1600-1700

  • Jamestown Founded

    The English started their journey to America. When they arrived they landed at what they called Virginia named after their "virgin queen", Elizabeth. They then named the town Jamestown after King James. The colony was established by John Smith. The picture shows a representation of the Natives watching the English arrive.
  • Starving Time

    The colony had a population of around 400 people. The winter of 1609 was very gruesome, and the worst one people had ever experienced. The colonist had no crops to eat and couldn't hunt, so they resorted to eating their horses, leather, dogs, and cats. After they ate through these goods, they eventually resulted to cannibalisms. After the Starving Time, only 60 settlers remained.
  • House of Burgesses Founded

    The House of Burgesses was founded in July of 1619 to establish a form of government within the colonies. It was the first representative assembly. It consisted of rich, white men in positions of power. Overtime, it became necessary for all colonies to have some form of a representative government.
  • Slave Arrival

    In 1619 a Dutch ship sailed 20 slaves to Jamestown. This marked the birth of slavery in North America.
  • Maryland Toleration Act

    Maryland Toleration Act of 1649 introduces religious tolerance. Maryland was mainly Catholic and Quakers at the time; however, England wanted colonies to be as populated as possible, so they allowed religious freedom. During this time, Quakers came out against slavery along with a Jewish group near Georgia.
  • Navigation Acts

    The Navigation Acts of 1651 stated that only British ships could bring goods to England. It also said that American colonies only sold their goods to England, which mainly consisted of tobacco and sugar. This is where the British would take the goods and sell them to other countries.
  • King Phillip's War

    For many years the Wampanoag tribe and the pilgrims held on to a very tight friendship. After about 40 years of friendship, the relationship disintegrated when King Philip(Metacom) became leader. He was very aggressive and led his tribe to attack an innocent village and completely wipe it out. The colonists formed an army and beheaded King Philip, displaying the head for 20 years. This event is significant because it was the first time colonists stood up for themselves without help from Britain.
  • Bacon's Rebellion

    Bacon's Rebellion was led by Nathaniel Bacon, a small farmer from the outskirts of Jamestown, Virginia. This rebellion formed a small militia of small farmers who wanted to gain recognition for their work within the colonies. This rebellion led to a bad reaction from Jamestown, so it was burnt down. Nathaniel Bacon ultimately died and the rebellion died out. The significance of this rebellion was an increase in slavery due to the rebuilding of Jamestown and larger plantations being bought.
  • Bill of Rights

    The Bill of Rights of 1689 limited the power of the monarchy and established parliamentary roles. The bill was in the English parliament but affected the colonies by stating that there could be no taxation without representation.
  • Salem Witch Trials

    The Salem Witch Trials took place in Massachusetts. At a time when witchcraft was on the rise, many people were quick to point the finger at slaves. During the trials over 200 were accused, and around 25 were killed. The accusers were never prosecuted.