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Discovery of Jamestown
The settlement of Jamestown was founded by those aboard the ships of the Susan Constant, the Discovery, and the Godspeed. This was after five longs months of traveling on the sea. -
Refracting Telescope
Hans Lippershey invents the first refracting telescope. He was originally a spectacle maker, which sparked his desire to create an instrument "for seeing things far away as if they were nearby". -
First Slaves Brought to America
African Americans were brought to Jamestown, Virginia by Dutch traders. This was the beginning of the brutally long reign of slavery, which was not ended until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation setting all slaves free. -
House of Burgesses
This was the first representative assembly that was held in America. -
Mayflower Compact
This was a document signed on the English ship Mayflower prior to its landing at Plymouth, Massachusetts. This compact was the first government for British colonials in America. -
Barometer
Evangelista Torricelli from Italy invented the barometer, which is an instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure. -
Maryland Toleration Act
This act is passed by the colony's assembly, allowing for religious freedom. -
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King Philip's War
This was a war between English colonists and the American Indians of New England. It was the Native American’s last major effort to drive out the English colonists. -
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Bacon's Rebellion
This was an uprising against Native Americans and the colonial government that stemmed from the thefts by the Native Americans in order to repay a debt that was not given to them upfront by the man who owed them the debt.
