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1492
Christopher Columbus reaches the Americas
Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic ocean from Spain. He had three ships, Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. He was on a journey to find a easier route to India and instead found the americas. -
1512
Spanish take the first African slaves to Hispaniola
The enslavment of the africans was an important part the colonial economy -
1519
Cortez arrives in Tenochtitlan
Hernan Cortez was a Spanish explorer in conquistador. Who traveled over 100 miles to find the capital city, Tenochtitlan and claim the Aztec empire for Spain. -
1521
Cortés defeats the Aztecs
Cortés made allies to help him defeat the Aztecs, like La Malinche and Tlaxcalans. When he got to Tenochtitlan he acted friendly until he took the emperor, Moctezuma II prisoner. -
1535
Bartolome de las Casas argues against enslavement of Native Americans
Bartolome de las Casas was a priest who preached against the enslavement of native people. He thought the Spanish should work for their own wealth and now force other people to work for them. -
1535
Pizarro founds a new capital in Lima, Peru, after defeating the Incas
As a result the colony of New Spain was founded. -
John White returns to the Roanoke settlement to find the colony has disappeared
Roanoke colony was the first English settlement in the new world, it was founded by Sir Water Raleigh. John White returned to england to accuire supplies for the settlemnt, by the time he returned in 1590 everything in the colony had dissapeared. -
The English found Jamestown
Jamestown was the first successful permanent English settlement. The settlement was built on a disease ridden bug infeasted swampy island with no source of fresh water. -
Champlain founds Quebec
Champlain came to Canada to establish a fur trading post. He chose a site along the saint Lawrence river and called it Quebec. It was the first permantant settleent in new france. -
House of Burgesses formed
After his arrival in Jamestown in 1619, Governor George Yeardley established a legislative assembly called the House of Burgesses.This was the first law making assembly in the English colonies. -
The Pilgrims arrive at Plymouth
Plymouth was the first settlement in New England. Many of the pilgrims died from starvation, dehydration, and disease. They met the Wampanoag Indians who taught them how to grow corn and build houses. -
Mathias de Sousa, an indentured servant of African descent, arrives in Maryland aboard the Ark.
Mathias de Sousa was one of the nine indentured servants brought to Maryland by Jesuit missionaries. He was the first African American man to sit in a Legislative Assembly. -
William Penn establishes Pennsylvania
King Charles II gave the land for the Pennsylvania colony to Willaim Penn as payment for a debt the crown owed his family. He built the colony on Quaker beliefs. -
Georgia, the 13th English colony, is founded
James Oglethorpe founded Georgia the 13th English colony. He founded it for people who were poor.
