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1497
England
King Henry VII sends his country's first voyage of exploration. Captained by John Cabot they crossed the Atlantic and landed in Newfoundland which they thought was Asia. Cabot claimed the land for England. -
1513
Ponce de Leon
Ponce de Leon begins exploring Florida. In search of the fountain of youth, he claims Florida for Spain. -
1519
Conquistadors
The search for gold led Hernan Cortes and his men to the great Native American empires. Their goal was to conquer the Aztec Empire. -
1527
Spanish Expedition
About 400 Spanish men landed near present day Tampa in search of gold in North America. Through a series of unfortunate events, they were left with only 4 survivors. -
1542
Hernando de Sota
In search of the golden cities, Hernando and his men landed in Florida. After being the first European to see the Mississippi River he died of a fever and was buried in the river. -
1558
Queen Elizabeth I
The English did not act on Cabot's North American claim until the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. She built England's naval ships up. Her captains attacked Spanish ships for gold and silver. -
1577
Sir Francis Drake
The most famous English naval captain was Sir Francis Duke. He circumnavigated the globe plundering the Spanish ships/towns along the way. -
Spain vs England
Religious conflicts between Catholic Spain and Protestant England erupted in war. The Spanish king sent the Spanish Armada to invade England. Due to bad weather and England's Naval Superiority in the navy, England was victorious. -
Roanoke
John White and his men approach Roanoke Island. All that was left was ruins of the colony. -
Juan de Onate
The king of Spain sends Onate to settle New Mexico which had abandoned a half-century before. They tried to replace native religions with Christianity but the Pueblos revolted and took back control. The spanish soon regained control, however, the native religions remained. -
Jamestown colonists arrive in Virginia
Colonists from Jamestown arrive in America after harsh travels. They land in Virginia. -
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain founds a fur trading post in Quebec. Became France's first permanent settlement in the New World. -
Pilgrims
Pilgrims settle in Plymouth. The coming seasons would prove difficult for them. -
Revolt in Mexico
Pueblo Revolt begins in New Mexico. 400 Spanish were killed in the revolt and 2,000 settlers were driven away. -
Georgia
After many years, Georgia is founded. The last of the original 13 British colonies.
