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Roanoke
A group of 115 English settlers and John White arrived off the coast of North Carolina in 1587. John White became the new governor and returned to England for food and supplies when a war broke out between England and Spain causing him to not be able to return for 3 years. When he returned everyone left in the colony was gone. The only thing left behind was the word "Croaton" carved in a tree. https://www.history.com/news/what-happened-to-the-lost-colony-of-roanoke -
Jamestown
In 1607 John Smith found the colony of Jamestown. Soon after his arrival he left his people behind to report is findings to the King and Queen overseas. While he was away many of his people suffered from a harsh winter known as the "Starving Times". There were food shortages, fractured leadership, the settlement was on a swamp, the men did not want to work, and the Indians were not nice to them. https://historicjamestowne.org/history/history-of-jamestown/the-starving-time/ -
Carolina(s)
8 proprietors of Charles the Second founded Carolina in 1607. Carolina landowners brought enslaved Africans to work on their farms. In 1710, they appointed a governor for North Carolina rather than for Carolinas and in 1712, North Carolina became a distinct colony. Seven years later, Carolina was made a royal colony. North and South Carolina became separate colonies in 1712. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/why-is-there-a-north-and-south-carolina.html -
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was a representative assembly in colonial Virginia. The Assembly was established by Gov. George Yeardley at Jamestown in 1619. It included the governor himself and a council along with two elected burgesses from each of the colony’s 11 settlements. The assembly met in Jamestown until 1700, when meetings were moved to Williamsburg, the newly established capital of colonial Virginia. https://www.britannica.com/topic/House-of-Burgesses -
Plymouth Colony and the Mayflower Compact
In 1620, the Pilgrims settled in the Plymouth Colony. About 100 passengers including 35 Pilgrims set sail aboard the Mayflower. The Mayflower Compact established the foundation of the Colony's government. It was the first self government plan in the colonies. It pledged that the decisions would be made by the will of the majority of the colony's men. In 1621 the Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest with the Indians which we know this harvest as Thanksgiving. (from my notes) -
The Great Migration
The Great Migration was in 1620 when hundreds of pilgrims came over from New England. It was called the Great Migration not because the number of people that came over but from the Puritan's purpose. They came to America to live out righteous and spiritual lives. Many of them where poor and were seeking better lives in the "New World". http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-great-migration-of-picky-puritans-1620-40/ -
New York
James, the Duke of York, received control of New Netherland. The name of the colony was changed to New York in honor of the Duke. The English king, King Charles II did not like the Dutch trading with the English colonies so they sent out warships to fight the Dutch. The Dutch saw how many English warships there was and decided to give it up without a fight. https://newyorkcolonyhistory.blogspot.com/2010/09/politics-and-government.html -
Massachusetts Bay Colony
Settled in 1630 by a group of about 1,000 Puritans from England under John Winthrop and Thomas Dudley. It was the most successful and profitable colony in New England. The Puritans remained in control from the Dissenters(people who didn't believe in the Puritan laws) because only male members from the church could vote. https://historyofmassachusetts.org/history-of-the-massachusetts-bay-colony/ -
Maryland
Maryland was a Southern Colony settled by Lord Baltimore in 1632.Lord Baltimore was a Catholic who convinced King Charles 1 to grant him 100 million acres for persecuted Catholics to settle. Baltimore dies before he was able to do anything with the land so his son Cecil Calvert, took over managing the colony. Cecil offered 100 acres to every married couple who settled in Maryland. Protestants took advantage of his offer and this Catholic haven became mostly Protestant. (from my notes) -
Connecticut
Connecticut was founded in 1636 when the Dutch established the first trading post on the Connecticut River valley. The population of Boston grew so large that people had to move south along the rivers of Connecticut. The first people to move where Thomas Hooker, his wife, and his entire congregation. By 1637, there were almost 800 people in the new colony of Connecticut. The reasons for the move where farming, trade, and political freedom. https://www.thoughtco.com/connecticut-colony-103870 -
Rhode Island
Rhode Island is a New England Colony settled by Roger Williams and his supporters in 1635. Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for speaking out against government authorities punishing religious dissension and against the confiscation of the native american land.So he found Rhode Island where there was no religious persecution of Christians. (from my notes) -
Maryland Toleration Act
The Maryland Toleration Act written in 1649 was meant to ensure freedom of religion for Christian settlers of diverse persuasions in the colony. It forbade any resident from referring to another’s religion in a disparaging way and it provided for honoring the Sabbath. This law appears to have been the first in America to refer specifically to “the free exercise” of religion. https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/868/maryland-toleration-act-of-1649 -
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was an armed uprising (1676) against Sir William Berkeley's (governor) moderate Indian policy. Berkeley wanted to foster trade with the Indians; Bacon was for their removal from the colony and in 1676 led an expedition against the Indians. Berkeley called it rebellion, and the forces of the two men clashed. https://www.britannica.com/event/Bacons-Rebellion -
Pennsylvania
It was founded in 1682 by the English Quaker William Penn. It was known as the 'Holy Experiment'. Penn's goal with Pennsylvania was to create a colony that allowed for freedom of religion. It was decided that the Delaware would be joined with Pennsylvania. It would not be until 1703 that the 2 would separate. The colony was well-advertised, and by 1700 it was the third-biggest and the richest colony in the New World. https://www.thoughtco.com/key-facts-about-the-pennsylvania-colony-103879 -
Salem Witch Trials
A wave of hysteria spread throughout Massachusetts in 1692, when a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. A special court assembled in Salem to hear the cases, the first convicted witch was hung that June. 150 (+) men, women, and children were falsely accused over the next several months. https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/salem-witch-trials -
The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was a religious revival that impacted the English colonies in America during the 1730s and 1740s. Christian leaders often traveled from town to town, preaching about the gospel, emphasizing salvation from sins and promoting enthusiasm for Christianity. The result was a renewed dedication toward religion and a spread of Christianity. https://www.history.com/topics/british-history/great-awakening -
Albany Plan
The Albany Plan of Union was a plan to place the British North American colonies under a more centralized government. Representatives from seven of the British North American colonies wanted to follow through on the plan. Although this plan was not fully carried out, it was the first attempt to have the Seven colonies as a collective whole under one government. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/albany-plan -
French-Indian War
The war lasted 7 years. France’s expansion into the Ohio River valley brought it into conflict with the claims of the British colonies. The British started a streak of victory. Spain joined France against England, and for the rest of the war Britain focused on seizing French and Spanish territories. Many years later the Treaty of Paris was signed. It officially divided the land between the British, French, and Spanish. https://www.history.com/topics/native-american- history/french-and-indian-war -
Proclamation of 1763
This royal proclamation, issued on October 7, 1763, closed down colonial expansion westward beyond the Appalachian Mts. It was the first measure to affect all thirteen colonies. Only licensed traders where allowed to travel west or deal with Indians. This protected colonists from Indian rampages, and also intended to shield Native Americans from attacks by white settlers. The proclamation also extended Georgia’s southern border and gave land to soldiers who had fought in the Seven Year's War. -
Salutary Neglect
The Salutary neglect was Britain's unofficial policy, initiated by prime minister Robert Walpole, to relax the enforcement of strict regulations, particularly trade laws, that where imposed on the American colonies. https://www.britannica.com/topic/salutary-neglect
