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Period: to
1600 to 1699
This timeline will show historical events from 1600 to 1699 in the United States. -
John Smith takes command
John Smith took control of the colony and let the colonists know that those who would not work would not eat. He was saved by daughter of the Powhatan, Pocohontos. The Powhatan's helped the colonists survive their first winter in the new colony. -
First permanent English colony established on the mainland - Jamestown, Virginia
In April 1607 three ship sailed up the James River and established the first colony. The landed on an area that the native Americans ignored because of its unsuitable living environment. The English were mostly gentlemen and were unprepared for living in the wilderness and unwilling to put the work in to survive causing less than 1/2 the original settlers to survive the first year. -
Death of most of the colony
Due to lack of supplies, declining relations with the native Americans, and lack of knowledge of basic survival skills by the summer of 1610 all but 60 settlers died. They had been reduces to eating boiled leather, dogs, cats, rats, mice and digging up the bodies of their neighbors to eat them. One man was executed for killing his wife to eat her. -
First productive crop planted
John Rolfe planted the first successful crop to be raised in Virginia, tobacco. When King James I spoke out to condemn this crop as "noxious weed...loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs" it was already too late as the people were already addicted. -
Headright Policy
any person who migrated to Virginia would receive 50 acres of land and they would be given 50 more for any immigrant they sponsored by paying for their passage. -
House of Burgesses established
The Virginia Company established the House of Burgesses. These were white landowners that first met in Jamestown. -
First slaves sold to Virginia
A Dutch slave ship sold the first African Slaves to Virginia. -
Further expansion founded on religious motives
The expansion further inland was based on Puritan goals and beliefs. Though not all of the new settlers were Puritans, the majority of the rhetoric and politics were established on these beliefs -
Attack against the settlers
Powhatan dies and his brother Opechancanough launched a surprise attach on the colonists killing over 350 of them. He promised to stop the land-hungry colonists. This caused retaliation and the governor of Virginia declared it policy to kill the native Americans to take of the country. War and disease decimated the Chesapeake Indians. -
Maryland established
Charles I claimed 12,000,000 acres of land and named it Maryland for the new monarch's queen. -
Maryland is founded
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Tobacco saves Virginia and causes expansion
In less than 20 years the colonies would be exporting 500,000 pounds of tobacco a year to England and 15,000,000 pounds a year within 40 years. This saved Virginia and caused the expansion and settlement of Maryland. -
Rhode Island is founded
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Native American Slavery
After the Pequot War (1636-1637) Massachusetts Bay colonists sold hundreds of Native Americans into slavery in the West Indies. This also happened after other wars: Governor Kieft's War (1641-1645), Esopus Wars (1659-1663), and King Philip's War (1675-1676). -
Charles's execution
The execution of Charles challenged the American claim of neutrality during fighting over power and beliefs in England. -
Turning point for black men and women in English colonies
New laws clarified the difference between skin color. The division between whites and blacks was now dictated by law. -
Expansion continued
Despite interference from England and others expansion continued inland. -
Colony of the Carolina established
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Pennsylvania Established
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England places tighter restrictions on the colonies
James II worked to tighten England's control over the colonies and created the Dominion of New England. Colonists strongly resented this interference. -
Salem Witch Hunts
From February 1692 to May 1693 the Salem Witch Hunts cause the arrest of over 150 people and the death of 19.