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Sep 9, 1439
Johann Gutenberg
Gutenberg developed the printing press which allowed for mass production in literary works and aided the spread of ideas among the multitudes. It also helped extend the idea of colonizing the Americas. -
Sep 9, 1492
Reconquista
The Jews and Moors were driven out of Spain by Christians during the war between the Christians ans Muslims, whom were both fighting for the power over the Iberian Peninsula. From this religious conflict came the conquistadores who would later explore and claim the New World for Spain. -
Jun 7, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
The purpose of the Treaty of Tordesillas was to give enough land to both Spain and Portugal; It divided the world around 270 legues west of the Azores. The Treaty seemed only to count to Spain and Portugal, meaning that: it did not stop the English, Dutch, or French from trying their luck in the New World. -
Sep 9, 1497
John and Sebastian Cabot
John Cabot completed the first recorded transatlantic voyage for England in 1497, when he was trying to find a passage to Asia. Sebastian, son of John, continued in his father's foot-steps and explored the Hudson Bay area, 1508-1509. When England gained interest in the New World, tthe father and son voyages established England's claim on American territory. -
Jan 1, 1503
Encomienda System
The Encomienda system was a means of Native American population control set in motion by the Spanish government. This gave noble Spanish men a number of natives to work under for legal protection, in theory. In actuality the natives were heavily exploited and were basically slaves to the Spanish ruling populace. However, this allowed for greater Spanish expansion into America. -
Feb 9, 1519
Encomienda System
An exploitative labor system designed by Spanish rulers to reward conquistadores in the New World by granting them local villages and control over native labor. -
Roanoke
Sir Walter Ralegh tried to start a colony in Virginia in 1584, however it was an unsuccessful. Then in 1587, Ralegh atempted again to colonize Virginia but due to the Spanish Armada, communication between England and America became non-existant, therefore, no ship was able to visit the Roanoke Colonist for three years. When discovered, Roanoke was abandoned. -
Richard Hakluyt
Hakluyt collected and documented evidence of different captain’s and sailors' accounts of the New World in Principal Navigations, Voyages, and Discoveries of the English Nation. His book drove the point that England must colonize America. He wrote of the commercial and economical prospects in America, which assisted the needed drive to colonize America. -
Protestant Reformation: Henry VIII & Elizabeth I
Religous movements in the sixteenth century that reformed and challenged the spirtual authority of the Roman Catholic Church, who associated with figures such as Martian Luther and John Calvin. Henry VIII and his daughter, Elizabeth I, helped push for England to become more Protestant. -
Edwin Sandys
Sandys was a politician and businessman. He was one of the founders of the proprietary Virginia Company of London (Jamestown). Through the funding of the joint stock Company, Virginia became the first permanent European colony. -
Jamestown, Vriginia; John Smith and The House of Burgesses
Jamestown is the first permanent European settlement in America that consisted of a group of mainly men who went to America to get rich. People focused mainly on themselves. John Smith came and brought people together, and with his leadership skills, the colony remained alive. The House of Burgesses was the first representative legislature body in the colonies. -
Joint Stock Companies
Funding a colony was a risky and expensive affair that initially pertained to governments. However, with the joint stock company many different people could fund a colony and split the profits and costs of the effort. Jamestown was the first joint stock company funded colony. -
Quebec
Samuel de Champlain resettled the region for France. Quebec controlled export and imports of Canada and France. This made it easy for the crown officials to control that traffic that created political strains and slowed down economic growth, which then slowed the colonization of Canada. -
William Bradford
William Bradford was a significant figure in Plymouth Colony and was one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact. He was the leader of the colony for a long while and cooperated with Native Americans to teach the colonists how to survive. -
Plymouth Colony and the Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower took 105 people to the new world, only 35 were real pilgrims who were separatists from the Church of England. Plymouth is where the idea of Thanksgiving came from. The settlers, markedly far from their initial target of Virginia, made the Mayflower Compact so they would be able to govern themselves in order to survive and have order. This is the first self-established government of the New World by Europeans. -
New Hampshire
John Mason founded New Hampshire, which produced a lot of naval services and wood. There was much disagreement over land that wouldn't be resolved until the Mason-Dixon Line. The colony operated under the Massachusetts Bay Colony with the provision that members did not have to be part of the Puritan church. -
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded and run largely by Puritans. While there were a small number of people who were not Puritans and almost all the leaders were Puritan. They were very prejudiced and this caused conflict with the Native Americans, leading to the Peqeuot War. Family units moved to America so the growth rate was extensive. It was to be a “City on a Hill” and be a beacon of righteousness that would be saved from the wrath of God. -
Carolinas
The Carolinas were formed to become an extension of the Barbados. The King Charles II gave the men in support of him and the colony the title of Proprietor and controlled the colony. -
Maryland
Lord Baltimore was given a charter to create a colony that would be a safe haven for English Catholics. The colony was settled in a similar fashion as Jamestown where settlements were along the waterways and rivers. Also, Maryland grew tobacco for export to England, like Jamestown. -
Rhode Island, Roger Wiliams, and Anne Hutchinson
Roger Williams was a significant preacher in Massachusetts that had ideas in conflict with the Puritan leaders. So then he was banished and a group of his followers and himself formed the colony of Rhode Island. Sometime later Anne Hutchinson, who was another rationalist and was banished, followed Roger Williams and formed a settlement near Rhode Island. Eventually these settlements and plantations were formed into a single colony that foreshadowed religious freedom. -
Connecticut and Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
Puritans under no shams of refugee left Massachusetts and shaped Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield where there was fertile soil for farming. Thomas Hooker wrote beautiful pieces on the philosophy of Puritan church congregations and brought more people into Connecticut. Eventually these settlements became Connecticut. In 1639, councils passed the Fundamental Orders which were blueprints for civil government in which the local governments followed. -
The Slave Trade
The slave trades were uesed to transport Africans to America for cheap labor workers. Most slaves were used primarily for agricultural purposes. The more slaves there were, the more poeple would be willing to settle in America. -
New York
First called New Amsterdam, the area around New York was originally founded by Dutch colonists, along with an additional amount of other national and ethnic groups. These peoples included freed slaves, Germans, Finnish people, Scots, and Swedish people. Colonel Richard Nicholls demanded the submission of the colonists in 1664 and without violence the colonists became British and the colony was renamed to New York to honor the King's brother who was the Duke of York. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon’s Rebellion was led by Nathaniel Greene, a rich property-owner who was upset he wasn't in the elite circle of the governor William Berkely. So he attacked some Natives to inspire the common people who were having difficulties with Indian attacks and he chases the governor out of town. He stopped when he realized that he was petty in fight in over fur trading rights where other men had actual grievances. -
Pennsylvania and William Penn
William Penn founded Pennsylvania as a colony intended not only for Quakers but also for religious tolerance. The colony rose in influence with the city of Philadelphia and made economic stride by producing grain and feed for animals. -
Parlimentary Supremacy
Britain insisted that Parliament held ultimate control over the colonists. It became a giant reason for revolution and Americans' yearn for independence. Parliament believed they were "all powerful". -
English Bill Of Rights
During the Glorious Revolution in the Bay Colony, King James II was overthrown, and Sir Edmund Andros took over but was quickly jailed. Mary & William took the throne, accepting an English Bill of Rights that specified Englishmen's rights. -
Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield
Jonathon Edwards is accredited with starting the largest wave of the Great Awakening in America. He taught that personal experiences with God was a much better claim than the organization of prearranged religion. After moving to America and meeting Edwards, George Whitefield became an network preacher and preached the same close relationship and tolerant ideals of Edwards. He also preached that salvation can be reached through the doing of good works. -
The Great Awakening1 Jan 1732
In response to the Enlightenment, the American colonies were overwhelmed with another wave of thought changing reform. The Great Awakening is a period in the Americas preachers, wanting to imitate the preachers of past, issued a surge in emotionalism in religion. They led revivals and the inspired a great many people to follow them. These preachers preached mainly about a having a personal experience with God and achieving salvation through good works. -
Georgia
James Oglethorpe founded Georgia to clear out the needy and criminal populace of England where they could start a new life, as well as shield South Carolina from the advances of the Spanish to the South. -
Sugar Act
Revised duties on sugar, coffee, tea, wine, and other imports. Expands jurisdiction of vice-admiralty courts. Economically it helped the colonist; however, politically and socially, the colonist felt used. -
Quatering Act
Colonists must supply British troops with housing, other items, such as candles, firewood, ect. -
Stamp Act Congress
First intercolonial gathering to discuss common problems. Tone ws restrained/concilliatory. The congress avoided any mention of independence. Place: New York City. -
Declaratory Act
Parliament declares its sovereignty over the colonies “in all cases what so ever” -
Townshend Revenue Acts
New duties on glass, lead, paper, paints, tea; custom collections tightened in America. -
Boston Massacre
Something small turned into a mob; soldiers panicked in the confusion, the troops fired leaving five dead. The colonist used the Boston Massacre as "cause for the removal of British Troops from Boston" and "a battle for American liberty". -
Tea Act
Parliament gives East india Company right to sell tea directly to Americans; some duties on tea rduced. -
Boston Tea Party
Colonists dressed as indians and vandalized the ships and dumped the tea into the bay (sea). It was the colonist saying,"Screw you! You don't own us and you can't control us!" -
Period: to
Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts
Closed port of Boston; restructures Massachusetts government, restricts town meetings, troops quartered in Boston; British officials accused of crimes sent to England or Canada for trial. -
First Continental Congress
Different leaders from around the colonies came together to decide what would be their next step. Iwas the colonist's voice. Parliament to Britain Continental Congress to the American colonies. -
Stamp Act
Printed documents, such as newspapers, marriage licenses, ect., issued only on special stamped paper purchased from stamp distributors. -
Shot heard 'round the world
Lexington and Concord. People were getting excited to be in the war because of an American victory. -
Lexington
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Concord
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Second Continental Congress
Philadelphia; The leaders from the First Continental Congress came together to decide how to go forth into revolution and appoint military leaders. Tothe colonist, this congress was the new government, and leaders would help the colonies gain independence. It was their becon of hope. -
Olive Branch
The Continental Congress petitioned for peace with Britain for the last time before calling a war. -
Phohibory Act
Declares British Intercontental Congress closer todecision for independence. -
Common Sense
Written by Thomas Paine; Common Sense inspired Americans everywhere to want to be free of Brittain's rule. -
Trenton
The Continental army crossed the Delaware River to surprise and ambush the British. The Americans won. -
Germantown/Valley Forge
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Saratogo, Second Battle
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Kings Mountain
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Period: to
Yorktown
British chased Americans and became tired; the Americans won the battle that won the Revolution.
