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Establishment of Jamestown
In December of 1606, about 100 colonists left England and arrived in America in 1607. The settlers suffered from hunger, illness, and fear of attack from the Native Americans. Eventually, the settlers were able to establish trade with the neighboring Powhatan Indians which the settlers needed to survive. In 1609, the settlers experienced the "Starving Time" where over a hundred of them died. By 1611, the settlers were able to get back on track, and by 1619 they created the Great Assembly. -
King James Bible is Made
King James I of Scotland became King in 1603. Catholic and Protestant conflict was high. Most were only hearing one version of the Bible at church and another at home. The popular Bible at the time apparently put the King's power into question. A Puritian scholar then proposed a new version of the Bible, so over the next 7 years scholars worked to create this new version. This version spread quickly throughout Europe due to its accessibility and faithful and scholarly translation -
First Slave Ship Arrives In Jamestown
Angolans were kidnapped by the Portuguese and arrived in the British colonies. The kidnapped were from the Kongo and Ndongo tribes, they were marched to the capital, and then put on the San Juan Bautista ship 150 of 350 of the captives died on the ship, and the ship was attacked by 2 other ships during its voyage. This began the practice slavery in the colonies -
The First Thanksgiving
The colonists spent their first winter on the Mayflower. More than half of the colonists died from malnutrition, disease, and harsh weather. It's likely that without the help of the Natives, none of the colonists would have survived. The settlers formed an alliance with the local Wamponoges thanks to an English-speaking native. The Natives taught them how to hunt and grow crops. The colonists celebrated their first successful harvest by having a festival and feast with the Native Americans. -
The Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was formed by Pilgrims from England once they landed in the New World. The Compact was a set of rules for self-governance for the New Colony William Brewster is usually given credit for writing it. The Mayflower Compact established that colonists needed to remain loyal to the King, the colonists were going to make good laws that they needed to abide by, they would create one society and work to further it, and they would live in accordance with the Christian faith. -
The Mayflower
A group of British citizens wanted a chance in the New World. This group was disgruntled Protestants who didn't want to pledge allegiance to the Church of England, so they set sail for the New World. The Mayflower was caught in a storm in the middle of the Atlantic, so the trip was extremely unpleasant. After sixty-six days, they landed in the New World; they were met with an abandoned Indian village and the fact that they were in the wrong location. -
New Amsterdam Becomes New York
New Netherland was established by Dutch East India Company. The Dutch bought the land from the local Native tribes for cheap, but still the Natives fought the Dutch over the land which led to the death of over 1,000 settlers and Natives. New Amsterdam was under British control; where English settlers lived peacefully. In 1664, New York was given back to British control, and after the American Revolution, it became the first capital of the U.S. -
King Phillip's War
King Phillip was an Indian Chief of the Wampanoag tribe. A Christian Indian, John Sassomg, warned the colonists that Phillip planned to attack them, but they disregarded it, and later his body was found. The colonists found 3 Wampanogs guilty of his murder and hanged them, this upset Phillip. The Natives carried out a multitude of raids on the colonists killing colonists and damaging property. Toward the end of the war, the British had the upper hand. Eventually, Phillip was killed. -
Salem Witch Trials
11-year-old, Abigail Williams and 9-year-old Betty Parris accused fellow townspeople of being witches, and the cause of the fits they were experiencing. They accused a slave, Tituba, a beggar, Sarah Good, and an old, poor Sarah Osborn. These women were put on trial and while Osborn and Good kept their innocence, Tituba confessed and reported other townspeople as witches. More people were accused from that point which led to several trials and executions until 1693. -
Middle Passage
The Middle Passage was the kidnapping or the taking of people from the continent of Africa. Spaniards, French, or English, captors would bind these people by chains and load them onto ships. A multitude of slaves would have to fit in the below deck of a ship. They would often be cramped together with barely any room to move. There were buckets where slaves could urinate, but slaves would also dispose of their waste where they lay. Many slaves would die before they reached America.