-
1492
Columbus lands at Hispaniola in the Caribbean
Columbus landed on Hispaniola in December 5. His ship, the Santa Maria ran aground and had to be abandoned. Columbus and his crew built an outpost called La Navidad but then it was destroyed by the local population. Columbus then built another compound farther east in present day Dominican Republic. -
1513
Balboa "discovers" the Pacific Ocean in Panama
On September 25th, 1513, Vasco Nunez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama and discovered the Pacific Ocean. He had a crew of 190 Spaniards and several hundred slaves. He overheard some Native guides talking about a great sea that you can see if you stood on top of a mountain. Balboa had to go through a jungle to get to the mountain. After he got though the jungle he climbed the mountain, got to the top, and saw the great sea which he claimed for Spain. -
1521
Cortes conquers the Aztecs at Tenochtitlan (Mexico City)
Cortes landed on the coast of Mexico in 1519. Cortes then heard of Tenochtitlan and traveled to it. On August 1521 the Spanish and their Native American allies defeated the Aztecs and conquered the city. The Spanish leveled the city and built Mexico City on the Aztec capital. -
1539
De Soto explores the region between Florida and the Mississippi River
In May 1539, De Soto landed on the west coast of Florida with 600 troops, servants, and staff. They were planning to subdue the natives, take any valuables they find, and prepare the region for eventual Spanish colonization. On May 8,1541 De Soto reached the Mississippi River being one of the first European to do so. De Soto and his troops crossed to it to go searching for gold and silver. De Soto ended up dying of a fever and his crew buried him in the Mississippi River. -
First permanent English settlement is founded in Jamestown,Virginia
Jamestown was established by the Virginia Company of London on May 4, 1607. It was founded when 3 ships began their journey to Virginia on December 6, 1606. The ships were the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery. It was named after the King of England, King James I. -
Mayflower Pilgrims found Plymouth colony in Massachusetts
Plymouth Colony is the first colonial settlement in the US. Founded on 1620 there were about 100 Puritan Separatist Pilgrims who sailed on the Mayflower. -
English settlers defeat Native Americans in King Philip's War
King Philip's War was the last effort to drive out the English settlers. King Philip killed off the Wampanoag, Nipmuck, Pocumtuck and Narragansett tribes. The fighting lasted 14 months and they destroyed 12 frontier towns. -
France claims the Mississippi River Valley and names it Louisiana
Robert Cavalier Sieur de La Salle and a larger group of explores walk all across the Mississippi River Valley until they reach the Gulf of Mexico and from there he claimed the Mississippi River Valley for his King and names it after him in his honor, Louisiana.
