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Individual - Sir Thomas Dale
An English naval commander and later deputy-governor in the colony of Virginia. -
Individual - Chief Powhatan
A Chief and leader of the Powhatan, who at first helped the English settlers but later began to fight with them. Eventually, Powhatan refused to trade with the colonists any longer and the interactions turned more deadly. -
Individual - John Smith
An explorer who helped found the colony at Jamestown, Virginia, and documented his experiences. He also explored and mapped much of the colony. -
Death of Queen Elizabeth I
Queen Elizabeth I dies at 69. James VI of Scotland was her successor, who became James I of England. -
Plague in England
The Black Death continues to infect England. The Bill of Mortality began to be written at this time, telling us that over 33,000 people died this year. -
Virginia becomes an established colony
Virginia becomes the first established colony, and Jamestown becomes the first British settlement. -
Indentured Servants
The first indentured servants were brought to the colony of Virginia in means of cheap labour. Indentured servants differed from slaves, as the servants agreed with their own free will to work while the slaves had no say and even less rights. -
Individual - Pocahontas
A Native American woman who aided the colonists in Jamestown by negotiating the release of prisoners and bringing the starving colonists food when they hadn't grown any. -
Severe Jamestown Winter
A severe Winter in Jamestown meant that only 60 of the 500 settlers survived. This was also called "The Starving Time", as food shortages and battles with Native Indian Warriors caused the colonists to struggle to survive. Jamestown was plotted in an area that had little in the way of food and drinking water, and the colonists depended on trade with the natives for survival. -
Individual - Anne Hutchinson
Considered to be one of the first known feminists in the American colonies, Anne Hutchinson was a Puritan and religious reformer. She opposed male authority. Her work was seen as a rebellion, and others feared that she would inspire other women that she often had meetings with to follow suit. She was eventually accused of heresy and was expelled from Massachusetts. -
Individual - William Bradford
The founder and later governor of the Plymouth Settlement (Massachusetts). He was the governor of the settlement for over thirty years, and wrote "Of Plymouth Plantation", a journal that documented many events and beliefs at the time of its writing. -
New Netherland is established
New Netherland (Dutch colony) is established. After a struggle with the English, it was later changed in 1664. -
Pocahontas is Baptised
Pocahontas becomes a baptised Christian and marries one of the men at Jamestown. -
First slaves arrive in Virginia (near Jamestown)
The first African slaves arrive in the American colonies to be sold. The need for slaves was birthed when many workers realised that they had too much land to work on, and they needed more workers if they were to produce anything worth selling. Slaves were considered a way of cheap labour. -
Mayflower carries Pilgrims to the New World
Pilgrims sail on a ship named the "Mayflower" to get to the American colonies. They established one of the first New England colonies when they got there (Plymouth colony). -
Indian massacre of Jamestown
A series of surprise attacks between the English and the Powhatan in Jamestown. This happened after mostly peaceful transactions and trade between the two groups, but when the English began to demand more (mainly food), the Powhatan people fought back. -
New Hampshire is created and named
New Hampshire is created to be a fishing colony, named for New Hampshire country in England. -
Slavery is legalised in Massachusetts
Massachusetts becomes the first colony to officially legalise slavery. This continued for the next 140 years, until slavery began to sizzle out and later become abolished. -
English Civil War (1642-1651)
A collections of wars and battles between the Royalists and Parliamentarians, with fights happening in England, Ireland and Scotland. The civil war was about argument over governing the country, and it ended with the Parliamentarians winning. -
Colonial population grows
The colonial population reaches the 50,000s. -
Measles in Boston
A measles outbreak happens in Boston. -
King Phillip's War
A 3 year war between the English settlers and the native Americans - it was the native American's last attempt to defy English authority. It ended with many dead on both sides of the war, and many settlements destroyed. When the colonists won, it allowed the growth of the colonists' settlements and dominance over the land and native Americans. -
Bacon's rebellion
A rebellion led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor William Berkeley. The rebellion was one of the first acts of disobedience from the colonists towards the British empire, but ultimately failed to -
Movement - Abolitionist Movement (1680-1860)
The movement to end slavery - to end the slave trade and free all existing slaves. Efforts had been made in the past to create this movement, but real action only begun when the British began to make their own efforts in their own country. The Abolitionist Movement sparked the Civil War - as the country was split on the concept of slavery - and ultimately ended with slavery being abolished in the United States. -
Introduction to rice in South Carolina
With rice growing in popularity in South Carolina's plantations, the need for more manpower grew, and also made the demand for slaves grow. Rice quickly became the colony's biggest money-maker. -
Salem Witch Trials
Salem witch trials in Colonial Massachusetts - resulted in 19 "witches" hanged and others imprisoned. This began after many girls were accused of being possessed, which grew into a panic through the colony. The accusations began to slow, and the public opinion on the trials began to turn sour. -
British Empire transports convicts overseas
The British Empire begins to send their convicts to Australia. -
Georgia is established
The thirteenth colony, Georgia, is established. It was established by General James Oglethorpe, who was also the governor of the colony for twelve years. Because of the colony's warm weather, many plants and crops were easy to grow. -
Movement - The First Great Awakening
A series of religious devotion over around forty years. This also spread overseas to Germany, England and Scotland. -
Molasses Act
An act that put a tax on non-British (imported) foods such as molasses and sugar. Smuggling cheaper molasses from other countries became an issue as a result of this. As molasses was used to make rum, many manufactures worried that the tax would effect the rate of production. -
War of Jenkin's Ear
The War of Jenkin's Ear (conflict between Spain and Britain) begins, and it ends in 1748. -
Stono Rebellion
One of the biggest slave revolts in American history that took place at the Stono River, ending with more then 80 people being killed and slave restrictions to be tightened. -
Conspiracy of 1741
The Slave Insurrection of 1741, a conspiracy that slaves and poor whites were to revolt and commit arson. -
Liverpool Trading
Liverpool becomes Britain's most popular trading area. -
7 Years' War
The 7 Years' War begins - conflict between Britain and France, also effecting the Spanish Empire in the process. Ended in 1763. -
Tacky's Revolt
An uprising of slaves that happened in the Jamaican Colony (which, at the time, was a British Colony). -
Stamp Act Riots
The Stamp Act Riots begin in the American Colonies. After a law proposed by the British stated that there would be a tax for all materials for commercial usage, and riots broke out over the colonies. -
Individual - John Adams
One of the Founding Fathers, John Adams served as the second president of the United States and America's first Vice President. Like George Washington, he was first known due to his involvement in the American Revolution. -
American Revolution
As tensions rose between the British and the American colonies, an armed fight between some British troops and colonists caused a shot to ring off, which was later seen as the beginning of the war. Later, France came in to aid the colonists. The war ended with the British signing defeat in 1781. -
Individual - George Washington
One of the Founding Fathers and later the first President of the United States. He became a hero after his involvement in the American Revolution, in which he helped the colonists win. -
Ukawsaw Gronniosaw's Autobiography
Ukawsaw Gronniosaw, a slave, writes an autobiography about his life as a slave. He was the first published African in the colonies. -
Tea Act
An act of the Parliament of Great Britain, which allowed tea to be directly sent to the colonies without being sent to England first. This later had an effect on the Boston Tea Party. -
Felix's Petition
One of the first petitions written by a slave that would be sent around the colonies (though this one began in Massachusetts), petitioning against owning slaves. -
Boston Tea Party
A message/protest against the British that involved raiding a ship and spilling all the contents (tea) into the water. This was a rebellion against tax-related laws. -
Intolerable Acts
A set of laws by Britain as a result of the Boston Tea Party act of defiance. Self-governing rights were removed from Massachusetts, which angered the colonists and fed the fire to what would later be the Revolutionary War. -
Individual - Alexander Hamilton
Considered one of the most influential founding father, Alexander Hamilton (like many other founding fathers) became well known due to his part in the American Revolution. His work on the nation's financial system was very important for the country.
