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1492
Christopher Columbus Discovers the New World
In 1492 Columbus was sent with four ships by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to discover the Western Hemisphere that was inhabitated by Native Americans. Columbus named the island "San Salvador" and wrote Ferdinand and Isabella asking to enslave the Native Americans because he believed they were weak. His explorations allowed for "triangle trade" between Africa, Europe, and the Americas where slave trade and cheap liquor were distributed among other goods. -
Walter Raleigh Establishes the Roanoke Colony
Walter Raleigh sailed from England to North Carolina to found the Roanoke Colony. Raleigh was forced to return to England for supplies, leaving the rest of the colony behind. Upon returning he discovered that everyone in the colony had disappeared and the only clue being the word “Croatan” carved into a tree. Raleigh had taken months to return due to the Spanish Armada battle of 1588 where the English navy had defeated Spanish ships. -
Creation of Jamestown
King James I granted a charter to the Virginia Company ordering them to found Jamestown in Virginia as a means of profit. The colonists landed in Jamestown right before winter so the harsh weather, along with the lack of knowledge and resources, prevented them from being successful. Captain John Smith was ordered to aid the colony in survival until he left in 1609. John Rolfe arrived in 1612 and crossbred tobacco that made Jamestown a rich colony because of its worth. -
The Indian Wars and the Colonial Response
The Pequot war in 1607 allowed nearly all of the Mohicans to be destroyed. In response, King Phillips War in 1675 allowed the tribes to fight back against the Europeans. After the Pequot war ended, The New England Confederation was founded in 1643 because of the lack of aid from England. Formed in 1570, the League of the Iroquois consisted of five tribes with fifty representatives created to handle laws and treaties. The colonies were unable to unite due rivalries and religious differences. -
The French Enter the New World
Quebec was founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain. The French wanted their fur trade to spread around the New World as they conquered Louisiana from 1682-1800. The French Colonial Louisiana area was named in honor of King Louis XIV where logging and fur trade was profitable for the French until the Louisiana Purchase. New Orleans was founded by the French in 1718 and its location on the Mississippi River ensured its trading importance as well as the military value. -
The Dutch Explore the New World
Henry Hudson found the Hudson River after being hired by the Dutch East India Company where later the Dutch would found New Amsterdam in 1625. New Amsterdam was established between the Massachusetts Bay and Rhode Island Colonies and the Virginian Colonies. Manhattan was purchased by the Dutch from the Native Americans in 1626 after fur trade became popular and led to friendliness with the Native Americans. -
Adaptation of Jamestown
Women were not introduced into Jamestown until 1617 and many of them were indentured servants. The first slaves were later brought to Jamestown in 1619. The Virginia House of Burgess was created by Governor George Yeardley as a legislative assembly when he arrived in Jamestown in 1619 as well. When England was distracted by many conflicts and wars, The Virginia House of Burgess members would take control over the colony. -
Puritans Land at Cape Cod
King James I issued another charter with a specific location and orders for the Puritans who boarded the Mayflower. Whether on purpose or by accident, the ship went off course and the colonists landed too far north, Because they had already broken the charter's rule of where to go, the colonists governed themselves and created the Mayflower Compact which acted as a constitution for the colonies. The Native American Squanto was instrumental in teaching the colonists to plant and survive winter. -
Founding of Massachusetts Bay Colony
The King officially chartered the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1622 and elected William Bradford the first governor of the colony until 1657. The colony expanded in 1630 because people were forced to flee due to persecutions of religion. One specific migration was led by John Winthrop who was famous for his sermon titled "City on a Hill" which was based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Freeman led the legislation of the colony known as the General Court. -
Other Colonies Begin to Emerge
The Massachusetts Bay Colony established Boston as the largest city in North America and soon followed with it's university Harvard in 1636. Providence in Rhode Island was founded in 1635 by Roger Williams who was cast out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony for wanting religious freedom among its members. The Maryland Colony was founded in 1634, shortly before releasing the Maryland Toleration Act in 1649. This act allowed freedom of worship for colonists in Maryland before it was repealed in 1692. -
Nathaniel Bacon Leads a Revolt
After Nathaniel Bacon lived through the Indian wars without aid of England, he wanted the power to be restored through the people instead of the government. He had seen many destroyed by the Indians and wanted revenge. In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon gave his Declaration of the People and the furious, drunken crowd murdered an innocent tribe then burned Jamestown. After his death, the royal governor hanged many of his rebels and ended what was left of the riots. -
The Pennsylvania Colony
The Pennsylvania Colony was founded in March of 1681 by William Penn. He was given a land grant from Charles II where Penn also established the city of Philadelphia that became larger than Boston. William Penn was a leader who believed in religious freedom as well as the rights of women and Native Americans. He even learned several Indian languages in order to communicate with the Natives without people to interpret him. His sons however, tricked the Delaware Indians into the "Walking Purchase". -
The Salem Trials
In Salem four girls claimed to be possessed by the devil accused several women of being witches. The judge known as Cotton Mather, allowed the claims as evidence and put the women on trial. That same year, multiple colonists were put to death while 100 were to be imprisoned. The first two women accused denied being involved in witchcraft but the third confessed hoping to be spared as an informant. Multiple upstanding people of the colonies were accused by those who favored the old ways of life. -
The Georgia Colony is Established
Georgia was established in 1732 as a neutral state between the Native Americans and the Spanish who dominated Florida. General James Oglethorpe was put in charge of the task of forming a safe haven for people who wanted to start a new life. Georgia was the final colony of the famous thirteen. The Georgia Colony was named after King George II of England, as ordered by the king himself in the charter allowing the establishment of the colony. Oglethorpe served as the colony's governor for 12 years. -
The Seven Years War
In the 1750's, French expansion brought France into conflict with the British colonies multiple times. In 1756 the British were defeated by the French because of their alliances with the Native Americans. In 1757, British Prime Minister William Pitt funded the colonies against France. The Albany Plan of Union was drafted by Benjamin Franklin and provided a government ruled by the colonists. The Treaty of Paris ended the war by giving England Canada, the Great Lakes, and the upper Mississippi.
