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Jamestown Settlement
In 1607, a group of about 105 colonists landed in Virginia from England. They then named the new land Jamestown after the monarch who approved the financing of a new settlement. -
New France is established
Samuel de Champlain sailed up the St. Lawrence in 1608 with about 32 colonists who then found Quebec. This became the base of the colonial empire in North America, known as New France. -
Diseases Strike Native Americans
The population of one tribe, the Massachusett, dropped from 24,000 to 750 by 1631. From South Carolina to Missouri, nearly whole tribes fell to smallpox, measles, and other diseases. -
Puritans Create a “New England”
In 1620, a group known as Pilgrims founded a second English colony, Plymouth, in Massachusetts. Ten years later, a group known as Puritans also sought religious freedom from England’s Anglican Church. They established a larger colony at nearby Massachusetts Bay. -
The Dutch found New Netherland
In 1621, the Dutch government granted the company permission to colonize the region and expand the fur trade. The Dutch holdings in North America became known as New Netherland. -
Colonizing the Caribbean
In 1634, the Dutch captured what is now the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba from Spain. On these islands, the Europeans built huge cotton and sugar plantations. -
The English Oust the Dutch
In 1664, the English king, Charles II, granted his brother, the Duke of York, permission to drive out the Dutch. When the duke’s fleet arrived at New Netherland, the Dutch surrendered without firing a shot. The Duke of York claimed the colony for England and renamed it New York. -
Settlers and Native Americans Battle
As early as 1622, the Powhatan tribe attacked colonial villages around Jamestown and killed about 350 settlers. During the next few years, the colonists struck back and massacred hundreds of Powhatan. It began in 1675 when the Native American ruler Metacom (also known as King Philip) led an attack on colonial villages throughout Massachusetts. In the months that followed, both sides massacred hundreds of victims. After a year of fierce fighting, the colonists were victorious. -
Europeans in North America
After the French and Indian War, the landholdings of the French in North America were greatly reduced. -
England Battles France
In 1754, a dispute over land claims in the Ohio Valley led to a war between the British and French on the North American continent. The conflict became known as the French and Indian War.