Unit 2 Timeline - Newhart

By egaba1
  • Oct 12, 1492

    Columbus discovers America

    Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain in 1492, going west across the Atlantic in search of an alternate trade route to Asia. Christopher Columbus' attempt to find a new trade route was funded because Europe was competing to get their share of the enormous amount of wealth that was being generated by trade throughout the far east. He found new areas which brought together the people of europe, africa, and the americas.
  • Jan 1, 1511

    First enslaved Africans arrived in America

    Slavery existed in Africa for centuries. Muslim rulers increased the slave trade with their belief that non-muslim prisoners of war could be bought and sold. These slaves had some rights, and some chance for upward mobility, and could occupy some positions of power. African slaves were used by Europeans because they had immunity to European diseases, had experience in farming, were less likely to escape because they didn’t know the land, and their skin color made it hard for them to escape.
  • Aug 13, 1521

    Cortés conquers Aztec Empire

    Following rumors of cities rich with gold, he became in contact with the Aztecs. The Aztecs thought he was their god and Montezuma (the Aztec emperor) brought him a lot of gold. Later, Cortés’ men killed many warriors and chiefs during a religious festival, which caused the Aztec people to revolt against Cortés and his men, and drive them out of Tenochtitlán. Cortés struck back and was able to conquer the aztecs, mainly because of superior Spanish weaponry (Armour, guns, and horses).
  • Nov 16, 1533

    Pizzarro conquers the Incan empire

    Pizzaro with 200 troops met Atahualpa near Cajamarca & while Atahualpa commanded 30,000 troops, he only brought a few thousand, mostly unarmed. The Spanish waited in ambush, crushed the Incan soldiers, and kidnapped Atahualpa. He offered to fill a room with gold & twice with silver for his release. After receiving the ransom, the Spanish converted him to Christianity, and killed him, then conquered the Incan empire.

  • The English found Jamestown

    In 1606, English chartered a settlement in Virginia, Jamestown, which had a disastrous start, but eventually took hold and profited from tobacco, a new cash crop.

  • The Enlgish found Plymouth

    The Pilgrims founded a colony in Plymouth, and the Puritans established a colony at Massachusetts bay. Both these groups sought religious freedom to found model Christian communities.

  • The French and Indian War ends.

    The English forced the Dutch out of New Netherlands and renamed it New York. Later, England came into conflict with France, leading to the French and Indian War, which part of the seven years war, giving them control of Northeastern America.