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Jamestown Established
Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, was established in Virginia and began with 104 colonists. -
House of Burgesses First meets
The first representative body in the United States, the House of Burgesses, first meets in Virginia. -
African Slaves arrive in the United States
African Slaves first arrive in Jamestown by Dutch slave ships, marking the beginning of slavery in the United States. -
Pilgrims arrive in the United States
Pilgrims land in Massachusetts and establish the Plymouth colony. The Mayflower Compact is signed, outlining the colony's government. -
Massachusetts Bay Colony Established
The Puritans, under the leadership of John Winthrop, established the colony called Massachusetts Bay Colony after gaining a charter from the King in 1629. -
Maryland Founded
The Colony of Maryland was founded by Lord Baltimore as a place where Catholics in England can come to escape the persecution that they faced. It was founded as a propriety colony of Lord Baltimore. -
Rhode Island Founded
The Colony of Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams, who was exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony due to religious intolerance. It was founded as a place for those who want to escape the religious intolerance from the other colonies. -
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Pequot War
The Pequot War was a war between the Pequot Native people and the settlers in the English colonies over confrontation on matters such as land and trading. It ended in a Pequot defeat. -
Treaty of Hartford
The Treaty of Hartford is signed, ending the Pequot War. -
Navigation Acts Begin
The Navigation Acts, a long strain of Acts passed by Parliament on American trade, begins with the Navigation Act of 1651, which targets the Dutch. -
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Bacon's Rebellion
Unrest by the common farmers in America over the unfair land the rich are given and their lack of representation leads Nathaniel Bacon to lead a revolution against Governor Berkeley, burning Jamestown down in the process. -
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King Philip's War
King Philip's War was a conflict between the New England colonists and Native tribes, most specifically the Wampanoag led by Metacom. The war began after tensions rose from Wampanoag being hung for another Wampanoag death. It ended with a colonist victory, but there were many casualties and damage to colonies both physically and economically. -
Pennsylvania Founded
The Colony of Pennsylvania was founded after William Penn was granted a charter for a propriety colony, which Penn founded for the purpose of offering religious freedom to his fellow Quakers. -
Paper Money Issued
Paper money first issued in North America in 1690 by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. -
Salem Witch Trials
Hysteria and accusations of many women being witches led to a number of executions of innocent people.