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Jacobo Peri wrote Opera
Hewrote the first work to be called an opera today, Dafne (around 1597), and also the first opera to have survived to the present day, Euridice (1600). -
Claudio Monteverdi wrote L’Orfeo
Monteverdi wrote L’Orfeo as an opera. It was based on a Greek legend about a Demi-god named Orpheus falling in love with Eurydice and losing her to a snakebite. Later on in the opera, Orpheus goes to the underworld and retrieves Eurydice, but on their way out, he mistakenly looks back towards her and she suddenly disappears. -
Jamestown is Founded in America
Three ships carried a small group of colonists down the James River in Virginia until an empty piece of land was discovered. Jamestown was the first placed colonized in America by the British. -
First Slaves Brought to America
Due to a labor shortage in Jamestown, Dutch traders offered slaves to the colonists. This was the introduction to slavery to the British colonies and the root of later American slavery. -
The First Female Singers Perform
A few professional female singers perform in the production of Chloridia, a court masque produced by Ben Jonson and Inigo Jones. -
Land for Maryland Allocated
The second British colony in America, called Maryland for the British queen, was founded by King Charles I. Originally a haven for Catholics, the formation of a new colony paved the way for other colonies to be formed in America. -
Virginia Law
In Virginia, the first law was passed to help define the nature of slavery in the colonies. The law stated that the children of a slave mother inherited her 'condition.' This law was the beginning of the American legal system which defended slavery by legalizing the growing slave population. -
George Frideric Handel was Born
Handel composed a great deal of music during the Baroque era. He is best known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. -
J.S. Bach was Born
Johanne Sebastian Bach was, and still is, a very important person to music. He is known for his orchestral works and instrumental compositions. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials was a series of hearings and prosecution of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused.