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Roanoke
Men, women, and children settled on Roanoke Island to establish the first settlement and find gold, under the leadership of John White. When White returned from England, he found the settlement was deserted. The only clues were the word CROATOAN carved into the palisades and the letters CRO carved into tree. Notes -
Jamestown
Along the coast of Virginia, a joint-stock company named the Virginia Company of London established a colony that only 38/150 settlers survived the first winter. John Smith, who was Jamestown's leader, proclaimed you did not eat if you did not work. John Rolfe and Pocahontas (his wife) tried growing tobacco which was very profitable. Indentured servants were the first to work in the fields. In March 1622, Native Americans killed 25% of the European settlers in Jamestown. notes -
House of Burgesses
The first legislature was established at Jamestown. Only property owners could vote to elect representatives to the House of Burgesses. Virginia Company's charter was revoked and Virginia became a royal colony under King James I in 1624. notes -
Mayflower/Plymouth/Mayflower Compact
The Pilgrims settled the Plymouth colony in 1620. The Mayflower set sail with 100 passengers for a place near the Hudson River, a spot that was thought to be part of the Virginia colony. The Mayflower Compact was the first self-government plan in the colonies and it pledged that the decisions would be made by majority of the colony's men. Squanto, an English speaking member of the Pawtuxet tribe, helped the settlers grow corn. There were 160 people living in Plymouth Colony by 1627. notes -
Great Puritan Migration
1,000 passengers migrated from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 11 ships. Puritans migrated to North America because they believed the Church of England needed repair. https://familypedia.wikia.org/wiki/Great_Migration_(Puritan). -
Salutary Neglect
This was the British policy of loose enforcement of commerce laws on the American colonists. This policy led to a feeling of independence from Great Britain that ended with the American Revolutionary War. After a period of more centralized control under James II dominion of New England, Solitary Neglect started again and lasted until 1763. The colonies began a series of aggressive actions that ended in the American Revolution. https://www.reference.com/history/salutary-neglect-a807bb5559b21da5 -
New York
New York was called New Amsterdam and the area of New Netherlands by the Dutch. This middle colony was explored by Henry Hudson for the Dutch East India Company, which gave the Netherlands its rule over the land. Dutch landholders were given land that they could make money off of by renting it to farmers. Although the British gained control, they were still able to keep their lands. The British sent a navel fleet to gain control of New Netherlands and the Dutch surrendered without a fight. notes -
Massachusetts Bay Colony
1000 Puritians settled in Massachusetts with a charter from King Charles 1. Governor John Winthrop, who was their leader, believed "We shall be a city upon a hill. The eyes of the people are on us." By 1643, 20,000 English settlers had joined the Puritans, who were outnumbered, but stayed in control because only male members of the church could vote. It became the biggest and most influential New England colony and became a royal colony in 1691. notes -
Maryland
Maryland was settled by Lord Baltimore, who was a Catholic that convinced King Charles 1 to give him 100 million acres for persecuted Catholics to settle. This southern colony was settled as a Proprietary Colony, which meant that the owner of the colony was the ruler, not the British ruler. Cecil Calvert, Baltimore's son, took over the colony when Baltimore died. To every married couple who settled in Maryland, he granted 100 acres. Notes -
Rhode Island
In 1635, Roger Williams and his followers settled this New England colony. Rhode Island had no religious persecution of Christians. Williams argued against government authorities punishing religious dissention and against Native American land being taken away. Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his beliefs in the separation of church and state and freedom of religion.https://www.thoughtco.com/rhode-island-colony-103880 and notes -
Connecticut
The Dutch established the first trading post on the Connecticut River Valley and started the funding of the Connecticut colony. This New England colony was settled by Thomas Hooker. Connecticut established the Fundamental-Order of Connecticut which was the first written constitution in North America. notes andhttps://www.thoughtco.com/connecticut-colony-103870 -
Maryland Toleration Act
In April of 1649, Maryland’s leaders met at the capital, St. Mary city. The Toleration Act of 1649 granted religious freedom to all Christians that lived in Maryland. No people that lived in this province, who believed in Jesus Christ would be troubled in respect for their religion. In essence, the act made it illegal to prevent Christians from practicing their religion. The act also created penalties for people that broke the law.https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-toleration-act-of-1649.html -
Carolina
King Charles II offered 8 supporters land in the Carolina's. People settled in the Carolina's to grow cash crops like rice, indigo, and tobacco because there was easy access to the trade in the West Indies. Cash Crops are grown for the purpose of selling rather than being grown for just the farmer to use. The majority of people were African slaves rather than European settlers in the Carolinas by 1720. Carolina became a royal colony and was split into North and South Carolina. notes -
Bacon's Rebellion
In order for Nathaniel Bacon to retaliate against a series of Native American attacks on the Virginia frontier, he had to raise an unauthorized militia of indentured servants, slaves, and poor farmers. In retaliation to Bacon, Virginia Governor William Berkeley gathered an army to fight against him and his men. Bacon and his men attacked and destroyed Jamestown. The rebellion ended shortly after Bacon passed. notes -
Pennsylvania
King Charles II granted William Penn a charter for the colony of Pennsylvania in 1681, which he then est the colony as a "Holy Experiment". This was a place without a landowning aristocracy where every male settler got 50 acres and the privilege to vote. The Quakers, also known as the society of friends, was formally est in 1668. Quakers were often rediculed for their simplicity of clothes and speech and were persecuted for declining the oaths, rituals, and their anti-war beliefs. Notes -
Salem Witch Trials
An outbreak of hysteria went through Salem Village, Massachusetts when little girls declared they were possessed by the devil and blamed local women of witchcraft. 150 people were imprisoned for witchcraft, 7 people died in prison, 19 were found guilty and were hung, and 1 person was crushed to death for refusing to confess. In September of 1692, the outbreak ended by the public opinion revolting the trials. notes -
Great Awakening/Enlightenment
The British Atlantic experienced an outburst of protestant revivalism (the Great Awakening). Evangelist came from the ranks of several Protestant denominations: Congregationalist, Anglicans, and Presbyterians. The Enlightenment was an intellectual and cultural movement that emphasized reason over superstition and science over blind faith. Isaac newton spread new ideas about religious tolerance. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-ushistory1os2xmaster/chapter/great-awakening-and-enlightenment/ -
French-Indian War
The French-Indian War, also called the Seven Years' war, lasted from 1756-1763 and was a part of the imperial struggle between Britain and France called the Second Hundreds' Year War. The British declared war, but their new commander in America did not succeed against the French and their Indian allies. In 1757, the new British leader William Pitt saw the colonial issues as the key to building a huge British Empire. https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/french-and-indian-war -
The Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan was made to organize the British-held American colonies under a one government. While the convention delegates all approved the plan, the legislatures of all seven colonies declined it, sense it would have taken away their existing powers. Had the Albany Plan been adopted, the Grand Council and the president General, would have worked as a unified government dealing with disputes and agreements between the colonies. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-albany-plan-of-union-4128842 -
Proclamation of 1763
This proclamation was issued by the British at the end of the French and Indian war to appease Native Americans by checking the encroachment of European settlers on their lands. A boundary line was made to separate the British colonies on the Atlantic coast from American Indian lands. The proclamation also est 3 new mainland colonies: Quebec, East and West Florida. https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/1763-proclamation-of
