orleans, which took place after the treaty to end the War of 1812.Later, elected to the U.S. Congress from the state of Tennessee. Was chosen as General to fight off invasions from Spanish Florida, he later invaded the territory and claimed it for the U.S.; this led to Spain ceding FL in the Adams-Onís Treaty.As president, offered jobs to political supporters (spoils); aided in spreading political power to common people (Jacksonian Democracy); ignored the Supreme Court’s decision in Worcester v Georgia and instituted the Indian Removal Act to remove Natives from the south for cotton land and gold; fought South Carolina against nullification and possible secession to preserve the union; vetoed the renewal charter for 2nd National Bank because he felt it favored the wealthy,
John C. Calhoun / Was an advocate for Henry Clay’s American System, especially for the internal improvements on transportation.Proposed the doctrine of nullification because of the Tariff of Abominations’ negative impact on S.C., this would allow them to cancel out the tariff. Threatened they would secede from the union if not allowed to nullify the tariff, eventually resigned as Jackson’s Vice President out of shame from this incident.
Henry Clay / Congressman from Kentucky who was a War Hawk, prior to the War of 1812. Proposed what became known as the American System which called for: a 2nd national bank to unify the currency, a protective tariff to support U.S. manufacturing, and government funded improvements to transportation (like the Erie Canal). In 1820, he proposed the Missouri Compromise to balance the slave and free states in Congress.Made a “corrupt bargain” with J.Q. Adams to become Secretary of State in exchange for giving Adams his support for president. Allied with national bank to gain the presidency in 1832, attempting to ruin Jackson if he vetoed the renewal charter. Proposed the compromise tariff to end the Nullification Crisis over the Tariff of Abominations.
Daniel Webster / Successful lawyer who defended the national bank and won its case against the state tax in McCulloch v. Maryland; defended Gibbons and won in the case dealing with interstate commerce in Gibbons v. Ogden. In the U.S. Senate, argued in favor of the Union against nullification and secession.
John Quincy Adams / Helped negotiate the Treaty of Ghent, to end the War of 1812. He also was the Secretary of State for Pres. James Monroe who helped negotiate the Adams-OnísTreaty.President during the passing of the Tariff of 1828.
Immigration, Culture and Reform (Ch. 14)
John James Audubon / A member of the Hudson River School. He was a naturalist specializing in painting the birds of America. He practiced his hobby of drawing birds as he floated down the Mississippi River. Through his observation of birds and nature, he became a conservationist. He illustrated a collection of 435 life size prints of America birds. Today, the Audubon Society continues his spirit of protecting birds and their habitats.
Henry David Thoreau / Heavily influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson, he was a transcendentalist author who wrote many books and poems. His most famous book is called Walden. In this book he set forth his ideas about how an individual should live to be attuned to his own nature as well as to nature itself. He is known for his civil disobedience when he was jailed for not paying taxes to support the Mexican War. Thoreau’s most famous essay was Civil Disobedience published in 1849, in which he called for passive resistance to unjust laws.
Frederick Douglass / A leader of the abolitionist movement in the decades prior to the Civil War. He was born a slave in Maryland and eventually escaped to the North. He founded an antislavery newspaper called the North Star, which he published for 13 years. He participated in the first women’s rights convention at Seneca Falls in 1848 and wrote three autobiographies. He also served as an advisor to President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and helped recruit African Americans into the Union army. After the war, he held several public offices and campaigned for full civil rights for African Americans and women’s suffrage.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton / A leader in the women’s rights movement. Unlike most women of her era, she was formally educated. She planned and organized the first women’s rights movement in the United States, called the Seneca Falls Convention for Women’s Rights in Seneca Falls, New York and wrote the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions which was modeled after the Declaration of Independence. She is regarded as one of the true major forces in the drive towards equal rights for women in the United States.