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Sep 8, 1440
Johann Gutenberg
Gutenberg created the printing press, making infromation easier to get out to the masses. This was helpful once sailors and settlers were able to send back their stories of America, creating more people to want to take the voyage to the New World. -
Sep 8, 1492
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a series of holy wars which reunited the Iberian peninsula under one religion, Catholicism. This then turned the Spanish monarchs to begin looking outward toward further expansion of their religion and nation. -
Sep 8, 1492
Columbus
Christopher Columbus, on behalf of Spain, set sail for the Indies but instead, landed in the New World. Although this was not the first time Europe landed in the Americas, it drew attention to outward exploration for various reason. -
Sep 8, 1494
Treaty of Torsedillas
Pope Alexander VI created an agreement between Spain and Portugal to divide the newly conquored lands in order to avoid wars over the lands. This gave the two countries the drive and power to discover and settle all of the land within their territory. -
Sep 8, 1497
John Cabot
John Cabot made the first (recorded) transatlantic voyage by and English ship, while attemping to find a passage to Asia. This proved that Englisdh ships could make the long trip to the New World. -
Sep 8, 1508
Sebastian Cabot
Continued his father's journies through the Huson Bay region. After this period, English interest in the New World shifted more to domestic concerns. However, Cabot's voyages created an English claim in American land. -
Sep 8, 1518
Encomienda System
The Encomienda Syaytem is the way by which the Spanish defined the status of the Indian population in its colonies. Indians would provide labor in return for legal protection and religious support. This system brought conquistadores under the rule of the Spanish crown, leading them to work less for independant gains and more for the country. Also, this led to a stronger dependence on slave laborers in the future of colonization. -
Sep 8, 1527
Protestant Reformation
After King Henry was denied a divorce from the pope due to the fact that his wife would not give him a male heir, he cut ties with the pope and Catholicism and created the Church of England. Elizabeth I was a beloved queen who merged the idea of Protestantism and nationalism into one for the country of England. The Protest Reform created a desire by both Catholics and Protestants to spread their relgious beliefs to the expanses of the New World. -
Roanoke
Sir Walter Raleigh created a colony in a region of what he called Virginia. This colony failed miserably and did not last due to a lack of supplies. This showed that England, eager to beat Spain as the first colony created in the Americas, made many mistakes before a colony actually lasted. -
Richard Hakluyt
Created a collection of interviews from captains and sailors after their return from various voyages. Hakluyt edited all of the interviews to help persuade the English public that England needed American colonies.This view of the New World then helped the desire for expansion into the Americas to grow within the country of England. -
Jamestown
Jamestown was created by the Virginia Company, the 1st joint-stock company in the colonies, as a source of revenue for England and is considered the 1st successful English settlement. Most of Jamestown's success is due to John Smith whose leadership created laws that kept colonists working. Edwin Sandys created a head-right system which granted land to colonists who paid for their own travel and brough servants. Also, thorugh this he created a representative gov. called the House of Burgesses. -
Quebec
Jaques Cartier of France, on a quest to find a quick water route to China, found a path through most of Canda but was discouraged and left due to harsh winters. Samuel de Champlain resettled the are for Fracnce and founded Quebec in 1608. The French, unlike the English, viewed natives as economic partners and intertwined much of their cultures. This drew more settlers north into Canada due to the economic value of furs and the cooperation of the natives. -
New York
James, the Duke of York, was given a charter over a large amount of land by his brother Charles II. The Duke was worried mainly about his own profit. After the English civil war, the Duke refused to let a representative government take root in his colony. -
Plymouth
Plymouth was created by the Pilgrims, also called Separatists believed that the Church of England held too many Catholic charcteristics. When they first left England, Separatists wents to Holland, where they feared that they were losing their identity as a group. In this group was William Bradford who wrote Of Plymouth Plantation, an account of American settlement. The colonist headed to Virginia but landed in New England. To keep the group from anarchy, colonists created the Mayflower Compact. -
New Hampshire
New Hampshire started as part of Massachusetts Bay but, became a seperate colony in 1677. The population did not grow quickly and the colony remained economically dependant on Massachusetts. -
Massachusetts Bay
John Winthrop was convinced that God was displeased with England and would soon punish the land. Other Puritans who believed this as well and Winthrop, soon looked toward America to establish a safe colony. Once settled, a woman named Anne Hutchinson began preaching facets of her own theological interpretations, some of which offended leader in the colony. This eventually led to her and her follwers to be exiled from the colony to Rhode Island. -
Maryland
Maryland was founded by Sir George Calvert as a refuge for Catholics who were being persecuted in England. However, he also was looking for a commercial venture and knew that Protestants would be necessary for the colony to succeed so, they were also welcome in the colony. -
Connecticut
People were drawn to Connecticut from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. These new colonists formed a society that largely resembled the area that they had left. In 1629 representative created the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut which laid out a plan for civil government within the colony. -
Rhode Island
Rhode Island was a colony full of different groups and types of people. Roger Williams established Providence in 1636 soon after, Anne Hutchinson brought her followers to the colony. Other small groups settled in the area as well. In 1663 Rhode Island recieved a royal charter. A government within the colony only exsisted in name but, the colony did very well in profiting on agricultural goods. -
Slave Trade
Slaves from Africa became a necessity for those living in the Americas. They made working the land, chores, and other tasks much easier and more time efficent. This trade caused the Europeans to expand more rapidly than if they did not have slaves at all. Also, the dependence on slaves is demonstrated by the fact that more Africans populated the Americas than Europeans for a large amount of time. -
Carolinas
The Carolinas were created very much in the image of Virginia and Maryland. Barbados, a small Caribbean island, had become overpopulated so, wealthy familiems began sending their children to Carolina to maintain social status. These settlers became the most powerful political faction in the Carolinas. -
Bacon's Rebellion
In this rebellion a Virginia frontiersmen that was seeking land clashed with Native Americans. This caused Bacon to request help from the government. However, Jamestown refused aid, fearing a war with the Natives. Bacon and his men stormed Jamestown. After Bacon died of an illness, his rebellion collapsed. This rebellion led to a revision of indentured servant system and greater reliance on slave labor due to the easy identification of African Americans. -
Pennsylvania
William Penn founded Pennsylvania as a haven for Quakers. Overtime, Pennsylvania became largely diverse due to the fact that Quakers were accepting of a wide variety of people. -
English Bill of Rights
King William and Queen Mary agreed to this document in 1689. It guaranteed certain rights to English citizens and declared that there would be elections for Parliment. By doing this, they created a limited monarchy, a system in which they shared their power with Parliament and the people. This then led to the creation of the various governments made within the colonies. -
Georgia
Georgia was mainly established in order to discourage Spanish expansion outside of their settlement in Florida. Due to restrictions on drinking and slavery Georgia attracted very few settlers. Even after the removal of these restrictions, the harsh frontier drew little settlers. -
First Great Awakening
The First Great Awakening was a time of religious spread from 1730-1740s. The movement started in reaction to the Enlightenment and specualation on various faiths. Protestant ministers held revivals throughout the English colonies in America. Jonathan Edwards's uncompromising view on Calvinism, drew young people to his church. Edwards lacked the strong personality for revivals which George Whitfield had. Benjamin Franklin helped promoted Whitfield as he toured the colonies hosting revivals. -
French and Indian War
This was the war fought by the French and English over control of the Ohio River Valley, Great Lakes, and Mississippi River. The English defeated French in 1763. The war however, left England in a large amount of debt which they believed the colonists should pay off. -
Sugar Act
This act was created by England in order to revise duties on sugar and other goods. This act was significant because, colonists began getting upset over the idea of taxation without representaion although, it lowered the cost of goods. -
Stamp Act
This act required important documents within the colonies to be printed on stamped paper imported from England. This significant because it led to a colonist boycott of British goods and transformed this debate into an actual movement. This act was repealed on March 18, 1766. -
Quartering Act
An act forcing American colonists to supply British troops with housing and care. This caused unrest within the colonies as well as the collection of more Bristish troops within the colonies, later leading to the Boston Massacre. -
Stamp Act Congress
This was the first meeting of the colonies. Representatives were able to discuss problems that they shared throughout the colonies. It also provided a meeting to reach an understanding on the different views the colonies had on the British. -
Declaratory Act
This act stated that Parliament's sovereignty "in all cases whatsoever". The colonists obviously did not respect this assumption and continued to battle aganist the country. -
Tea Act
In the Tea Act, Parliament gives the East India Company right to sell tea directly to the colonies without any middlemen in the process, hoping to increase the profits of the company. Also, some duties on tea were reduced, overall lowering the price of tea for colonists. This act upset many colonists who were integrated in the process of smuggling Dutch tea into the Americas, leading to the Boston Tea Party. -
Parliamentary Supremacy
Parlimentary Supremacy was the reaffrimation of parliaments soverignty. This showed colonists that Britain would not waver in their decisions and this upset the colonists. -
Townshed Revenue Act
These acts lead to taxes on glass, lead, paper, paints, and tea and also made customs more strict in America. These tases were repealed, except for the tax on tea, in 1770. These were significant beause it made more colonial unrest and more boycotting of goods. -
Boston Massacre
Young boys throwing rocks and snowballs at British troops led to a mob in the middle of the streets of Boston. This caused the troops to fire their weapons resulting in the death of five Americans. This event was labeled and exaggerated into a "massacre" but colonists in order to convince other colonists to revolt aganist the British. -
Boston Tea Party
A group of American colonists dressed as Mohawk Indians snuck onto English ships in the Boston Harbor. Once aboard they threw a large amount of tea overboard into the waters below. This was one of the most direct and outright representations of American unrest aganist the British. -
Coercive Acts
These acts did several things in the colonies. Such as, they closed Boston's port, restricted town meetings,and required British troops to quater in Boston. Also, they required troops to be tried for crimes England or Canada. These acts led to the meeting of the First Contenintal Congress. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a gathering ofrepresentatives from 12 of the 13 colonies to discuss the current condition and opinion of the colonies with England. This meeting began momentum toward declaring independence. -
Lexington
The British troops planned to seize rebel supplies however, Paul Revere warned the colonists of the Britishs arrival. This was the first "battle" of the American revolution. -
Concord
This battle was fought quickly after the battle of Lexington by farmers using guerilla tactics. There was no fight planned, but in a moment of confusion a shot was fired and the battle commenced. This set the tone for the use of guerilla tactics and minutemen in the war. -
Shot Heard 'round the World
A shot was fired off, probably by a colonist, before fighting formally began at Concord out of confusion. This then started the actual fighting within the American Revolution. -
Second Continental Congress
This congress was used to figure out how to control the colonial army. George Washington was appointed commander and more supplies for the army were purchased. This was significant because it worked on the management of the current war and created the Declaration of Independence. -
Olive Branch Petition
This was America's final attempt to peacfully settle things with England. The colonists pledged their loyalty to the crown and requested representation in parliment. The king however, ignored their requests. This resulted in anger from the colonists fueling the war ahead. -
Prohibitory Act
This act was a British attempt to make colonists submit to the crown's power. It put an embargo on American goods and seized American ships. -
Common Sense
An essay wrote by Thomas Paine giving reasons colonists should support the revolt aganist England. This essay helped spread rebellion throughout the colonies. -
Trenton
George Washinton's troops crossed the Delaware on a cold winter night in order to surprise attack Hessian mercenaries. This battle was significant becaus it gave the American army hope after making positive progess in the war. -
Germantown/Valley Forge
Germantown was an American attempt to counterattack the British but ended in defeat. After this loss the army decided to settle into Valley Forge for the winter where, disease killed or weakened most of the troops. This left the army low on men and supplies once winter was over. -
Second Battle of Saratoga
This battle was an American victory which clearly presented their strength and potential for winning the war. In doing so, this battle convinced the French army to ally with the Americans which created a major turning point within the war. -
King's Mountain
This battle was fought in the backwoods of the colonies and was one of the bloodiest battles fought during the revolution. This battle mainly used guerilla tactics, leaving the colonists with the upperhand on the English. -
Yorktown
At the end of this battle, Cornwallis finally surrendered to the Americans. This ended the fighting within the American Revolution however, a treaty was not signed until two years later.
