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James I authorizes the formation of the Virginia Company
The Virginia Company was modeled after the Spanish conquests. Its goal was to find riches and trade with the Indians in the New World. -
Jamestown is founded
Three English ships said 40 miles up the James river to an uninhabited peninsula away from Spanish patrols. The location was good for defense, but terrible for survival because of bad soil and backside tidewater. -
Quebec is Founded
Founded by Samuel de Champlain, Quebec gave the French a foothold in the New World. They were more concerned with fur trading than colonization. -
Southern Slavery is introduced
A Dutch ship sold twenty Africans to the colony in Virginia, effectively marking the beginning of Southern Slavery. -
Manhattan is Purchased from the Munsee Indians by the Dutch.
Peter Minuit "bought" the land, but it was a shady transaction. The Dutch insisted that colonists buy land, but it is likely that they paid the wrong Indians for the land or they Munsee did not quite realize what they were giving up. -
Virginia passes law that declares children of slaves inherit their mother's condition
The importance of this law is that it allowed slave owners to keep the children of slaves. This law was soon adapted by other colonies, further the spread of slavery. -
Charles Town (later Charleston) is founded
The English colony was viewed as a serious threat by the Spanish. It prompted the Spanish colonists to start building Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine as a response. -
New England is Created
James II combined New England colonies, New York, and New Jersey into one colony in an attempt to shore up the shaky foundation of English colonies. The colonists, however, hated losing their own colony to the king. -
Massachusetts becomes the first colony to issue paper money
These notes were called bills of credit, and they were only issued for a certain period of time. The problem with paper money was establishing its value elsewhere. Other colonies would sometimes not accept another colonies currency.