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1492
Colombian Exchange Begins
The Colombian exchange was the exchange of American goods such as corn and gold to Europe and European goods such as muskets and horses to the Americas. The Colombian exchange would allow for a population explosion in Europe as new crops gained were able to better sustain a large population. In the Americas quite the opposite would occur as diseases would ravage the Native American populations. -
1502
Encomienda System established
The encomienda system would be implemented in Spanish colonies in the Americas and would set up a sort of feudal system in which officials would be granted large plots of land with Native Americans which would provide labor and tribute. Along with this Native Americans were forced to convert to Christianity. This practice reduced Native Americans to little more than slaves. -
Period: 1550 to 1551
Valladolid Debate
This debate would be one of the first moral debates on the rights of Native Americans in the Spanish colonies. This debate would challenge the long-standing belief that Native Americans were inferior and help lead to the phasing out of the enslavement of Native Americans. -
Jamestown Founded
Jamestown was the first permanent British colony in the Americas. With the establishment of Jamestown came an increased push for colonization leading to the establishment of the thirteen colonies. -
House of Burgesses established
The House of Burgesses would be one of the earliest forms of self-government in the British colonies. The house would allow for more efficient administration of the Virginia colony and also establish a tradition of self-rule in the colonies. -
First Enslaved Person Brought to English Colony
This event would start the process of the entrenchment of slavery into society that would take more than two hundred years to undo. Much of America would be built on the backs of the enslaved and debates later debates about the morality of the institution would break the country in two. -
Mayflower Arrives in Plymouth
The landing of the Mayflower in Plymouth would help to set the stage for the establishment of the colony of Massachusetts. When they landed, they would also establish the Mayflower compact helping to start a tradition of American self-governance. -
Founding of Portsmouth
After Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson were exiled from the Plymouth they would move to what is now modern day Rhode Island and form the colony of Portsmouth. Portsmouth would be built around ideas of religious freedom, something that would become a core ideal of American revolutionaries. -
Navigation Acts Passed
The Navigation Acts would be one of the first British attempts at regulating the actions of their colonies. The act would place restrictions on American trade and would serve as the beginning of the end to the British practice of salutary neglect toward its colonies. This act would begin to drive a wedge between the colonists and their government in the British Isles. -
Halfway Covenant Established
The Halfway Covenant would lower the requirements for many to participate in the Puritan Church increasing the participation in the faith. This increased religious participation would allow for the preservation of Puritan ideals. -
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King Philips War
A conflict that took place between an alliance of New England Colonies known as the New England of Confederation and a group of unified tribes under chief of the Wampanoags Metacom. The war would result in thousands being killed and the removal of most Native Americans from the New England territories. The war would demonstrate the desperate fight of the Native Americans to hold on to their homes. -
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Bacons Rebellion
In response to royal governor Sir William Barkeley's failure to protect colonists from Native American attacks Nathaniel Bacon would raise an army to rebel against the governor and fight back against the Native Americans slaughtering many in the process. This event would prove on of the first example of open resistance against British authority. Furthermore, the rebellion would also demonstrate the animosity between the Native Americans and colonists. -
William Penn Granted Pennsylvania
William Penn would build the colony to adhere to the quaker beliefs that he identified with. Through Penn's "Holy Experiment" he would attempt to enshrine tolerance into law providing religious freedom respect to citizens of the colony and Native Americans in Pennsylvania. On top of this Penn would help to establish the frame of government, a document that would resemble the future US constitution. -
Beginning of the Enlightenment
During the Enlightenment, people would begin to question many of the long-standing ideas that had been taken for granted in society. One of these ideas would be that of the role of government, with many philosophers discussing what the peoples role in government should be and what responsibilities the government had to its people. These debates would help to form the basis for the American revolution years down the line. -
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First Great Awakening
The First Great Awakening was a rise in religious fervor that would spread across the thirteen colonies. This event would act as a unifying force as it would be one of the first experiences shared by almost all in English America. -
Zenger Case
This case would occur when New York editor John Peter Zenger published an article critical of the local Royal Governer. In the case despite laws preventing the publishing of things that would damage the reputation of government officials, Zenger would be acquitted with his lawyer arguing that telling the truth was not a crime. This event would act as another step toward revolution as more papers would begin to speak out against the English government.