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Jan 1, 1440
Invention of Printing Press
Invented by a German goldsmith named Johannes Gutenberg. This permitted for a mass output of books and swift circulation of knowledge across Europe. -
Jun 11, 1498
John Cabot and NW Passage
At King Henry VII of England's request, Cabot sailed to Canada in search for a Northwest passage from North America to Asia. Thinking he had arrived in Asia, Cabot had claimed land in Canada for King Henry. He was unsuccessful in the end. -
Oct 31, 1517
Protestant Reformation
Religious movement during the 16th century that started in an effort to better the Roman Catholic Church and produce the establishment of Protestant Churches -
Jan 1, 1534
Establishment of Anglican Church (Church of England)
Henry VIII began the procedure of establishing the Church of England after his separation from the Pope. Henry was eager to guarantee a male successor after his first wife. He wished for a divorce so he could remarry. -
Jun 9, 1534
Jacques Cartier & St. Lawrence River
Jacques Cartier left France, the king instructed him to find gold, spices, and a water passage from France to Asia. He ended up discovering a major waterway into the extensive areas of Canada. The voyage helped other explorers form French-speaking Canada. -
Sir Walter Raleigh and Lost Colony
Sir Walter Raleigh wished to establish a colony, but the queen forbid Raleigh to leave. Raleigh decided to invest in expeditions across the Atlantic in an attempt to establish a colony by Roanoke and on the coast of present day North Carolina. The Indians forced the colonists to eventually return to England, they brought back potatoes and tobacco which were unknown in Europe. Later on, a second voyage was sent in 1590 to find no trace of the colony. -
Defeat of Spanish Armada
The victory went to the English, which eliminated Spanish rule over the seas. The victory inspired nationalism, which influenced a new wave of colonies in the New World. -
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel was a French explorer who started exploring North America in the year 1603, initiating the city of Quebec located in the northern colony of New France. This led to Samuel becoming the de facto governor of New France in 1620. -
Henry Hudson and Dutch NY
Henry Hudson was an English explorer, he went on many voyages throughout his life. In 1609, he began a third voyage which was funded by the Dutch East India Company. When he arrived in the New World, he took the Hudson River for 150 miles, as far as navigation would allow. Once convinced the Hudson River didn't go all the way to Asia, he left New York and went back to England. -
Rene-Robert de La Salle
A French explorer who explored the Great Lakes region of the US and Canada, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico. He claimed the entire Mississippi River basin for France.
