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First Permanent English Settlement
The English established their first enduring American settlement, Jamestown, in Virginia for economic reasons. This private company hoped to profit from gold and other resources. 104 English men and boys built a settlement of cabins surrounded by a stockade fence near the James River at Jamestown, Virginia. The river and settlement were named after England's King James I. These first settlers were men searching for gold, but they found a swamp plagued by mosquitos that caused malaria. -
The "Starving Time"
After their leader, Captain John Smith, returned to England in 1609, the colonists at Jamestown endured a second winter of starvation and death. Having failed to plant or store enough grain for their needs, the settlers became desperate for food. The "Starving Time," the winter of 1609, saw only 60 of the first 214 settlers at Jamestown survive. -
Virginia House of Burgesses Established
The Virginia House of Burgesses was the first democratically-elected legislative body in British North America. This group of representatives met from 1619 until 1776. The members, or burgesses, were elected from each county in Virginia with each county sending two burgesses. It governed the colony in partnership with a royal governor appointed by the king of England. -
First Slaves and Women in the Colony
The first enslaved people from Africa arrived in the colony in 1619, as well as the first women. As the success of tobacco planting spread, using African slaves would grow to become the foundation of the Southern agrarian economy. -
Jamestown Tobacco Economy
Despite the initial setbacks, the colony at Jamestown became profitable by growing tobacco for sale in Europe. By 1619, Jamestown was exporting tons of tobacco to England for the new fashion of smoking. Jamestown's new tobacco economy created a labor shortage. The need for laborers was so great that early settlers attempted to enslave the area's Native American Indians. However, these Indians were unwilling to be used as forced laborers and often escaped into the surrounding forests. -
Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts is Established
The Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts was established by Pilgrims from England. Before disembarking from their ship, the Mayflower, 41 male passengers signed the Mayflower Compact, an agreement that formed the basis of the colony's government. It provided the framework for self government. -
The Great Puritan Migration
Facing growing persecution in England, the Puritans began to travel to New England between 1630 and 1640. The Puritans remained committed to reforming the Church of England but temporarily decamped to North America to accomplish this task. Leaders like John Winthrop insisted they were not separating from England but were rather forming a godly community that would be a “City on a Hill” for reformers back home. -
Founding of Maryland
Maryland was the fourth colony established. It created a place for Roman Catholics who were still struggling against religious tyranny in England. It was founded because Lord Baltimore saw an opportunity for profit. -
Maryland Established
Lor Baltimore started the colony of Maryland, across the Chesapeake Bay from Virginia, as a havan for England's Catholics. -
First Written Constitution
The Fundamental Orders, inspired by Thomas Hooker’s sermon of May 31, 1638, provided the framework for the government of the Connecticut colony from 1639 to 1662. It was the first written constitution in the colonies. This document stated that people had the right to elect governors, judges, and legislators. This is significant because it is the first time it is written down. -
Rhode Island Established
The Puritans did not ordinarily permit others to practice their religion freely in Massachusetts. In 1636, Roger Williams, therefore, left Massachusetts to start his own new colony at Rhode Island, based on the principles of religious toleration. -
Passage of the Navigation Acts
The outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642 led to colonies establishing trade relations with the Dutch and the French. As the English Civil War ended, the British sought to reimpose control over colonial trade relations. Thus, the British Parliament declared that only English ships would be allowed to bring goods into England and that the North American colonies could only export its commodities to England. This contributed to the eventual outbreak of the American Revolution -
Pennsylvania Established
William Penn founded Pennsylvania for the Quakers, a group of Protestants who opposed war. Elsewhere, colonists had just taken land from the Native American Indians, but Penn negotiated peaceful purchases. He gave Pennsylvania a written constitution that limited the power of the government, provided a humane penal code, and guaranteed many fundamental liberties.
