-
Aug 19, 1534
Traveling for Religious Freedom
Around 1534, King Henry VIII formed the Anglican Church. Many people weren't happy about this, and wanted to reform the church. These people were Puritans. -
The Pilgrims Journey
Seperatists in the area decided to travel to America, calling themselves Pilgrims. Only 35 of the 102 passengers on the Mayflower were actually Pilgrims. The rest were known as strangers: Common people. -
The Mayflower Compact
Shortly after they saw land, the Pilgrims formed The Mayflower Compact. This was a legal document that a person had to agree to before they were able to go ashore, which stated their intents for "Forming a body politic, for their better ordering and preservation." -
Meeting Squanto
Around this time, the Pilgrims had it rough. The winter had killed many people, and they weren't sure what to do. Then, they encountered an Indian man named Samoset, which introduced them to Squanto. These 2 men taught the Pilgrims the basics of survival in the area, such as farming. -
A New King
Around this time, Charles the 1st became the King of England. He objected to the Puritans repeated calls for reform in the Anglican church, and this led the Puritans to go to America and form the Massachusetts Bay Colony. -
The Great Migration
More than 15,000 Puritans traveled to Massachusetts during the 1620's. They were tired of the persecution and economy in England. This is known as the Great Migration, -
Maryland
The colony of Maryland was originally founded by Sir George Calvert, Lord Baltimore. King Charles was the one who gave Calvert the colony north of Virginia, but Calvert died before recieving the grant. Therefore, the colony was inherited by Cecilius, his son, -
Native American Conflicts
After two traders will killed in Pequot territory, Massachusetts sent people to punish the Pequot. People from Connecticut burned down the main Pequot village, killing many people. Later, in 1675, the people declared war on the Wampanoag. -
Civil War
Back in England, the Puritans controlling Parliament fought for power against King Charles. Shortly after, a civil war began. The Puritans, led by Oliver Cromwell, defeated the king, In 1649, Charles was beheaded on charges of treason. In 1658, Oliver Cromwell died. -
The Act of Toleration
To protect Catholics, the act of toleration was passed in 1649. The act granted Protestants AND Catholics the right to worship freely. -
New York
Around this time, the English sent a fleet to attack New Amsterdam. They were not prepared, and surrendered. King Charles the 2nd then gave the colony to the Duke of York, who named it New York. -
Nathaniel Bacon
A man named Nathaniel Bacon took a strong disliking to the Colonial Government. Later, Bacon led repetitive attacks on Native Americans, and drove Berkeley into Exile. Only his death stopped him from becoming the governor of Virginia. -
Pennslyvania
William Penn, who was a rich Quaker, received land as a payment for a debt that Charles the 2nd owned to his father. Penn named the colony as Pennsylvania. -
The Right To Vote
Penn granted his colonists the right to elect represntatives to the legislature. -
The Mason Dixon Line
The Calvert and Penn families had argued over the boundaries of their respective colonies for some time. Somewhere in the early 1760's, they hired Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon to map the boundary and lay a line of stones, creating the Mason Dixon line, -
San Diego Mission
Around this time, a Franciscan monk by the name of Junipero Serro founded a mission at San Diego. -
Georgia
Georgia, the last British colony set up in America, was founded by James Oglethorpe.