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Jan 1, 1492
Columbus reached the Americas and claimed land in the West Indies for Spain.
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Jan 1, 1493
Columbus returned to start colonies, leading to the Columbian Exchange.
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Jan 1, 1501
Sailing under the Portuguese flag, Vespucci explored the eastern coast of South America.
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Jan 1, 1512
The Spanish took the first African slaves to Hispaniola.
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Jan 1, 1521
Hernando Cortés defeated the Aztec empire of Mexico and built Mexico City on the ruins of Tenochtitlan.
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Jan 1, 1527
Roman Catholic priest Bartolomé de Las Casas defended the rights of native peoples.
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Jan 1, 1533
Francisco Pizarro defeated the Incan empire and later founded the colony of Peru.
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Jan 1, 1535
Spain established the colony of New Spain, with its capital at Mexico City.
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Jan 1, 1540
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado began a search for gold through the Southwest part of what is today the United States.
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England defeated the Spanish Armada.
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Jamestown was founded, becoming England’s first permanent colony in North America.
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Samuel de Champlain built Quebec and helped build the colony of New France.
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Henry Hudson sailed up the Hudson River and claimed the land for the Dutch.
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John Rolfe grew a successful crop of tobacco in Virginia.
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The House of Burgesses met for the first time.
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The Pilgrims sailed to Plymouth on their ship, the Mayflower.
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Pilgrims and Wampanoag held a thanksgiving celebration together.
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New Netherland was founded.
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Led by John Winthrop, the Puritans founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
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Roger Williams founded Rhode Island as a place of religious freedom.
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The English captured New Netherland and renamed it New York.
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James Oglethorpe founded Georgia as new home for debtors.
