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Period: 1500 to
13 Colonies Timeline
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Roanoke: The Lost Colony
In 1587, a group of colonists consisting of 91 men, 17 women, and 9 children were led by Sir Walter Raleigh settled on the island of Roanoke, off the coast of N. Carolina. For some reason all the colonists disappeared after 1590, and to this day no one knows what happened to Roanoke and the people of Roanoke. -
Jamestown Colony Founded
In 1606 King James I issued a charter for the London Company, and the London Company sent 3 ships (Godspeed, Discovery, and Susan Constant) with 144 men to Jamestown. In spring 1607, they arrived in Jamestown after reaching the Chesapeake Bay and sailing 60 miles up the James River. A severe winter and "too busy looking for riches" were the reasons men died. It was not until 1616 when the colony thrived after learning how to grow tobacco. But to do that, they needed African-American slaves. -
First African Slaves
In 1616, Jamestown thrived, because the survivors learned how to grow tobacco. This resulted in many plantations, farms, etc. and a large number of slaves were needed to work there and grow stuff for the Southern Colonies. -
Pilgrims Arrive
People seeking religious freedom left the Church of England in 1620. These people thought they had the right to practice their own religion, without anyone forcing them to stick to a religion. They couldn't do that in England, so they left and settled in Plymouth Rock, Cape Cod, and established a All-Religions-Allowed colony. They were the Pilgrims, they befriended the Native Americans, and ended up inventing Thanksgiving! -
Maryland Founded
In 1632, 12 million acres of land north of Chesapeake Bay was granted by the English crown to Cecilius Calvert (Aka. Lord Baltimore 2). This colony was named Maryland after the queen, and was very similar to Virginia. The landowners of both colonies produced goods in large plantations and depended on slaves for that. Lord Baltimore was Catholic, so the colony tolerated any religion. -
New York (Not The City!)
Much of the territory between New England and Virginia belonged to the Dutch. In 1664, King Charles II gave this territory to his brother James, or the Duke of York. Most of the Dutch people there stayed put and dealt with it. Because of that, new York was a very prosperous and diverse colony. -
Pennsylvania
In 1680, the king granted 45000 sq. mi of land west of the Delaware River to William Penn. Penn's holdings became Pennsylvania, or "Penn's woods" People from all over Europe came to Pennsylvania, lured by the fertile soil and the religious freedom that Penn promised. Most of the emigrants paid their own way to the colonies and had enough money to establish themselves when they arrived. This made Pennsylvania a prosperous place, just like New York. -
Georgia Founded
James Oglethorpe founded Georgia, inspired by the need to have a buffer between Spanish Florida and South Carolina. Georgia's development was similar to South Carolina's. -
Revolution
Britain passed taxes and laws that the colonists protested against. Colonists hated being governed by a king, and they started protests and revolts against Britain. Then it turned to massacres and skirmishes between the British Army and colonists. Things got worse and worse over time and eventually, war broke out. -
America Is Born
In 1776, the Declaration of Independence officially announced the birth of our country.
