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Oct 12, 1492
Columbus arrives in the New World
Christopher Colubus, an Italian explorer sailing for Spain, and his crew of around 89 men and 3 ships accidentally discovers the New World and mistakes it for India. He calls the Native Americans "Indians", and the name stuck. This is significant because it begins Europes exploration of the Americas. -
Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus cont.
If Christopher Columbus would not have ventured out looking for a sea route to the West Indies, the "discovery" of America would have been very different. A different explorer for possibly even a different country very well may have been the person to take Columbus' fame. This could of led to different relationships with the Natives, different crops and animals being brought over to the Americas, and a differnt history altogether. -
Dec 31, 1533
King Henry VIII breaks from the Catholic Church
When King Henry VIII declares himself as head of the Church of England, although it was for political and not religious reasons, this influenced the Protestant Reformation. This is important in shaping America because the fundamental qualities of early English America was based off of puritans beliefs which developed from the Protestant Reformation. -
Dec 31, 1533
Protestant Reformation cont.
When the Puritans and Seperatists traveled to the English colonies, they brought their beliefs, customs, and people who shared the same religion as them to create a new nation based off of their religion. This led to the colonist's gaining a feeling of self-government. -
Virginia Company of London was given a royal charter
This document was important because it guaranteed the overseas settlers that they would have the same rights as the Englishmen back in Europe, which eventually was extended to other English colonies. This is significant to the development of America because it gave reassurance to the settlers which made more of them willing to make the move to the New World. This led to other joint-stock companies wanting charters to establish colonies in America in order to make money. -
Jamestown is established
Jamestown, Virgina was the first permanent English settlement in the New World. This began the colonizing of America for the British and led to more explorations, settlements, and colonies which eventually led to the establishment of the 13 Colonies. -
John Rolfe perfects methods of raising tobacco
John Rolfe because the father of the tobacco industry. His methods eliminated the bitter tang and replaced it with a sweet taste. Tobacco became Virginia's "gold" and economic savior. This is important because tobacco became an important cash crop in all of the English Colonies and agriculture began to revolve around these newfound cash crops. This made more people want to move to America to make money off of growing tobacco and hopefully have a better life. -
First Anglo-Powhatan War
Ended with the first known interracial union in Virginia of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. This was was important because it shows evidence of the colonist-Native rivalry that ended with the extinction of the Powhatan people. It shows the development of America because it was part of the begining of the settlers mistreating the Natives and resorting to violence when the Natives fought back, which became a pattern throughtout early America. -
Chesapeake planters brought 100,000 indentured servants to the region
More than 3/4 of all European immigrants to Virginia and Maryland were indentured servants. This helped the development of America because when the indentured servants were free from servitude, the farmers and land-owners still needed people to provide them with cheap labor. This is when they set their eyes on the slaves from Africa, sparking the slave trade in America and eventually leading to countless years of racial discrimination and social injustice. -
Britain wins the French and Indian War
Also known as the Seven Years War, it ended with the signed treaties of Paris and Hubertusburg. Britain recieved Florida from Spain and upper Canada from France. This is important because it strengthened Britain's colonial dominance in the New World by eleminating their rivals to the North and the South of the 13 colonies. -
French-Indian War cont.
This established our country's foundations from England but it also forced England to place more taxes on colonists in order to pay the war debt. The excessive taxing ended the period of Salutary Neglect, meaning England stopped the colonies' sense of self-governant by enforcing the laws created by the King back in the mothercountry. By cracking down on the colonies, this built up the colonist's want for revolution and change. -
Declaration of Independence signed
The importance of the Declaration of Independence is that it established our seperation from England and describes the fundamental aspects of the ideal American government based on the natural rights from the Enlightenment thinkers. It was also important because it succeded in gaining foreign aid and support for the American Revolution, such as the French, which was a big advantage for the Americans in the war. -
Articles of Confederation
Serving as the country's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation was first drafted by the Continental Congress in 1776. This was important because it provided legitimacy for the Continental Congress to direct the American Revolutionary War. This helped development because since the Articles were flawed, political leaders learned from the mistakes in this document and fixed them in Constitution of 1787.