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Roanoke disappears
Roanoke Colony
John White decided to set up a new colony , but soon after they set up camp, White had to go back to England to get more supplies. When they got to England, they found England at war with Spain. When they finally returned to America, the colonists were gone and the only evidence they could find was the word "Croatoan" carved in a tree. They had to leave early because a hurricane came, and after that they couldn't finance any more trips. -
Jamestown is established
Jamestown
Jamestown was the first permanent English colony in America. Jamestown's biggest problem was the common-store system. People were getting their fair share of food, but not putting their fair share in. America's first try with a form of socialism failed badly. -
John Smith saves Jamestown
Jamestown was on the brink of destruction because of the failure of the common store system. John Smith came in and established the rule "Thou who shall not work, shall not eat," which is a concept based on the Bible verse 2 Thessalonians 3:10. This rule saved Jamestown because anyone who was lazy or didn't want to work had to work if he wanted to eat. -
House of Burgesses is established
House of Burgesses
This was an important precedent for the representative government in early America. The people in each district of Virginia were supposed to send delegates, or burgesses, to represent them at the House of Burgesses. -
Pilgrims leave for America
The Pilgrims wanted to leave England and go to America for religious and political freedom. They left Plymouth, England to settle in Jamestown. On their way there, they were blown off course by a storm and landed north of the charted territory. Even though they faced terrible dangers, like seasickness, they only experienced 1 death and a baby named Oceanus was born. -
Pilgrims sign Mayflower Compact
Having landed north of the charted territory, the Pilgrims decided to set up their own government. That is when they wrote the Mayflower Compact. This helped lead the way to the representative government. -
Pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock
Plymouth Rock
When the Pilgrims finally stepped ashore, tradition says they used Plymouth Rock as a stepping stone. It has become one of the most heavily visited natonal sites. Nearly one million people come to see it each year. -
Pilgrims make Plymouth Colony
The Pilgrims decided to make their own colony named Plymouth, after Plymouth, England from where they sailed. Their first winter was very hard. Food and shelter were hard to come by. They were also plagued by sickness. When the Mayflower was returning home, none of the settlers were going home. They were determined to make a home in America. -
William Bradford elected governor
William Bradford was the second governor of the Pilgrims. He was known for his wisdom, patience, and kindness. He held his position as governor for over thirty years. He wrote History of Plymouth Plantation, which is also considered the first American history book. -
The First Thanksgiving
First Thanksgiving
The Pilgrims were thankful to the Indians for helping them learn how to farm efficiently on their rocky soil. They were so grateful that they decided to hold a big three-day feast. They decided to invite the Indians to their feast to show their gratitude. This became known as the First Thanksgiving.
