-
Aug 3, 1492
Columbus discovers the new world
Christopher Columbus was trying to find a better route to Asia because it was too hard and expensive to trade the way that they were. So, Columbus thought that if he sailed West all the way across the globe he would end up in Asia. He didnt know that there was a whole other Continent in the way, the Americas. He didnt realize that he had landed in the Americas, more specifically San Salvador, he though he was in the Indies so he called the native people there, Indians or Los Indios. -
Jan 1, 1511
First Enslaved Africans arrive in the Americas
The first enslaved Africans arrived in the Americas in 1511 to be used as laborers and the Europeans saw many advantages to this. First of all they had experience working so they knew how to work in the fields and other places well, and how to do a good job. Second they were totally imune to all European diseases so they could stay healthy and work longer. And lastly their skin color made them easier to see so it would be harder for them to run away without being caught. -
Oct 13, 1521
Cortes conquers Aztec Empire
Hernando Cortes arrived in Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital in 1521. Along with him he brought about 600 men. Montezuma the second thought that Cortes was a god so he gave Cortes all of his gold, but that wasnt enoough for Cortes. He went and killed many of their people and when they rebelled, the Spaniards conquered them with a little help from other native groups. -
Nov 1, 1533
Pizarro Conquers Incan Empire
Francisco Pizarro met the Incan ruler, Atahualpa. The Spaniards, with an army of about 200 men, waited before suprise attacking the Incan force, with about 30,000 men, and kidnapping Atahualpa. After kidnapping him, he begged to be let go by offering Pizarro one room filled with gold, and two filled with silver. After accepting and receiving this, Pizarro kills Atahualpa. -
English found Jamestown
When the English saw the French and the Spanish people explore the new world it made them want to explore and colonize there. They soon got a letter from king James to go colonize there and so they did. More than 100 settlers went on three ships and landed in Virginia after four months. When they got there they named their colony Jamestown, after King James. -
English found Plymouth
When an English group of fleeing religious colonists, known as Pilgrims, wanted religious freedoms in the new world, they formed the colony Plymouth, in Massachusetts. -
French and Indian war ends
When the English expanded more and more into North American territories, they started to get very close to French territories. Soon, their colonies started to interfere with each other and soon a war broke out known as the French and Indian war.
