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Roanoke
English settlers went to Roanoke island. John White left the group for England. When he got back, his family and all the other settlers had disappeared. The only thing he could find was the word "Croatoan" carved into a wooden post. Link text -
Jamestown
The Virginia Company of London started a colony along the coast of Virginia. Many did not even survive the first winter. John Smith was Jamestown's leader. He made a rule that those who did not work did not get to eat. He experimented with growing tobacco, which became Virginia's first profitable export. Indentured servants and slaves were used to do work. -
Great Migration
The Pilgrims landed in Plimoth Plantation. They came to America to live righteous and spiritual lives, not to get rich. Link text -
Mayflower/Plymouth/Mayflower Compact
The Plymouth Colony was settled by the pilgrims in 1620. Around 100 passengers set sail on the Mayflower, and after 65 days at sea they stopped at Cape Cod. The Mayflower Compact was established, which set the foundation for the colony's government. It was the first self government plan in the colonies. -
New York
New York was a middle colony that was settled by the Dutch in 1624.They called it New Netherlands, and they called New York City New Amsterdam. In 1611 Henry Hudson explored the area, which gave the Netherlands its claim to the territory. Using the "Patroon" System, the Dutch promoted settlement. The landholders were given huge tracks of land they could rent out to tenant farmers. They kept their land even when the British gained control. Between 1652-1674, 3 naval wars were fought between them. -
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Puritans settled the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630. After getting a charter from King Charles I, about 1000 Puritans settled there, led by Governor John Winthrop. Laws were tied to the beliefs of the Puritan Church. It became the largest and most influential New England Colony. In 1691, Massachusetts became a royal colony. -
Maryland
Maryland was a southern colony settled by Lord Baltimore in 1632. He was a Catholic who was granted 100 million acres for persecuted Catholics to settle. The land became mostly protestant. The Toleration Act of 1649 granted religious freedom to all Christians living in Maryland. -
Rhode Island
Settled by Roger Williams and his supporters in 1635, Rhode Island was a New England Colony. Roger Williams spoke out against government authorities punishing religious dissention and against the confiscation of Native American land. Because of this he was banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony. So he founded Rhode Island where there was no religious persecution of Christians. -
Connecticut
Connecticut was a New England Colony that was settled by Thomas Hooker in 1636. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut was the first constitution that was written in North America. Citizenship was based on ownership of land. -
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses in Virgina was a representative assembly. It was an outgrowth of the General Assembly of Virginia.The House of Burgesses granted supplies and originated laws. The council reviewed the county courts. Link text -
Maryland Toleration Act
In 1649, the Maryland Toleration Act granted religious freedom to all of the Christians that were living in Maryland. -
Carolina
Settled by supporter of King Charles II in 1663, Carolina was a southern colony. Because of the easy access to trade, people settled there to grow cash crops like rice, indigo, and tobacco. These crops required a huge labor force. African slaved had outnumbered European settlers by 1720. Later, Carolina became a royal colony and was split into North and South Carolina. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon and his men attacked and destroyed Jamestown. It was the first colonial rebellion against royal control. Laws that made Africans hereditary slaves were passed. -
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania was a middle colony settled by William Penn in 1682. William was granted a charter for the colony by King Charles II. The colony was established as a "holy experiment." It had no landowning aristocracy. Every male settler received 50 acres and the right to vote. The colony later became a haven for quakers, who were often ridiculed by others for their beliefs. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials was an event that lasted from the spring to fall of 1692. People in the area became hysteric when young girls in the city claimed to be possessed by the devil. They accused some of the local women of witchcraft. Because of the alleged witchcraft, 150 people were imprisoned, 7 died in prison, 19 people were found to be guilty, and one person was crushed to death for refusing to testify. The trials ended when the public opinion turned against in in September of 1692. -
Great Awakening/Enlightenment
The Great Awakening was a religious revival for the colonies. This movement came when secular rationalism was being emphasized, and their was less passion for religion. Christian leaders went from town to town preaching the gospel. There was a renewed dedication towards religion. Enlightenment was a social and political movement in Europe. It brought about the application of science, logic, and reasoning. Link text -
Albany Plan
The Albany Plan of Union planned to place the British North American colonies under a more centralized government. Representatives from 7 of those colonies adopted this plan. It was never actually carried out, but it was the first important proposal for the colonies to be a collective whole united under 1 government. -
French-Indian War
This war was also known as the Seven Years' War. France's expansion into the Ohio River valley caused conflict and battles, leading to the official British declaration of war in 1756. -
Proclamation of 1763
At the end of the French and Indian war, the proclamation of 1763 was issued to appease Native Americans. It created the proclamation line, which separated the British colonies on the Atlantic coast from American Indian lands west of the Appalachian mountains. Link text -
Salutary Neglect
The phrase salutary neglect comes from Edmund Burke in 1775. It was an unofficial British policy in the colonies.It was an intentional lack of enforcement by the British government of British trade laws in the American colonies.
