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roanoke
Roanoke is located off the coast of what is now North Carolina. The lost colony of Roanoke was first seen by John White. Roanoke was a colony that consisted of 115 European settlers. Within 3 years the colony and inhabitants were deserted. When John White came back after 3 years all he found was the word "Croatoan" engraved in a tree. https://www.history.com/news/what-happened-to-the-lost-colony-of-roanoke -
salutary neglect
Salutary neglect was Britain's unofficial policy to relax the enforcement of strict regulations, particularly trade laws, imposed on the American colonies. Indeed, salutary neglect enabled the American colonies to prosper by trading with non-British entities, and then to spend that wealth on British-made goods, while at the same time providing Britain with raw materials for manufacture. https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/salutary_neglect -
jamestown
The colony got off to a rough start. Only 38 of the 150 settlers survived the first winter. Other problems they faced were the men refused to work and the settlement was on a swamp. John Smith became the leader of Jamestown and stated that those who don't work, don't eat. John Rolfe and Pocahontas experimented with tobacco and it became the #1 cash crop. Notes. -
house of burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly in America held at Jamestown. It consisted of 22 members: the governor, who was appointed to his position by the company officials in London, the governor’s council: six prominent citizens selected by the governor, and the burgesses (representatives) from various locales. The House of Burgesses was able to enact legislation for the colony, but its actions were subject to veto by the governor, council, and by directors in London. ushistory.com -
great migration
The separatists traveled to the New World on a cargo ship called the Mayflower and landed off the coast of Massachusetts where they established Plymouth Colony, the first colony in New England. The Puritans left England primarily due to religious persecution but also for economic reasons. https://historyofmassachusetts.org/the-great-puritan-migration/ -
mayflower/plymouth compact
The compact established the foundation for the colony's government. It was the first self government plan in the colonies and it pledged that the decisions would be made by the will of the majority of the colony's men. -
new york
The Dutch first settled along the Hudson River in 1624. The Dutch tried to settle large estates in their new colony, but few Dutchman wanted to move. Between 1652-1674 the Dutch and British fought 3 naval wars over the land. In 1664 the British had complete control over the land. Notes. -
connecticut
Connecticut was one of the first 13 colonies. The first people known to have lived in Connecticut were American Indians. Most of Connecticut's Indians sought the friendship of English newcomers in the 1630s. The Indians sold land to the English and provided instruction in New World agricultural, hunting, and fishing techniques. The Indians lost their land. The Europeans brought over small pox and killed most Indians. www.citydata.com -
massachusetts bay colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was settled by the Puritans. They were led by John Winthrop who believed, "We shall be a city upon a hill". It became the largest and most influential New England colony eventually swallowing up the the Plymouth colony. The king gained control over the colony's government and made Massachusetts a royal colony. Notes. -
maryland
Lord Baltimore was a Catholic who convinced King Charles I to grant him 100 million acres for persecuted Catholics to settle. Maryland was a proprietary colony. However, Baltimore died before he could do anything with the land. His son, Cecil Calvert, took over managing the colony. He offered 100 acres to every married couple who settled in Maryland. The Toleration Act of 1649 granted religious freedom to all Christians living in Maryland. Notes. -
rhode island
Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay colony for speaking out against government authorities punishing religious dissension and against the confiscation of native american land. He founded Rhode Island where there was no religious persecution of Christians. Notes. -
maryland toleration act
The Toleration Act granted religious freedom to all Christians living in Maryland. The law made it a crime to blaspheme God, the Holy Trinity, the Virgin Mary, or the early apostles and evangelists. It also forbade one resident from referring to another’s religion in a disparaging way and it provided for honoring the Sabbath. https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/868/maryland-toleration-act-of-1649 -
carolina
King Charles II granted 8 supporters land. People settled in the Carolinas to grow cash crops like rice, indigo, and tobacco. These labor intensive crops required a huge labor force. By 1720 African slaves outnumbered European settlers in the Carolinas 2:1. In, 1729 Carolina became a royal colony and was split into north and south. Notes. -
bacon's rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion began with a local dispute with the Indians on the Potomac River. Chased north by Virginia militiamen, the Indians began raiding the Virginia frontier. They found a leader, Nathaniel Bacon, a recent arrival to Virginia and a member of the governor's Council. Bacon demanded his men to fight and kill the Indians. encyclopediavirginia.org -
pennsylvania
King Charles II granted William Penn a charter for the colony of Pennsylvania. Penn established the colony the colony as a "holy experiment", a place without a landowning aristocracy where every male settler received 50 acres and the right to vote. William Penn became a quaker and soon his colony became a haven for quakers. Notes. -
salem witch trials
The Salem witch trials started when a group of young girls claimed to be possessed by the devil. These girls would accuse innocent women of witchcraft and have them killed. 150 people were imprisoned for witchcraft, 7 died in prison, 17 men and women were found guilty, and 1 person was even crushed to death. Notes. -
great awakening
The Great Awakening was a religious revival that swept through the British American colonies. Although the Great Awakening was a reaction against the Enlightenment, it was also a long term cause of the Revolution. It was the first major event that all the colonies could share, helping to break down differences between them. http://www.ushistory.org/us/7b.asp -
albany plan
This was a plan to place the British North American colonies under a more centralized government. On July 10, 1754, representatives from seven of the British North American colonies adopted the plan. Upon hearing of the Albany Congress, his newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette, published the political cartoon "Join or Die," which illustrated the importance of union by comparing the colonies to pieces of a snake’s body. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/albany-plan -
french-indian war
In the early 1750s, France’s expansion into the Ohio River valley repeatedly brought it into conflict with the claims of the British colonies. In 1754, the French built a fort where today’s Pittsburgh is located, making it a strategically important stronghold that the British repeatedly attacked. During 1754, the French won a string of victories, defeating British leaders. https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/french-and-indian-war -
proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 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. It created a boundary, known as the proclamation line, separating the British colonies on the Atlantic coast from American Indian lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. http://www.ushistory.org/us/9a.asp
