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Mar 4, 1450
Johann Gutenberg
Johann Gutenberg perfected movable type. This helped with the englightenment in Europe which eventually led to further exploration of the new world. -
Sep 7, 1492
Columbus
Columbus set off on his first voyage to America. This began the period of American colonization. -
Sep 7, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Treaty of Tordesillas divided the new world by a line in which Spain gained one half of the land and Portugual gained the other. It was meant to discourage England from exploring. To this day, several countries in South America speak portugese or spanish because of this treaty. -
Dec 6, 1497
John Cabbot Traveled Transatlantic
He completed the first known transatlantic voyage which led to the start of the English exploration of the new world. -
Mar 17, 1499
Encomienda System
In order to control explorers, Spain made the Encomienda System which gave the leaders of settlements in the new world indian villages so they could use the indians for labor. This allowed Spain to have more control of the new world. -
Jan 2, 1502
Reconquista
After over 700 years, the Spanish monarch forced all muslims in Spain to either leave or convert to christianity. This empowered Spain and gave them the oppurtunity to start exploring new lands to conquerer in the new world. -
Nov 9, 1505
Slave Trade
The slave trade began after explorers began to run out of the natives for labor causing them to kidnap Africans and bring them to Europe and the new world which greatly impacted the settlement of the americas. -
Nov 9, 1508
Sebastian Cabbot Explored Hudson Bay
Sebastian Cabbot explored the Hudson Bay area and his exploration led England to explore the Americas. -
Jun 22, 1517
Protestant Reformation
Martin Luther began the reformation of the catholic church in England. The new protestant England and English nationalism caused England to become a central role in Europe and later in the new world. -
Roanoke
Roanoke was a colony that was settled after England gained interest in the new world. The Spanish intercepted supplies and the colony died in just a few years, it's still a mystery what happened to some of the colonists. This colony was the starting point of English exploration. -
Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada intercepted communication and supplies to the English Roanoke colony causing it to perish. -
Richard Haklyut
Richard Haklyut kept pushing to keep the colonies in the new world alive. He helped convince England that there were valuable raw materials in the new world which led to the farming of tobacco which improved everyone's view of the new world. -
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was an English settlement founded to bring income to England founded by John Smith. Edwin Sandys tried to make colonzing more attractive with the House of Burgesses along with an elective assembly. His methods of disturbuting land were important to settlement in Virginia and other colonies. -
Quebec
Quebec was founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain. Quebec was the main port for French Canada and all imports and exports went through it. The french were hoping to get great economic gain from Canada but they had flaws in their government system. -
Plymouth
Plymouth was a refuge for English separatists, the colony was founded by William Bradford. The pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact to keep the order in their new colony. -
Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts was a refuge for English puritans. People in the colony like Roger Williams taught extreme separatism. -
Maryland
Maryland was a refuge for English catholics who were persecuted in England. -
Connecticut
Connecticut was founded off of an expansion of Massachusetts. They passed the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut to maintain civil goverment. -
Rhode Island
Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams and the colony was a refuge for accused criminals and people who were persecuted for their ideals or religon. People like Anne Hutchinson later moved to the colony for refuge. -
North and South Carolina Colonies
The Carolinas were founded as commercial ventures, they were home to large plantations which were highly profitable for England. -
New York
New York was founded based on commercial venture from England. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Due to attacks from indians, Bacon led the construction of forts and a volunteer to defend the Virginia. The governor refused to grant Bacon military rights and Bacon rebelled against the governor and killed innocent indians or were his army lost after this the governor sent out a campaign to stop Bacon. Bacons real goal was to stop Berkley's corrupt way of government which he didnt succeed in. -
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn and he lead colonists there as a refuge for quakers. -
Enlgish Bill of Rights
This established that Englishmen have certain civil and political rights but there were limitations for non-protestants. It was a result of the Glorious Revolution. -
New Hampshire
New Hampshire was founded for commercial gain. -
Parliamentary Supremacy
Parliament declared sumpremacy which felt like a threat to colonists rights. -
First Great Awakening
This was a spiritual renewal in the colonies and it adopted more emotion into religion. -
Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield
Jonathan Edwards sparked the Great Awakening in Massachusetts and he accepted the traditional teachings of Calvinism. He created peoples need for dependence on God. George Whitefield was an English preacher in the colonies that was an exceptional public speaker and he promoted his own ideas about consumer society. -
Georgia Colony
Georgia was founded to serve as a buffer between English and Spanish colonies and also to intimidate the Spanish. -
French and Indian War
Battle between France and England over who would control the new world. France lost which later gave an advantage to the colonists during the revolution. -
Sugar Act
English put duties on goods like sugar and coffee causing the colonists to protest it as a violation of rights. -
Stamp Act
Parliament required a stamp to be put on all legal documents and each stamp has to be paid for by colonists which created a mass political movement. -
Quartering Act
Colonists were forced to house British soliders which, to the colonists, was taxation without representation. This fueled their dislike for Parliament. -
Stamp Act Congress
This was formed to protest the Stamp Act and gave the colonists a sense of intercolonial pride. -
Declaratory Act
Parliament declared sovereignity over all colonies which caused even more dislike by the colonists. -
Townshend Revenue Acts
Colonists were charged duties on glass, paper, and other common products they bought from England. Colonists saw this as more taxation without representation. -
Boston Massacre
Redcoats fired upon colonists in Boston which outraged the colonists. -
Battle of Germantown/Valley Forge
British forces counter attacked the american troops resulting in a disappointing set back in the war for Americans. -
Tea Act
England tried to help the East India Trading Company by allowing them to sell tea directly to colonists but colonists thought the taxing was too high causing them to revolt. -
Boston Tea Party
Colonists refused to accept the taxes on tea and threw shipments of tea into the Boston Habor. -
Intolerable Acts
The port of Boston was closed and British troops were brought in to colonies causing colonists to panic and want to get away from British rule. -
First Contiental Congress
This was a meeting of colonial leaders to figure out how they could stand against England. -
Common Sense
Common Sense was written by Thomas Paine pre-revolution about his suspicions about the English Parliament. His writting gave colonists confidence they could win the war. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
Britsh forces were rebeled against in the small farming towns and this began the first battles of the revolution. -
Shot Heard Round the World
Shots fired at Lexington and Concord started the revolutionary war and it signified life was about to change in America -
Second Continental Congress
After the Revolution had started, colonial leaders needed a way to govern the colonies during the war and they created this congress to give central leadership. -
Olive Branch Petition
This was Englands final attempt to assert the rights of colonists while maintaining their loyalty to the crown and colonists denied this last offer. -
Prohibitory Act
England intended to coerce colonists into submission and there was also an embargo on Amercian goods which the colonists rebeled to. -
Battle of Trenton
American troops crossed the Delaware river and killed a large portion of the British army which gave americans confidence in the war. -
Second Battle of Saratoga
Americans kept the British out of the south by defeating them in this battle and this battle helped convince the French to bring aid to the Americans. -
Battle of Kings Mountain
A group of backwoods colonists brutally defeat a Bitish force, which helped weaken the British Army. -
Battle of Yorktown
American and French forces defeated Cornwallis's Army and this was the final battle of the revolution, where the British surrendered.
