American History.
	James Edward Oglethorpe led an effort to reform England's prison system, and then helped found Georgia as a haven for England's "worthy poor." William Penn was a leading member of the Society of Friends in England who founded Pennsylvania as a safe haven for member of his faith, as well as any other religious group being victimized by persecution. François Joseph Paul, Comte De Grasse had already served in the French Navy for 25 years before being sent to help the American Revolutionary cause. On September 5, 1781, his fleet engaged a British fleet in the Chesapeake Bay and successfully prevented the escape of General Lord Charles Cornwallis from Yorktown. Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau, was a very distinguished French officer when he brought an army of French troops across the Atlantic to join the American Revolution. His army was subsequently instrumental in the Americans forcing British General Cornwallis to surrender his army at Yorktown. The Battle of Yorktown began when a combined American and French army laid siege to Yorktown, Virginia, on September 28, 1781, and ended with the surrender of the British Army under General Lord Cornwallis on October 19. Casimir Pulaski gained distinction as a cavalry officer during Poland's fight for freedom from Russian rule. Convinced to help in America's fight for independence, he trained and commanded a cavalry unit known as the Pulaski Legion. He was killed during the Battle of Savannah. Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von Steuben came to America in 1778 to help in the Revolutionary cause and helped George Washington transform a ragtag collection of troops into a well-disciplined and well-trained army. The Battle of the Monongahela was fought near present-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on July 9, 1755, when a British/American force led by Major General Edward Braddock was ambushed by a French/Indian force. Braddock was killed during the battle, but his aide-de-camp George Washington earned great distinction. William Howard Taft: A Chronology of His Life and Career William Howard Taft had no real interest in politics, but his wife opposed his career as a judge because she felt it was a "fixed groove." Hardly any other President has been so unhappy in office. When he was appointed Chief Justice eight years after leaving the White House, Taft said it was the highest honor he ever received. South Carolina: Facts and Figures Area 32,007 sq mi. Population 4,012,012. Capital Columbia. Ratified Constitution May 23, 1788. Massachusetts Bay Colony The Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay in New England was chartered in 1629, and given the right to govern a tract of land extending from three miles south of the Charles River to a point three miles north of the Merrimac, west to the Pacific Ocean. John Sullivan led armies at Quebec, Long Island, Trenton, Princeton, Staten Island, Brandywine, and Germantown. He is best known, however, for leading a camapign against the Iroquois in New York that ended their alliance with the British. Molly Pitcher was a nickname for women who carried water to troops on Revolutionary War battlefields. Although many such women existed, the most commonly known story involves one whose real name was Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley. The Battle of Monmouth, fought on June 28, 1778, was the last time two full armies would meet in battle during the Revolutionary War. Although it ended in a technical draw, the Americans gained confidence in their abilities and faith in General George Washington's leadership.