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Sep 12, 1492
Early Explorers
The first of the letters and journals came from Christopher Columbus. His adventures opened up doors to the spanish expeditions. A little over 50 years later the La Relacion came by Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca. French and Dutch also sent explorers, Samuel de Champlain. -
Early Settlers
One of the most influential writtings was A Brief and True Report of the New Found Land of Virgina, by Thomas Harriot. It faithfully captured the areas natural resources, the Native American way of life, and potential building of a colony. -
Puritans
Group of English protestants who sought to "purify" the church Of England and return to simpler ways of worshiping. They saw struggle and thought the Bible over all will help. -
Jamestown
First permanent colony established. By 1733, English colonies streched all along the Atlantic coast . Once rooted in North America soil, the colonies became increasingly self-reliant and practiced local self-rule. -
Meeting Of Two Worlds
William Wood of Massachusetts Bay Colony noted that the Native Americans " took the first ship they saw for a walking island, the mast to be a tree, the sail white clouds. " -
Puritan Poetry
First book issued in North American colonies was the Bay Psalm Book. The Bible's psalms were rewritten to fit the Purtians -
Poets
Anne Bradstreet poetry reflect wide, deep faith, and the love for her family. Her book The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America was the first work published by a North American woman. -
The Enlightenment
It was burst of intellectual energy. Americans adapted the ideas to their own environment. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, and Thomas Jefferson shaped the American Enlightenment. -
Abigail Adams
Her husband became the nation's second president. While they were apart she encouraged her husband to include the rights of women in the founding documents & she teamed up with Wheatley. -
Phillis Wheatley
She is a former slave and she wrote poems and letters about the natural rights and cry for freedom. -
The Great Awakening
The First Great Awakening united colonist. Across the colonies, people began to feel joined in the belief that a higher power was helping Americans set a new standard for an ethical life. -
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French and Indian War
France allied with a number of Native American groups to drive the British out of NorthAmerica. After many defeats, England brought in new military leaders and made its own alliance with Native Americans - the powerful Iroquois. In the end Great Britain claimed all of North Amercia east of the Mississippi River. -
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Pamphlets
About 2 thouand pamphlets were published. One by Thomas Paine called Common Sense. -
Independence
The colonies declared themselves free and independent. They fought and defeated one of the greatet military powers Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and others put words into this experiment in the form of Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. -
Leaders
Outstanding leaders of all time are Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington. Four months later they wrote Constitution of the United States of America. -
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson wrote pamphlets but signed his great contribution to American government, literature, and the Declaration Of Independence.