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Jan 1, 1000
Native American Culture
Before Europeans came over to the Americas to colonize them, the Native Americans already had a diverse culture and expanzive knowledge. The Native Americans weren't "savages", and therfore by being colonized, much of their culture was destroyed. The fact that the Native Americans were so smart made it even easier for the Colonists to colonize, and therfore more and more came over. This still has had an impact on todays culture because there aren't very many Native Americans left. -
Jan 1, 1497
John Cabot's Voyage
In 1497, John Cabot tried to spark the interest of investors so they would fund a sea voyage for him, but he couldn't spark their interest. Although he ultimatly failed, gradually the investors became more interestted and later on funded voyages for other colonists. John Cabot essentially lit the spark for others to follow, which lead to today America being colonized. -
Jan 1, 1500
Other European Nations
Beofre England started to colonize North America, several other nations including Spain, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden had already begun to colonize. This is important because it ultimatly made it easier for England to colonize all of America. The fact that so many European nations all colonized America also made it much more dificult for the Native Americans to survive. -
Sea Dogs
Under the rule of Queen Elizabeth I, several teams of sailers were sent out to fight off Spain so that England could gain the upper hand in colonizing the New World. Specifically, in 1588, England managed to destroy over half of one of Spains greatest fleets. This helped England gain control of colonizing the new world and create the 13 colonies. -
Thirteen Colonies Founding
The Thirteen Colonies were officially founded. This is important because it made it so American colonists needed to follow British law. This would have upset some settlers because there would now be official laws that they would have to follow. In the future, this would cause them to rebell. -
The Starving Time
During the first year of the Jamestown settlement, the vast majority of the original settlers had died from starvation and malaria. They had spent so much of their time looking for gold that they didn't have time to farm. Later on, rules were implemented forcing them to farm, but the Starving time slowed down the expansion of the coloonies. -
The Headright System
The Headright System gave people who went to Virginia 50 acres of land. This was important because it encouraged people to go to the Thirteen Colonies. It impacted the colonies by making them grow faster, which in the future would help them beat Brittan. -
The Thirteen Colonies
The 13 Colonies were formed for a different reason than the Jamestown colony (money), they were formed for religious freedom. The idea of freedom of beliefe caused many Europeans from all over move to the colonies. This helped secure freedom of religion to this day. -
The Southern Colonies
Unlike in the North where colonists wanted religious freedom, colonists in the south wanted financial security. THis led to more and more slaves as the cash crop industry grew. This led to more colonists, and today has led to continued racism. -
Tobacco Money
After the Starving TIme, the only crop that was really making money was tobacco. Colonists started growing more of it, and started to finally make a living. This caused more colonists to settle in the Colonies, and today has caused smoking to still be popular. -
New Netherlands
In 1626 the dutch founded New Netherlands (now New York) and truly started the growth of the New World. This eventually led to England's exploration and the 13 Colonies. Becuase of the Dutch, America now exists. -
The Southern Lifestyle
In the south, there were the super rich, and the poor. Becuse plantations were so far apart, no cities really formed and therefore the middle class dropped out. This made it so there was a huge slave population compared to that of the whites. This caused for a lack of education, and today has made life harder in the south. -
Indentured Servants
Settlers would pay to bring Europeans over to the Colonies if they would work for them for a few years for free. The Crown would also give those who brought over new settlers 50 acres for every new person they brought over. This caused many more settlers to come over to inhabit the new world. Today this has led to the East coast having a huge population. -
The Middle Colonies
In the middle part of the colonies (New Yourk, New Jersey, etc.) many great minds and cultures all started combining. This made it so that Europeans of different decent other than just English started to colonize the Colonies. This added much more diversity, and helped to form modern-American culture. -
The Beginning of a Revolution
Aside from freedom of religion and financial security, many colonizers liked the Colonies because of the distance it gave them from their King. They enjoyed making rules of there own, and soon town meeting became common. Gradually the colonizers wanted to rebel and form their old goernment. This led to the American Revolution and created what is today known as the United States of America. -
African Americans
Because of the huge slave trade, tons of Africans were brought over to the Colonies against there will. This helped to expand the size of the colonies, and made life in the Colonis more intriquing for many Europeans. This caused racism to become a reality then and now. -
The Great Culture
For the first time in history Europeans, African Americans, and Native Americans were all living together. Although in many cases the later two were mistreated, a great culture started to form from combinations of all the three different ways of life. Gradually this united the different people and led to Americas Culture today. -
The Great Awakening
Soon many Europeans wanted to rebel as they enjoyed the freedom they found in the Colonies much nicer than the harsh rules they had to follow in Europe. Additionally, there were many Europeans in the Colonies who weren't even Brittish and therefore had even less respect for the Crown. Finally it became evident that a rebellion was underway. This led to fighting and made America what it is today. -
Over the Edge
WIth new taxs and no political power in parlament, many colonists started to band together and decided to put their differences aside inorder to fight for their freedom. Even though the Thirteen Colonies were very different from eachother, they united as one. This led to the revolution and todays united union. -
The French and Indian War
After the French and Indian War, the Crown raised the taxs on the Colonies which upset many colonists. Meanwhile, during the war many colonists had gained fighting experience and were therefore ready for battle. It wouldn't be long until they snapped and the American Revolutionary War would begin. This event was essential in creating todays America. -
The First Shots Fired
At first the Revolutionary War seemed like it would be an easy win for England figuring the the Colonies didn't have a designated army, but after several colonial wins, France saw the Colonies as being free and therfore decided to aid them. This lead to the colonists winning the Revolutionary War and lead to the patriotic thinking of todays Americans. -
The Declaration of Independence
The signing of the Declaration of Independence was an important event because it finally drove the message home to England that the colonists wanted to be free. This led to England eventually leaving the Colonies, and the Colonies gradually becoming the United States of America. -
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first type of government that the newly free Colonies implamented. It united all the Colonies as one, but it made it so each individual state government had too much power. It didn't work well, and therfore the Constitution was written, which is still in use today. -
The Drafting of the Constitution
The Constitution was drafted as a new form of government which would make the national government stronger than each individual state government, therfore better uniting the new States. After several drafts, the constitution was finally ready to present. This is still Americas single most important ppice of legisature, -
The Constitution
The Constitution was finally signed to form the United States of America.
