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Permission to Colonize by The Virginia Company
King James gives The Virginia Company permission to sail to Virginia and colonize territory. Many skilled laborers, such as goldsmiths and tailors, were sent. -
First Permanent English Settlement: Jamestown
The first permanent English settlement, which is Jamestown, is established by the London Company in southeast Virginia. -
The First Meeting of the Virginia House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses, the first representative assembly in America, meets for the first time in Virginia. The first African slaves are brought to Jamestown. -
The Origins of Slavery in Virginia
In August 1619, the White Lion, an English privateer that was commanded by John Jope, sailed into Point Comfort and settled in the James River. John Rolfe documented the arrival of this ship and “20 and odd” Africans on board. His journal entry is immortalized in textbooks, with 1619 often used as a reference point for teaching the origins of slavery in America. -
The Plymouth Colony and the Mayflower Compact
The Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts is established by Pilgrims from England. Prior to getting off of the Mayflower (their ship), forty-one male passengers signed an agreement that forms the basis of the colony's government. This agreement is called the Mayflower Compact. -
Petition of Right
Parliament passes the Petition of Right. The petition consisted of four principles: no taxation without the consent of Parliament, no imprisonment without cause, no quartering of soldiers on subjects, and no martial law in peacetime. -
Founding of Pennsylvania
William Penn formed the religiously tolerant colony of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania served as a refuge for Quakers and other religious minorities of Europe. -
Massachusetts Bay Colony Establishment
The Puritans established the colony of Massachusetts Bay in 1630. It was referred to as the "city upon a hill." They hoped to purify the Church of England and then return to Europe with a new and improved religion. The Puritans had left England because they didn't agree with the Church of England and they wanted to practice their own faith. -
Pequot War
The Pequot War was fought in 1636–1637 between the Pequot people and a coalition of English settlers from the Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut, and Saybrook colonies and their Native American allies (including the Narragansett and Mohegan). The war eliminated the Pequot as an impediment to English colonization of southern New England. It was a very brutal war and was the first sustained conflict between Native Americans and Europeans in northeastern North America. -
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut was the first written constitution in the American colonies. In 1639, Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield (the only three towns that made up the Connecticut colony), created a common government based on the federal principle. This government provided the basis for the expansion of the colony and eventually became the framework for Connecticut’s first state constitution. It was adopted in 1776 and lasted until 1818. -
Mercantilism
To enforce mercantilism passed the Navigation Acts (Trade Acts) beginning in 1651. These acts were designed to control trade with its colonies. Under these laws, the mother country should produce finished products while the colonies supply the raw materials. The navigation laws were finally repealed in 1849 and 1854. -
English Acquisition of New Amsterdam
The English seize New Amsterdam (city and colony) from the Dutch. It receives a new name- New York. -
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, also known as the First Indian War, the Great Narragansett War or Metacom's Rebellion, transpired in southern New England from 1675 to 1676. It was the Native Americans' last-ditch effort to avoid recognizing English authority and stop English settlement on their native lands. Metacom was killed, and the English won. King Philip's War began in 1675 and lasted until 1678. -
Two Treatises of Government
John Locke's Two Treatises of Government was published anonymously in 1689 shortly following the Glorious Revolution. The book served two purposes. For one, it was designed not only to challenge common notions, but to introduce people to a broader thinking on governmental rule. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem witch trials commenced in 1692 when a group of girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several women of witchcraft. A wave of hysteria then spread throughout Massachusetts, and then a special court convened in Salem to hear the cases. Bridget Bishop, the first convicted witch, was hanged that June. By the time the trials terminated in 1693, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft, and 20 were executed.
