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Period: to
1600-1700
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First Permanent English Settlement
Jamestown, Virginia was the first permanent English settlement. This establishment was named after England's King James I and was originally founded in search of gold. However, they only encountered a swamp filled with mosquitos causing malaria. They later found profit in the tobacco industry. -
Starving Time
The leader of Jamestown, Captain John Smith, returned to England. After this the people of the establishment endured their second winter of starvation because of not having planted, nor stored enough grain to survive. Out of the first 216 settlers, only 60 survived. -
The First Women and Slaves entering the Colony
The first women and enslaved people entered the colony in 1619 when the production of tabacco was first starting to take off. -
Jamestown Tobacco Industry
In 1619, Jamestown began making profit by exporting tobacco to Europe for the new trend or new found hobby of smoking. Tobacco was very profitable, but there was more labor needed. This led to purchasing of slaves in order to save the crop and lessen work load on themselves. -
Virginia's House of Burgesses Established
The Virginia House of Burgesses was a group of representatives that met from 1619, until 1776. The member were elected from each county of Virginia, and each county send two. It was the first democratically elected legislative body in North America and it, in partnership with a royal governer, governed the colony. -
Plymouth Established
This colony in Massachusetts was established by Pilgrims from England. An agreement was signed by the 41 male passengers that created the basis for the colonies government. This document is called the Mayflower Compact. -
The Puritan Migration
In reaction to the constant persecution from England, the Puritans began to travel to New England. They remained committed to the church of England. Leaders such as John Winthrop insisted that they were not separating from England, but were forming a godly community. -
Maryland Established
This colony was established by Lord Baltimore as an escape for England's Catholics. This location was across from the Chesapeake Bay from Virginia. -
Rhode Island Established
Because the Puritans did not allow others to practice their religion freely in Massechusetts, Roger WIlliams left and started his own colony of Rhode Island. He based his principles on religious tolerance. -
The First Written Constitution
Inspired by Thomas Hookers sermon on May 31, 1638, provided the framework for the colony of Conneticut from 1639-1662. This was the first written constitution in the colonies.It stated that colonies had the right to elect govereners, judges, and legislators. It is significant because of it being the first written down. -
The Navigation Acts Passed
The Cival War outbreak led to a trade route being established between the Dutch and the French. After the English War ended, England sought to control the colonial trade relations. The British Parlament then declared only English ships would be allowed to bring goods into England. This also meant North American colonies could only export to England, this later led to the American Revolution. -
Pennsylvania Established
This colony was founded bby William Penn for the Quakers. The Quakers were a group of Protestants that opposed war. Instead of taking the land from the Nativ Americans, as so many others had, he negotiated and had peaceful purchases. He provided Pennsylvania a written constitution that limited the power of the government, guaranteed many fundamental libeties, and provided a humane penal code.
