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Jan 1, 1492
Columbus
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Dec 31, 1492
Columbian Excahnge
Shortly after Columbus first arrived in the Americas, trade routes with Europe, Africa, and Asia were established. Europeans introduce many new plants and animals to the New World. But they also brought diseases with them; Indians, exposes to the disease for the first time, had not developed immunity to diseases (such as malaria, typhus, smallpox, influenza, measles, and the whooping cough) and started to die of, thousands at a time. But the Columbian Exchange also brought things to Europe: pota -
Jan 1, 1555
Tobacco is introduced to Europe
When Europeans first landed on the shores of the Americas, they found things they had only dreamt of: land, as far as the eye could see, natural resources, waiting for their taking, and an opportunity to expand their empires. One of the things that they discovered was tobacco, which is native to the New World. After being brought to Europe around the 1500s, it soon became known as a cash crop. Due to the depression in England, many people came to the colonies in search of a job, especially farm -
Jamestown
In 1606, a charter was granted to the Virginia Company of London by King James I; the charter guaranteed settles the same rights as those of Englishmen. Three Ships, loaded with around a hundred colonists, made port on May 24, 1607 at the location soon to be named Jamestown. Though Jamestown started out under unfortunate circumstances, it eventually grew to become the first permanent settlement and was the first major step in the settling of the North America. -
House of Burgesses
On July 30th, 1619, the first meeting of the House of Burgesses was held in Jamestown, Virginia. Authorized by the London Company, the meeting was part of a plan to make circumstances more agreeable for settlers, in order to promote migration from Europe to the colonies. The conference was the first time that elected representatives gathered to establish a self-government. -
The Great Awakening
Between the 1730s and the 1740s, ministers throughout the colonies were worried that their congregations were growing away from God, which was often caused by the distance between churches and homes. The Great Awakening also put greater importance on an individual’s spiritual experience, instead of the churches’ doctrines. In order to encourage religious enthusiasm, Puritans for example, introduced the Half-Way Covenant (people were allowed to be baptized, but they were still not allowed to part -
Proclaimation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1673 was a document issued by the British government that prohibited the settling of all areas beyond the Appalachian Mountains. Despite the colonist beliefs, the document was meant, not to oppress settlers, but to give the Indians more freedom, in effort to prevent further Indian conflict. This Proclamation greatly upset colonist, who started to settle the land anyways; this led to tension between colonists and Great Britain. -
The Stamp Act
In 1765, the English Prime Minister, George Grenville, mandated that taxes are to be paid on the use of stamped paper or the affixing of stamps; the revenue was meant to support new military forces. Because stamps were required on certain types of commercial and legal documents, colonists had to pay taxes for things such as: playing cards, pamphlets, newspapers, diplomas, bills of landing, and marriage licenses. Because of the fact that the decision to pass the act was made without considering t -
Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773, roughly a hundred Bostonians disguised themselves as Indians, boarded several ships which contained around 342 boxes of tea, destroyed the chests and dumped their contents into the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the fact that almost every colonist, whether rich or poor, consumed tea, this act of defiance was considered the perfect symbol to rally support to fight against the British Tea Tax. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
On April 18, 1775, British General Thomas Gage sent 700 soldiers to Concord in order to confiscate and destroy the secret stash of guns and ammunition keep there by colonists. Troops were also ordered to arrest Samuel Adam and John Hancock, which were the two main leaders of the patriot movement. After reaching Concord and finding no fire arms, British were forced to retreat due to the colonists heavy retaliation. This battle is often referred to as “the shot that was heard around the world’ be -
Declaration of Independence
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by 56 representative of the people. This legal document declared that the 13 American Colonies were no longer part of the British Empire. Even today, the nation’s independence is celebrated throughout America and counts as one of the most important days of the country’s history. -
Constitution
