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Roanoke
In August 1587, a group of about 115 settlers arrived at Roanoke Island. John White was chosen to sail back to England to pick up fresh supplies. But as he arrived and naval war between Spain and England broke out. White then returned to Roanoke three years later to find the island disserted and "Croatoan" carved into a tree. https://www.history.com/news/what-happened-to-the-lost-colony-of-roanoke -
Jamestown
Along the coast of Virginia, a colony was established by the Virginia Company. They had a rough start due to locating at a swamp, men refusing to work, and a bad winter. At the end only 38 out of the 150 were left. John Smith stepped up to be the leader. John Rolfe and Pocahontas started growing tobacco and created Virginia's first profitable export. Indentured servants were the first to tend to the fields and tobacco. In March 1622, Native Americans killed 25% of the European settlers. (Notes) -
House of Burgesses
At Jamestown in North America, the first legislature made of elected representatives was established. The only people who could vote for the House of Burgesses were property owners. Eventually Virginia becomes a royal colony under King James I. (Notes) -
Great Migration
Separatists travelled on a rented cargo ship, called the Mayflower, and landed on the coast of Massachusetts. This is where they established Plymouth Colony. It was the first colony in New England, and marked the start of the Great Puritan Migration. http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-great-migration-of-picky-puritans-1620-40/ -
Mayflower/Plymouth/Mayflower Compact
Plymouth Colony was settled by the Pilgrims. About 300 passengers including about 35 Pilgrims rode the Mayflower hooky to land near the Hudson River. After 65 days they stopped at Cape Cod and discontinued the voyage. They settled in an abandoned Wampanoag community and later established the Mayflower Compact, which established the foundation for the colony’s first self government. (Notes) -
New York
New York was a Middle Colony settled by the Dutch. New York was called New Netherlands and New York City was called New Amsterdam, all by the Dutch. Henry Hudson volunteered to explore the area for the Dutch. The Netherland"s claim for territory was given by the East India Company. Even when the British gained control of the area, the Dutch were still able to keep their land. In 1664, the Dutch surrendered to the British attack. The territory was then renamed for the Duke of York. (Notes) -
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was settled by the Puritans. About 1000 Puritans settled after a charter from King Charles I. John Winthrop was their governor and leader. The Puritan's laws were tied to the Puritan church. Whoever didn't follow the laws was called a Dissenter, and some of them formed their own colonies. 20,000 English settlers joined the Puritans by 1643. (Notes) -
Maryland
Maryland was a Southern Colony, settled by Lord Baltimore. King Charles I was convinced by Lord Baltimore to grant him 100 million acres for a place of settlement for persecuted Catholics. Maryland was then settled as a Proprietary colony. Although Baltimore died before anything happened with the land, his son took over and managed it. All married couples were were given 100 acres of land. (Notes) -
Rhode Island
Rhode Island was a New England colony that was settled by Roger Williams and his supporters. Roger found Rhode Island after being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for speaking to the public against government authorities punishing religious dissention and the confiscation of the Native American's land. In Rhode Island, there was Christian persecution. (Notes) -
Connecticut
Connecticut was a New England colony settled by Thomas Hooker. This is where the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut were made. The Fundamental Order was the first North America written constitution. Citizenship here was different, unlike Massachusetts who based theirs on religion, Connecticut based theirs on land ownership. (Notes) -
Maryland Toleration Act
The Maryland Toleration Act was established in 1649. It granted all christians, living in Maryland, religious freedoms. (Notes) -
Carolina
Carolina was a Southern Colony, settled by King Charles’ II supporters. The supporters were granted land in the area by King Charles II. Many people settled in the Carolinas because of easy trade access. They started growing cash crops such as rice, indigo, and tobacco. African slaves outnumbered European settlers by 1720. Nine years later, Carolina became a royal colony and was divided into North and South Carolina. (Notes) -
Bacon's Rebellion
In order to retaliate against a serious of attacks from the Native Americans, Nathanial Bacon started an unauthorized militia of indentured servants, slaves, and poor farmers. Berkeley then decided to gather his men and fight Bacon's militia. Bacon's men destroyed Jamestown, but the rebellion stopped soon after Bacon's death. The rest of his men were hung. (Notes) -
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania was a Middle Colony, settled by William Penn. In 1681, Penn was granted a Charter for the colony of Pennsylvania by King Charles II. Peen established a colony without a landowning aristocracy, also known as the “Holy Experiment”. Every male settler was given the right to vote and 50 acres of land. Later, Penn became a Quaker and his colony became a haven for Quakers. (Notes) -
Salem Witch Trials
Taking place in Salem Village Massachusetts, some young girls claimed they were possessed and accused some women of witchcraft, thus starting the Salem Witch Trials. A large hysteria swept through the village ending with 150 prisoners, 19 women and men found guilty and 1 man crushed to death after refusing to admit what he had done and not done. Months later, the hysteria died down because public opinion was over ruling the trials. (Notes) -
Great Awakening/Enlightenment
The Great Awakening was a spiritual renewal that swept the American Colonies during the first half of the 18th Century. Certain Christians began to distance themselves with the established approach to worship at the time, creating a spiritual renewal. This new renewal began with people like the Wesley brothers and George Whitefield in England. The revivalism ushered in by the Awakening allowed people to express their emotions more in order to feel a better connection with God. -
Albany Plan
The Albany Plan of Union was a plan to place the British North American colonies under a more centralized government. The plan was created from a group of representatives from seven of the British North American colonies. Although never carried out, the Albany Plan was the first important proposal to unify the colonies as a whole under one government. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/albany-plan -
French-Indian War
The French and Indian War was the North American conflict caught in-between a war of Great Britain and France known as the Seven Years’ War. The French and Indian War began in 1754 and ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Great Britain was provided with enormous territorial gains in North America, but disputes broke out and it eventually led to colonial discontent, and then led on to the American Revolution. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/french-indian-war -
Proclamation of 1763
Following Great Britain's acquisition of French territory in North America after the end of the French and Indian War and the Seven Years' War, the Royal Proclamation of 1763 was issued by King George III. This proclamation rendered all land grants given by the government to British subjects who fought for the Crown against France worthless. It forbid all settlement west of a line drawn along the Appalachian Mountains, which was designated as an Indian Reserve. -
Salutary Neglect
The Salutary Neglect was a policy of the British government regarding its North American colonies under which trade regulations for the colonies were enforced and imperial supervision of internal colonial affairs was loose as long as the colonies remained loyal. This “salutary neglect” contributed involuntarily to the increasing autonomy of colonial legal and legislative institutions, which ultimately led to American independence.
