Colonial Era Timeline

  • Oct 12, 1492

    Columbus explored the ''New Wolrd''

    Columbus and his men set sail from Palos, Spain, with three ships known as the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina on August 3, 1492. On October 12 the ships reached a land. He was the first European to take an adventure and the Americas since Vikings set colonies in the 10th century.
  • Jun 9, 1534

    Jacque Cartier sailed the St. Lawrence

    Jacques Cartier lefted France by a boat in April of 1534, because the king ordered him to search for gold, spices, and water passages from France to Asia. On June 9th Jacques Cartier set sail into the waters of the St. Lawrence River in Eastern Canda. Even though he could not travel to Asia up the river, he still discovered a very important waterway into ta very large space of Canada.
  • May 18, 1539

    Hernando de Soto’s expedition of the Southeast

    Hernado de Soto departed from his wife on May 18, 1539 to sail from Havanna to Florida. May 30th his men landed near Tampa Bay, which is an Indian town. During that time two Indians were killed and the others ran through the wooded and muddy country where the horses could no longer go.
  • Sep 10, 1540

    Coronado's expedition from Mexico to Kansas

    In September 1540 Coronado moved his army east to the Pueblos and around Albuquerque, on the Rio Grande River. They sepnt the entire winter right there. Coronado was injured from falling off his horse in December. After his injury he ordered his men to head back to Mexico in 1542.
  • Sep 8, 1565

    Spanish establish St. Augustine, Florida

    A Spanish expedition brought an existance to St. Augustine in Flordia. Menéndez de Avilés named San Agustin for St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo, Algeria, upon whose feast day he had sighted the coast. The city's purpose was to serve important functions to the Spanish Empire.
  • Juan de Onate founded Santa Fe

    Santa Fe was founded in New Mexico by Juan de Oñate in 1598. Juan de Oñate was the proprietor and miltitary commander for the colony.
  • Jamestown, Virginia founded

    The Virgina Company settlers landed on the Jameston Island to establish the English Colony 60 miles away from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
  • Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec

    A French explorer named Samuel de Champlian founded Quebec on July 3, 1608. He made the very first map of the coast that was accurate.
  • French began fur trade with Indians

    Fur trade began in the early 1500's as an exchange between the indains and Europeans. Indians traded the furs for tools and weapons. The beaver fur was used in Europe to make felt hats, which became the most vaulable fur of all the furs. In 1608 French explorer Samuel de Champlain established a trading post on the site of the city Quebec. Quebec became what became known as the fur trading center. The French expanded their trading activity as far as the St. Lawrence River and around the Great.
  • John Rolfe introduced tobacco to Virginia

    It was in 1612 John Rolfe began growing tobacco.I Tobacco would never sell in London. Somehow Rolfe obtained seeds from the coveted Nicotiana Tabacum strain then being grown in Trinidad and South America--though Spain had declared a consequence of death to anyone selling such seeds to a non-Spaniard.
  • First African slaves arrived in Virginia

    The First African arrived at Point Comfort, on the James River. There, "20. and odd African Americans" from the English ship White Lion that were sold in exchange for food and some were transported to Jamestown, where they were sold again into slavery.
  • Plymouth, Massachusetts founded

    Is when the Pilgrims arrived from England and formed the Plymouth Colony. The Pilgrims were hurt by disease and hunger, they managed to write the Mayflower Compact, which was a local government that established rules and regulations in order to ensure the colony’s survival.
  • Beaver Wars

    Beaver War was also called the French and Iroquois Wars. They were brutal wars fought by the tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy against the Indian and French tribes. They establihsed trading links with the Dutch, they exchanged beaver pelts for guns. The bloody battles led to the Iroquois destroying several huge tribes such as the Hurons, Eries and the Susquehannocks.
  • South Carolina colony founded

    It was founded by the Viginians. King Charles II issued a royal charter to eight nobles to settle the area south of Virginia.
  • Marquette and Joliet sailed down the Mississippi

    Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet were sent by Governor Frontenac of New France to look for a easy route to the Pacific Ocean. Because the Governor heard rumors of a mighty river to the south. So Marqute and Joliet were sent to find this river that the Governor heard of.
  • The Pueblo Revolt

    People called the Pueblos rebelled against their Spanish overloads in the American Southwest. The Spaniards were taking over the Pueblos lives, land, and souls for as long as eight decades. This began with the invasion in 1598 with Juan de Oñate. When the people resisted Juan de Oñate ordered for one leg to be chopped off of every man over the age of fifteen, and that the rest of the population would become slaves.
  • Attempted Roanoke Colony

    Is also known as the Lost Colony. It was established on Roanoke Island off of the shore of North Carolina. The colony was intended as a permanent English settlement. It was fianced and organized by Sir Walter Releigh under the charter that was granted by Queen Elisabeth I. Raleigh had seven years to make the settlement final before he lost the colonization rights.
  • Pennsylvania Colony founded

    Was founded in English North America by William Penn on March 4, 1681. It was founded to make money and to provide the Quakers a safe haven in American Colonies.
  • Georgia Colony founded

    In 1732, a charter from King George II was given to James Oglethorpe to create a new colony which he would name Georgia. This was located between South Carolina and Florida. It was located between South Carolina and Flordia. The two main purposes were to serve as a place where people in prision could start over, and it servec as a barrier against Spanish invasion.