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Sep 7, 1445
Invention of the Printing Press
The spread of the Protestant Reformation was in part due to the invention of the printing press. This allowed documents to be copied, which allowed ideas to be spread. -
Sep 8, 1497
John Cabot and NW Passage
John Cabot was an Italian sailor who was sailing for the English. He searched for a passage to the Pacific and ended up sailing along the coast of Canada and Newfoundland, which started England's claim to North America. -
Sep 7, 1517
Protestant Reformation
Martin Luther, a German priest, protested the Catholic Church. Reformers came to be called "Protestants". Eventually this led to civil war between the Catholics and the Protestants. -
Sep 8, 1524
Henry Hudson and Dutch NY
Henry Hudson was an English explorer in search of an ice-free passage to Asia. He joined the Dutch East India Company as a commander, and continued to try to find the route he was looking for. Instead, he ended up finding the New York harbor. -
Sep 8, 1534
Establishment of Anglican Church
Also called the Church of England, King Henry VIII founded it in order to get around some of the restrictions of the Catholic Church which defied the Pope. -
Sep 8, 1534
Jacques Cartier & St. Lawrence River
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer who sailed down the St. Lawrence river and traveled to Montreal, claiming land for France. -
Sir Walter Raleigh and the Lost Colony
Sir Walter Raleigh founded the Colony of Roanoke after Queen Elizabeth I assigned him with the task. The colony was eventually found completely abandoned with no trace of the colonists left. -
Defeat of Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada was eventually defeated by the English. Despite the Spanish having more ships, England's ships were more mobile. After their defeat, Spain experienced inflation and England, France, and the Netherlands challenged Spain's power over the Americas. -
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain was a French explorer who established the city of Quebec (which he eventually became the de facto mayor of), a colony called New France, and mapping the Great Lakes. -
René-Robert de La Salle
René-Robert de La Salle was a French explorer who claimed land along the Mississippi river and Mississippi valley. He continued to set up forts and explore for most of his life and controlled a successful fur trade.
