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Jamestown
First English settlement in the New World. Capt. John Smith is among the 103 settlers. -
Landing at Plymouth Rock
Pilgrims travel on the "Mayflower" to the New World searching for religious freedom. Plymouth Rock was identified as the first solid land the Pilgrims set foot on. -
Mayflower Compact
The Puritans establish the settlement in Plymouth. The adult male Puritans sign the Mayflower Compact, which established a government and legal structure. -
Massacre of 1622
The Indian Massacre of 1622 -- one third of the Jamestown colony, approximately three hundred settlers, were killed by the Pohwatans. -
Purchase of Manhattan
Peter Minuit purchased the island of Manhattan from the Man-a-hat-a Indians for 60 Dutch guilders, an equivalent of $24 USD. He became the Director-General of the Dutch colony of New Netherland until 1633. -
Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island, is established as a colony by Roger Williams. -
Harvard
Harvard College is founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts. -
Roger Williams
Roger Williams published "A Key into Language of Americas," describing the Native American languages. This is the first study of an Amerindian language in English. -
Jewish Settlement in the New World
Jewish settlement in the American colonies -- an arrival of 23 settlers from Brazil in New Amsterdam. -
New York
British troops sieze New Netherlands from the Dutch peacefully. The Duke of York, James II, is granted the city of New Amsterdam, which is renamed New York. -
Bacon's Rebllion
Nathaniel Bacon leads a rebellion of planters against Governor Berkeley in the Virginia colony. The rebellion caused the burning of Jamestown. -
Sieur de LaSalle
Robert Cavelier, Sieur de LaSalle, explores the lower Mississippi River Valley, Louisiana, after the region is claimed by France. -
William Penn
William Penn signs a treaty with the Delaware Indians and pays for land that become the colony of Pennsylvania. -
First Newspaper published
"Publick Occurrence, Both Foreign and Domestick, the first newspaper was printed by Richard Pierce and edited by Benjamin Harris. The first issue of the newspaper was also its last issue. -
Salem Witch Trials
From February 1692 until May 1693 the Salem Witch Trials resulted in the arrest of 150 people and the death of nineteen. -
French Settment in Mississippi
Fort Maurepas (Old Biloxi) was under the direction of Pierre Le Moyne d'Iverville. His teenage brother, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne Bienville, was made second in command. -
Deerfield Massachusetts
The town of Deerfield was attacked by Native Americans. Forty-nine were killed and one hundred were taken captive. -
First Regular newspaper
The Boston News-Letter was published in Boston, MA by John Campbell, the postmaster. -
Queen Anne's War - North American front in the War of Spanish Succession
The Treaty of Utrecht ended the War of Spanish Succession (along with Queen Anne's War), giving Nova Scotia to tthe British. -
Play Booth Theater
Play Booth Theater, the first theater in the colonies opened for business by William Levingston in Williamsburg, VA. -
City of New Orleans
French Governor of the Louisiana colony, Jean Baptiste le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville with the French Mississippi Company founded the City of New Orleans. -
Blackbeard
The English pirate, Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard, was killed off the coast of Ocracoke Island in North Carolina. -
French Quarter
French Royal engineer, Adrien de Pauger laid out the plans for the French Quarter in New Orleans. -
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin bought an interest in the Pennsylvania Gazetter, founded in 1728 by Samuel Keimer. -
Poor Richard's Almanack
Benjamin Franklin published twenty-six annual edtions of Poor Richard's Almanack. -
Freedom of the Press
Freedom of the Press became recognized in New York after the trial of John Peter Zenger. Due to the eloquence of Alexander Hamilton's arguments, Zenger was acquitted. -
Plymouth Rock
The Plymouth colony record keeper, Thomas Faunce, identified the exact rock that was the 1620 landing rock. -
Lightning Rod
Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod after proving that lightning was electricity by flying a kite in a thunderstorm. -
Fort Duquesne
Initial action of the French and Indian War began when French Forces occupied Fort Duquesne in Pittsburgh. -
1763 Treaty of Paris
French and Indian War (Seven Years War) ends with the Treaty of Paris that cedes Canada and the American midwest to Britain.
