-
Oct 12, 1492
Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue
Every European countries wanted wealth in Asia. Christopher Columbus wanted to find a different trade route to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic. So, he and his ships left Spain on August 3, 1942. On October 12, Columbus found a land, and was convinced that he had reached the East Indies. However, he had, in fact, reached the island in the Bahamas in the Carribean Sea. Columbus's discovery of this new land has changed the world forever. -
Jan 1, 1511
First Enslaved Africans Arrive in the Americas
Europeans had numerous sugar plantations and tobacco farms, and that required a lot of workers. Europeans first planned on using Native Americans as workers, but they died from disease, warfare, and harsh treatments. As a result, Europeans living in Brazil, Carribean, and the southern colonies of North America used Africans as a source of cheap labor. Also Africans were good because they were immune to many of the Europeans diseases and they were easily noticable because of their skin color. -
Oct 8, 1521
Cortes Conqueres Aztec Empire
Cortes landed on Mexico for gold. Cortes soon learned of the Aztecs in Mexico and their wealth. Cortes and his men reached Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire. Montezuma, the Aztec emperor, treated Cortes as a God and agreed to give Cortes gold. However, Cortes kept asking for more gold. In 1520, the Aztecs rebelled against the Spanish and drove Cortes and his army back. However, Cortes attacked again and conquered the Aztecs in 1521 because of their superior weapnons, and diseases. -
Jan 1, 1533
Pizarro Conquers Incan Empire
Pizarro met Atahualpa, the Incan ruler. Pizarro and his 200 men waited in an ambush and attacked, kidnapping Atahualpa. Atahualpa promised Pizarro two rooms filled with gold and silver in return for saving his life. Pizarro agreed to this, and got the two rooms filled with gold and silver. Despite his promise, Pizarro went and killed Atahualpa. Then, he went on to Cuzco, the Incan capital and conquered it without a battle in 1533. -
English found Jamestown
The Spanish and the French inspired the English to explore. In 1606, a company of London got an order from King James to explore and find a colony in North America. In four months of exploring, they landed on the coast of Virginia and named the land Jamestown in honor of King James. -
English Found Plymouth
A group called the Pilgrims, founded Plymouth. These people were persecuted in England because of their religion. So, they escaped from England to find a place where they could find religious freedom. -
French and Indian War Ends
The English wanted more land, so they pushed farther west and eventually into French territory. As a result, a conflict formed between the English and the French. This eventually led to a war between the British and the French. This is called the French and Indian War, part of the Seven Years' War. In 1763, the British colonists and the British army defeated France and claimed the eastern half of North America.
