-
Establishment of Jamestown
A group of Englishmen, led most famously by John Smith, established Jamestown in modern-day Virginia in hopes of finding gold and other riches. Not long after being there, however, they discovered the difficulty of working to survive and Jamestown and its settlers soon fell to diseases, Natives and lack of work ethic. -
Henry Hudson Discovers the Hudson River
English sailor Henry Hudson, along with his crew, sailed up the river that would come to be named after him around what is now Canada. He ended up in Albany, NY and is credited today for discovering the island of Manhattan. -
Santa Fe is Established
Santa Fe was established as the first permanent European settlement in the Southwest United States. Because of its isolated location, not many wanted to settle here. -
Pocahontas Marries John Rolfe of Jamestown
Pocahontas, the daughter of a Powhatan tribe leader, married John Rolfe, one of the original settlers of Jamestown. Pocahontas had been converted to Christianity by the English settlers just a year before, baptized and then was married by another member of the Jamestown colony. -
The First Tobacco Crop is Planted in Virginia
John Rolfe planted the first tobacco crop in Jamestown in 1616 which would prove to be the single thing that turned Jamestown around and brought the settlers real wealth for the first time. This was a major turning point for those who had lost all hope in the original vision of what the colony could mean for them. -
Slavery is Introduced in the New World
A Dutch ship arrived in Virginia and sold 20 Africans into slavery, creating the practice for the first time in the New World, even though it had already been established in other countries -
The House of Burgesses is established in Jamestown
The House of Burgesses, established by the Virginia Company, was a group made up of white landowners who first met in Jamestown. This assembly would prove to be beneficial to the future planning and government structure of the colony. -
Netherlands Charter Dutch West India Company
The Netherlands chartered what they called the Dutch West India Company using Manhattan as their main starting place. As a result of this, they were able to establish colonies in Africa, North America and other places as well. -
Settlers Arrive in Maryland
English settlers left England in 1633 because of the opportunity they saw in Maryland. It soon became a tobacco colony, further contributing to its popularity as its settlers experienced almost no issues unlike the settlers of Virginia only decades before. -
King Phillip's War
King Philip's War took place between Native tribes and New England settlers, diminishing the power of Native Americans in New England where they had inhabited and been in power for so long before as they ruled over themselves. This was only the beginning of the colonist takeover of Native tribes all across the United States.