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Founding of Jamestown
Jamestown was the first permanent settlement to be established in the New World. Settled by the joint-stock Virginia Company, Jamestown was founded in the hopes of discovering and profiting off of gold and silver deposits. However, after discovering an overabundance of tobacco plants, the crop quickly became their most profitable export. -
Quebec Established
Quebec was established by the Father of France, Samuel de Champlain, and was established as a fur trading post. -
First Slaves Arrive in the New World
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House of Burgesses
The first democratic legislative body, this group of representatives were elected from each county in Virginia (2 per county) in which concerns of the colonists were brought to attention. -
Pilgrims Settle at Plymouth / Mayflower Compact
A group of around 100 pilgrims and members of the Separatist Church had settled on Plymouth after choosing to break from the Church of England, for not adequately completing the Protestant Reformation. The voyage was in the Separatist's aspiration of finding religious freedom, and the pilgrim's hope of finding economic opportunities. -
Massachusetts Bay Established
Established by the Puritans in the hopes fo overruling the Church of England, and to encourage religious freedom. -
New Hampshire Established
New Hampshire was originally planned to be a fishing colony, in the hopes of John Mason, however, Mason died before the colony was properly established. Thus, the colony was renovated in order to encourage religious freedom and the spread of Christianity. -
New York Established
Established and identified by it's connections to the fur trade industry and eventually as an agricultural resource. Founded as New Netherlands, but was renamed to New York by the Duke or York. -
Rhode Island Established
Rhode Island was established by Roger Williams in an effort to encourage religious and political freedom. Many people escaped to Rhode Island from New England and the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and thus, Rhode Island was home of the first Baptist church, the first synagogue, and the first Quaker meetinghouses. This colony was the first to become independent from Great Britain. -
Navigations Act
The British Parliament, wishing to extract more wealth from The Colonies, had passed a series of mercantilist laws which controlled the import and export of goods into North America, assuring that all goods reaching the Colonies had to be carried on English ships. Additionally, all foreign products had to be passed through England and taxed before reaching North America. Smuggling items into North America quickly became popular as a way to boycott this act. -
Connecticut Established
The Connecticut Colony was established as a producer of crops and goods such as wheat, livestock, and lumber. Was known to be an incredibly Puritan state, and was well-known for their shipbuilding. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion marked the turning point in friendly relations between the local tribes and colonists. This began when a group of Doeg Indians raided Thomas Matthews, claiming he had failed to pay them for their goods. In response, the colonists attempted to retaliate, accidentally raiding the wrong tribe, and further ruining overall relations. While a peace broker was attempted to be established by Virginian Governor Sir William Berkeley, Nathan Bacon Jr. led a raid in defiance. -
Pueblo Revolt
The Pueblo Revolt was a significant uprising of the Pueblo people against Spanish rule. This revolt as held due to the Spanish government suppressing Native practices that didn't follow Christianity (assimilation). As a turning point of this revolt, the Spanish were more willing to accommodate the Pueblos. -
English Bill of Rights
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Toleration Act
Freedom of worship and religion to Nonconformists, such as Baptists and Congregationalists. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials were held in an attempt to calm mass hysteria by holding trials for the condemned witches of Salem. Those who were accused were often hung or jailed, however, by September 1692, the village's hysteria had calmed down, and many began condemning the act of killing those accused of witchcraft. -
Encomienda System Established
A Spanish labor system that was established in order to encourage development of their mining economy. This system provided a prominent Spaniard (encomendero) with a number of native laborers, which of whom would offer him tribute in order to have him protect them and inevitably assimilate them to Christianity. -
The Great Awakening
Otherwise known as the Age of Reasoning or the Age of Enlightenment, The Great Awakening represented a surge in open-minded and new-age ideas in relation to topics such as race, class, geography, etc. -
7 Years War / French & Indian War
The peace treaties responsible for ending the Austrian War of Succession had created several problems, leading to significant disputes in North America. These disputes took form of British colonists attacking the French soldiers who attempted to claim land, leading to numerous assaults on both ends. -
South Carolina Established
Established for religious freedom, and relied heavily on slave labor during the rise of plantation farming. -
Virginia Established
Established mainly to serve as profit for the Virginia Company. -
Maryland Established
Established to serve as an escape for Catholics who were condemned during the anti-Catholic persecution in Europe. -
Delaware Established
Established by a group fro Sweden who wished to claim territory on the New World for monetary gain. -
Pennsylvania Established
Founded under a charter petitioned by Willian Penn, Pennsylvania Colony was established as a safe haven for Quakers; providing religious freedom. -
New Jersey Established
Attempted to bring in more people to the colony by guaranteeing religious freedom. -
Georgia Established
The last colony to be established, Georgia was established in order to protect southern colonies surrounding Florida from Spanish invasion. -
North Carolina Established
King Charles II granted eight noblemen a large portion of land in the south, to which they formed the North Carolina Colony.
