Settlement Activity Part 2

By Madcanno
  • 1492

    Discovery of America

    Christopher Columbus discovered North America during his expedition to find an alternate path to Asia.
  • 1497

    Vasco de Gama

    Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese explorer, was the first European to successfully sail the route from Western Europe to India and open a new route for Europeans to travel to the East.
  • 1513

    Florida

    The French explorer Juan Ponce de Léon explored and named Florida during his search for the fountain of youth.
  • 1513

    Isthmus of Panama

    Vasco Nùñez de Balboa was a Spanish explorer who traveled to the isthmus between North and South America. After crossing the Isthmus, Balboa and his group became the first known Europeans to have witnessed the Pacific ocean.
  • 1519

    First Circumnavigation

    The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew completed a navigation around the globe. Though Magellan died before the voyage was over, his crew completed the entirety of the voyage in three years and became the first Europeans to ever have sailed around the entire globe.
  • 1521

    Aztec Empire's Fall

    The Spanish Conquistador, Hernán Cortés, led his soldiers and, with the aid of other Native American tribes, destroyed Tenochtitlán and led to the downfall of the Aztec Empire. This allowed for the Spanish to conquer a large amount of land.
  • 1533

    Inca Empire Falls

    Upon the execution of the last Inca Emporer, Atahuallpa, by conquistador Francisco Pizarro, the Inca Empire collapsed. The conquest of the Inca Empire gave Spain control over the area of modern-day Peru.
  • Period: 1534 to 1542

    New France Established

    Jacques Cartier, a French explorer, made multiple voyages to North America. His explorations covered modern-day Canada, the northern part of the United States, and he traveled along the St. Lawrence River up to modern-day Montreal. While Cartier did not create a permanent French colony, the French king was able to claim the land Cartier explored as French territory, which would later be known as New France.
  • 1565

    St. Augustine

    The Spanish established the first Spanish colony of the New World, located in northeastern Florida. The Spanish settlers then proceeded to kill the inhabitants of the nearby French colony, Fort Caroline. Later, St. Augustine would serve as a defensive base for fleets.

  • Jamestown

    The English Virginia Company created the Jamestown Settlement on the east coast of Virginia. It almost failed at first, but made it through the troubled times and became the first permanent English colony.

  • Quebec

    Samuel de Champlain created the first permanent and successful French colony in North America. The settlement was located above the St. Lawrence River and became known as Quebec.

  • Pilgrims

    The Pilgrims sailed from England to land at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, in an attempt to escape religious persecution
  • Period: to

    New England Colonies

    The English settled a portion of land in the Northern United States. This consisted of Massachusetts in 1620, New Hampshire in 1623, Connecticut in 1634, and Rhode Island in 1636.
  • Period: to

    The Middle Colonies

    The English settled in an area known as the middle colonies, consisting of New York, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Delaware began in 1638, New Jersey in 1630, and Pennsylvania in 1644.
  • Period: to

    The Southern Colonies

    The Southern colonies, consisting of Virginia, Maryland, the Carolinas, and Georgia, all fell under the dominion of England. Maryland was founded by the English Lord George Calvert, though he died before he could see the first colony in 1634. The Carolinas were claimed by the English in 1663 and later divided in two in 1712. The Georgia colonies began in 1732 and were managed by trustees.

  • New York

    The Dutch had claimed territory in North America known as New Netherlands, with an important settlement known as New Amsterdam. New Amsterdam served as a port for individuals of varying nationalities could complete business transactions. However, the English king Charles II eventually claimed the territory rightfully belonged to his brother, the Duke of York. England launched an attack on the defenseless New Netherlands, which easily fell and became English territory.