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Period: to
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The 17th century was the age of colonization in Americas. This timeline marks the expansion of the colonies and the hardships the colonists faced. -
Smooth Sailing
The Treaty of London allowed safer trading and reduced the risk of Spanish attack on new colonies in America. -
Virginia Co,
London investors established the Virginia Co. and were granted a charter by King James to colonize and govern Virginia. -
Great Starving
The colonists had never planted their own crops and planned on taking the Indians' crops. The Indians were substinent farmers and had no extra food to give to the colonists. As a result, most of the English population died that winter. -
Headright system
The headright system was put in place to encourage people to settle in the New World. 50 acres of land was awarded to anyone that could pay their own way to America. -
Conversion
Virginians set out to gather Indians as a slave force, and then convert them to Christianity -
First Royal Colony
The Virginia Co. was dissolved and the English Crown made Virginia the first royal colony. -
Salvation in Sugar
Tobacco crops didn't bring in enough money to benefit the economy. Sugar became the new cash crop for Barbados. -
Planter Elite Governing
The confrontational governor of Virginia at the time was arrested and sent back to England. The crown then allowed the planter elite to rule which created a decentralization of power. -
Tobacco Boom
The 1640s and 1650s were very prosperous for planters because Tobacco became the cash crop -
New Killer
Many planters died in the 1640s because of an increased exposure of diseases spread to them by slaves arriving from Africa. -
Sir William Berkeley
The crown appointed Berkeley as governor of Virginia. His rule lasted 35 years. -
Mortality Rates
By 1648, mortality rates were up to only 1 in 9 immigrants dying within the first year of arriving. -
Population Boom
From the 1650s to the 1660s, the English took fertile land from Natives which resulted in a boom of prosperity. The soil colonists used was sandy and was difficult to grow crops in. The population also increased from 13,000 in 1650 to 41,000 in 1670. -
Fall of Tobacco
During the 1660s and 1670s, tobacco prices fell and land became scarce. It became harder to become prosperous from tobacco unless you were a large land owner. -
Imperial Regulations
During the 1660s, new regulations were put in place so that only English ships could transport tobacco to England. This change hurt competition for tobacco which affected the planters. -
Charles Town
200 colonists from Barbados settled at the mouth of the Ashley River and formed Charlestown (renamed Charleston in 1783). -
Bacon's Rebellion
Led by Nathaniel Bacon, a group of freedmen and servants rebelled against the government who they felt were not right and unqualified to rule. This led to an alliance between common and elite planters. Both classes of planters teamed up to assert their authority over new Black slaves. -
Slave Rights
Beginning in the late 1600s, black slave freedom became more limited. Blacks were treated as less than human beings and faced special punishment for attacking a white person. Additionally, their rights to be common planters were taken away. Freed blacks also faced higher taxes and fewer rights. -
North Carolina
The Lords Proprietor established "North Carolina" as its own government. North Carolina also had its own assembly and governor.