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Roanoke
Roanoke was the first European established settlement in the New World. This colony struggled with limited supplies and disease that infected a good amount of the people. But when John White returned to England after a three year delay during the war with Spain, he found the settlement abandoned and not a sign of life left. The only clue left was the word croatoan carved on a tree.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/roanoke-colony-deserted -
Jamestown
On May 14, 1607 100 members of a joint stock company named the Virginia Company established what was the first permanent British settlement in the New World. The colony in which the establishment was in was what is now the state of Virginia. The group of 100 men founded Jamestown in pursuit of discovering new gold and silver possibilities in the New World.
https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/jamestown -
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first elective governing body in a British overseas possession. This elective body was established in colonial Virginia as one one of the divisions of legislature established by George Yeardley. This established a newly inspired form of government coasting away from monarch or diplomatic rule during that time.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/House-of-Burgesses -
Great Migration
The Puritans left England from religious persecution. They sailed for the Americas with the dream of starting their own colony with religious freedoms and no longer have to follow the rule of English monarch.
http://historyofmassachusetts.org/the-great-puritan-migration/ -
Massachusetts Bay Colony
A larger group of Puritans left England establishing multiple new colonies including the Massachusetts Bay Colony. This was aimed to establish a model reform of Protestantism. John Winthrop claimed that this would be "as a city upon a hill". They hoped to be a civil-governed group of people.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/colonial-america/colonial-north-america/a/puritan-new-england-massachusetts-bay -
Mayflower/Plymouth/Mayflower Compact
A group of pilgrims ventured over to the new world to establish a new colony in Plymouth. This was a treacherous journey which brought many different categories of hardship upon the passengers. The Mayflower Compact established a civil society when all of the male pilgrims signed this "constitution" if you will.
https://www.plimoth.org/learn/just-kids/homework-help/mayflower-and-mayflower-compact -
New York
The Duke of York, Peter Minuit, and also other colonists founded this colony in 1626. New York was one of the 13 original colonies founded that eventually joined in the rebellion from England. It also was a middle colony in America.
https://www.landofthebrave.info/new-york-colony.htm -
Maryland
This colony of Maryland was originally a proprietary colony under the rule of English Lord Baltimore. This colony was created to be a safe haven for Catholics in England due to the raging war of religions happening in England. Maryland's center of their economy revolved around the cultivating and selling of tobacco to England.
http://thehistoryjunkie.com/maryland-colony-facts/ -
Connecticut
Thomas Hooker founded the colony of Connecticut in 1636 due to the very fertile land along the Connecticut River. The Dutch gave Hooker permission to found a new colony with his church congregation. The word Connecticut means "river whose water is driven by tides or winds", which was a Native American phrase used to name the colony. In 1639, the leaders of the colony met to devise the "Fundamental Orders of Connecticut".
https://www.landofthebrave.info/connecticut-colony.htm
www.reference.com -
Maryland Toleration Act
This Act, established by the Calvert family on April 21, 1649, created the law forcing all people to tolerate all Christians in Maryland and other colonies. Also, this law stated that anyone who denied Jesus Christ would be put to death. This is believed to have influenced the religious freedom rights later established in the United States of America.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland_Toleration_Act -
Carolina
A group of 8 men were granted a charter by Charles II as a gift for their continual support and loyalty to him as he regained control of the throne. These 8 men were considered proprietors. Carolina had many characteristics of southern colonies at that time, including the importance of tobacco to their economy. The climate in this area was able to grow and cultivate tobacco to sell across the globe and even at home.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carolinas -
Bacon's Rebellion
Nathaniel Bacon Jr. was the cousin of the leader of Virginia, Governor Sir William Berkeley, who was sent to Virginia by his father to mature into a well respected man. He deliberately disobeyed the commands of Berkeley and did what he thought was right. the people of Jamestown picked between the side of Bacon or Berkeley, which eventually caused this massive rebellion to take place.
https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/bacons-rebellion.htm -
Pennsylvania
On April 4, 1681, William Penn founded the colony of Pennsylvania. This are of land originally held other soon-to-be colonies. This colony was established as a refugee for persecuted Quakers throughout colonial America. The Quakers were severely persecuted throughout colonial America. These people migrated to this area and began constructing their safe haven from persecution.
https://www.landofthebrave.info/pennsylvania-colony.htm
https://www.usahistory.info/colonies/Pennsylvania.html -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials was a series of events caused by the mass hysteria that people were possessed by evil spirits or witches. These hearings happened in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and other colonies in America. where 19 people were killed and even one man was pressed to death by large boulders being placed on his torso because he did not plead to the charges brought against him. This series of events showed the true instability in America.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials -
Great Awakening/Enlightenment
The Great Awakening was a time period in which secular rationalism was being pushed through the colonies and sparked a religious revival. Pastors and church leaders traveled around from settlement to settlement spreading the gospel and religious preachings. This caused a new dedication from the people to religion. There were many factors that contributed to the evolvement of The Great Awakening, such as the Enlightenment period.
https://www.history.com/topics/british-history/great-awakening -
French-Indian War
This war between France and England included many smaller wars that instigated the fire of emotions from each country. This war started over the disagreement about the river valley region of Ohio and whether or not it belonged to the British. The overall reason of this war was to see which major power had the dominance and control over that area.
https://www.britannica.com/event/French-and-Indian-War -
Albany Plan
This plan included the hope of grouping the British North American colonies under a more centralized government. 7 different colonies sent representatives to this meeting in order to come upon an agreement. Despite this plan of action never being carried out, the Albany Plan of Union was the first attempt to govern the colonies as a whole instead of separate governing bodies.
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/albany-plan -
Proclamation of 1763
The British issued this proclamation in order to please the Indians due to the encroachment of settlers into their land. This decree stopped the expansion of settlement westward in America and tightened their grip on their colonies. Now only licensed or certified traders were allowed westward to trade or negotiate. This decree was declared to protect the relationship with the Native Americans and help them
https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/1763-proclamation-of -
Salutary Neglect
This plan was put tin action by the British parliament to loosen the restrains of strict regulations and certain trade laws on the colonies late into the seventeenth century. This act now caused the economies of the colonies to accelerate very quickly due to the ability to now trade with non-British entities. Overall, this allowed the colonies to now function independently without the British intervening in everything that happened.
https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Salutary_Neglect -
Rhode Island
In 1636, Roger Williams founded a new colony and named it Rhode Island after he purchased the plot of land from the Narrangesett Indians. He founded this colony because he was banished from the Massachusetts colony because of his radical views. Rhode Island entailed Williams belief of the separation between church and state of which Massachusetts did not believe in. It was a front runner in the movement of the Industrial Revolution.
https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/rhode-island
