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Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Coumbus reaches America
Columbus Exchange changed East and West Hemispheres Smallpox killed many natives -
Period: Oct 12, 1492 to
The 13 Colonies
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Jan 1, 1512
Spanish take first African slaves to Hispaniola
Needed to replace natives dying from overwork and diseases There were 12,000 enslaved Africans by 1514 -
Nov 8, 1519
Cortés arrives in Tenochtitlan
Doña Marina, an Aztec woman, convinces thousands of natives to join Cortés King Moctezuma thought Cortés was the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl -
Aug 13, 1521
Cortés defeats the Aztecs
Cuauhtémoc led the Aztecs last battle The Spanish destroyed the city completely after they won the battle -
Jan 1, 1527
Bartolome de las Casas argues against enslavement of Natives Americans
A Spanish priest, las Casas originally supported the enslavement of Africans He wrote "History of the Indies" -
Jan 18, 1535
Pizarro founds a new capital in Lima, Peru, after defeating the Incas
Lima is known as "the city of kings" Incan brothers Atahuallpa and Huascar fought over who should be emperor. Huascar lost -
John White returns to Roanoke settlement to find the colony has disappeared
No one knows what happened to the people Only thing left was a sign carved into a tree: "CROATOAN" -
English found Jamestown
Stupidly settled in a swamp John Smith said, "He that will not work whall not eat." People got mad at him for that -
Champlain founds Quebec
He was searching for mythical Northwest Passage Aligned with Algonquins for beaver fur trade -
House of Burgesses formed
Was first law-making assembly in an English colony Started tradition of self-government -
Pilgrims arrive in Plymouth
Created first Thanksgiving celebration They were aiming for Virginia but missed -
Mathias de Sousa, indentured servant of African descent, arrives in Maryland aboard the "Ark"
Indentured to a Catholic priest, Father Andrew White After freed, worked as s sailor and fur trader -
William Penn establishes Pennsylvania
Called colony "a holy experiment" Promised to pay Native Americans for their land King owed his dad money, so Penn demanded land as payment -
Georgia, 13th colony, founded
James Oglethorpe wanted to make a place where people in prison for debt could start over Georgia was strategically located to protect the other colonies from attacks from Spain Savannah started with Penn and 100 ex-cons -
President Lincoln declares Thanksgiving a national holiday
Original celebration lasted 3 days Proclamation stated the day be of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens"
