Valiant: brave and courageous
Independence: freedom
Rafters: beams that support a roof
Continental Army: American Army that fought the British during the Revolutionary War.
Defiant: standing up against authority: resisting authority
Bargaining: agreeing to do something or trade something
Agent: a person who has the authority to act for someone else
Relations: dealings between persons or groups
Startling: surprising
Citizen: a person born in or legally made a member of a country
Capsizing: overturning in the water
Din: loud and unpleasant noise that lasts for a while
Provisions: supplies of food or necessary tools
Musket: old-fashioned guns used before modern rifles were invented
Prevailing: most frequent: occurring most often
Colonists: people who helped to start a colony or land controlled by a nation or country
Civilization: human societies with their own organization and culture
Inherit: to receive from someone, usually a relative, who has died
Diverse: different; varied
Plodding: walking in a slow, heavy way
Parched: made hot and very thirsty
Sturdy: strong
Jolted: moved in a sudden, violent way
Sentries: people stationed to keep watch; guards
Emigrants: people who have left their own homeland to settle in a new one
Persecution: the mistreatment or harassment of a person or group of people
Abandon: to give up something; to stop working on something
Prospecting: searching for gold or some other valuable product
Verified: declared real, authentic, or true