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Jan 1, 1438
Johannes Gutenberg
Gutenburg was an inventor born in 1395 in Mainz, Germany. He is credited with a movable type printing press. Before people that wanted to copy a document would have to spend an extensive amount of time hand writting it, which was prone to error. He made it easy to manufactuer more than one document in an majorly decreased amount of time. This kind of idea had been used before in China but not manufacturing quickly and efficently. Gutenburg's machine made it so people could have their own copies. -
Jan 1, 1492
Christopher Columbus
Born in 1451 Genoa, Italy, Colomubs participated in several voyages as a teenager and decided to go on one of his own in 1492. Perhaps his most remembered he sailed from Spain in 3 ships and landed in the Americas. They traded with some of the nativies, noticing they wore gold for decoration. Colombus thought he would be doing a good thing by governing the natives, having them produce things for Spain, and trying to educate them on Christianity, but in the end he did more harm than good -
Jun 7, 1494
Treaty of Torsedillas
The Treaty of Torsedillas was the agreement between Spain and Portugal to settle the conflict over the lands explored by Coloumbus and other explorers in the 15th century. -
Jan 1, 1497
John Cabot
Cabot was born in Genoa, Italy around 1450. He moved with this familiy to Bristol, England. In 1497 he made a voyage to Asia supported by King Henry VII. Cabot ended up in the Newfounland area, he believed he had found a more northern route to Asia than Colombus's. When he went to sail home to England bringing 3 Inuit men, who were transformed into Englishmen. After his success he was rewarded by the king and granted permission to make a 2nd voyage. On his way there his ships were lost at sea. -
Jan 1, 1500
Encomienda System
The Encomienda System was first used in feudal Spain and reintroduced when Columbus began handing out encomiendas in the New World. People like spanish conquistadors, settlers, priest, and colonial officials were given repartimiento (grant of land). The lands included the natives cities, towns, and communites of families. The natives were put to work producing gold, silver, crops, and animals to turn in as their tribute and to meet their quota set by the encomienda owner. -
Jan 1, 1500
Slave Trade
After people settled in the New world they needed people do work and do the undesirable jobs so they took to Africa for the soultion. In Africa they captured the people and shipped them back to the New World. The voyage on the ship was unpleasant and wasn't sanitiary. From the 16th-19th century the African people were forced to work in fields harvesting cash crops, on plantations, in mines, in the construction industry, timber and shipping, or as servents in their master's home. -
Jan 1, 1508
Sebastian Cabbot
Son of John, Sebastian worked as a cartographer for King Henry VIII. He explored for England and Spain. In 1508 he sailed for Britain scouting a Northwest passage. From 1526-29 he sailed for Spain around the world and ending up in China but he only made it to South America. After abandoning some of his crew he explored the Parana River. Hostile natives and lack of food forced him back to Spain unsuccessful. In 1553 he sailed for Britain and formed a traded agreement between England and Russia. -
Jan 1, 1517
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation can be said to have began with Martin Luther's "95 Thesis" starting a religious, political, cultural, and intellectual upheval. King Henry VIII didn't like the Catholic Church' s say in his marrige so, he took away some power from Catholic Church startng the Church of England. He, and other reformers, wanted the people to have access to the Bible to see what God said for themselves. Elizabeth I said the Church of England was a middle way of Calvinism and Catholism. -
Roanoke
In 1587, 115 English settlers arrived at the island of Roanoke and began a settlement. Govener John White soon sailed back to England for fresh supplies. Upon his arrival, war between Spain and England broke out causing all ships to be used toward the Spainish Armada, and no way to sail back. 3 years later he was able to make his way back. When he reached the island he found no trace of his family or the other settlers. He only found a few clues and the word "Croatoan" carved in a wooden post. -
Spanish Armada
In 1588 the Spanish set out to attack the English by sea. They sent out 108 ships and sailed out in a cresent shape. The English had heard about the Spainish's plan, they prepared and were there waiting when the Spanish arrived. Queen Elizabeth I even went out with the soilders. After the fight the English came out victorious. -
Jamestown (Virginia)
Joint Stock Company -a way that people could invest without fear of bankrupcy. Enough capital was amassed to launch Virgina. Settlers only wanted to gain money, this lack of work caused starvation, disease, and war to ravage the settlement. John Smith came and brought them out of anarchy. He got them to work and kept the settlers alive in the harsh environment. Edwin Sandys led some stockholders. House of Burgesses was created to relax Dale's martial law and promised an elective rep. assembly. -
Richard Haklyut
Haklyut went to ask King James I for permission to go to Virgina and spread the gospel to the natives in 1606. He told the king "Planting English colonies in America would be the most godly and Christian work that would lead to gaining the souls of millions of natives bringing them from darkness to light." They landed in Virgina in April 1607. Haklyut instructed the men to bring the gospel of Christ in a "Gentle course without cruelty and tyranny fthat best exemplifies the way of a Christian. ' -
Quebec
French explorer, Samuel de Champlin established a for neat the St. Lawerence River at Cap Diamant. They were very successful. The French North American empire expanded during the 17th century. People like Louis Jolliet and Jacque Marquette explored. The people began to build hotels and hospitals and built up a major city. -
New York
Commerical venture. Founder Peter Stuyvesant, Duke of York. The directors of the Dutch West India Company sponsered two small outposts, Fort Orange (Albany) located well up the Hudson River and New Amsterdam (New York City) on Manhatten Island. -
Plymouth
Refuge for English Sepertists. Willam Bradford was the founder. The Pilgrims created an agreement known as the Mayflower Compact to "covenant and combine our selves together into a civil body politick." -
New Hampshire
Commercial venture. Founder John Mason. Became a seperatist colony in 1677. It's population grew very slowly, and for much of the colonial period, N.H. remained economically dependent on Massachusetts. -
Massachusttes Bay
Refuge for Puritans. Founder John Winthrop, The Puritans established a theocratic government with the franchise limited to church members. -
Maryland
Sir George Calvert gained a charter much like one of the feudal age. He wanted to create a sancuary for Englands persecuted Catholics and he also intended to make money. -
Connecticut
Expansion of Massachuttes. Founder Thomas Hooker. In 1639, representatives from the Conneticut towns passed the Fundamental Orders, a blueprint for civil government. -
Rhode Island
Refuge for dissenters from Massachuttes. Founder Roger Williams. From the beginning, it drew people of a highly independent turn of mind. No one in Rhode Island was persecuted for their religous beliefs. -
The Carolinas
Carolia was a profuct of the restoration of the Stuarts to the English throne. The propritors reasoned that they would obtain a steady source of income from rents. The men who owned the Carolinas begun to take for granted certain rights and privileges, and as the price of settlement, they demanded a representative assembly, liberty of conscience, and liberal headright system. Many people gave up on the Carolinas. -
Bacon's Rebellion
An armed rebellion in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against the colony's royal governor Sir William Berkeley. Although some of his followers called for an end of special privilege in government, Bacon was chiefly interested in gaining a larger share of the lucrative Indian trade. -
Pennslyvania
Refuge for Quakers. Founder William Penn. The founding of Pennsylvania cannot be seperated from the history of the Quaker movement. Willaim Penn lived according to the Inner Light, a commitment that led eventually to the founding of Pennslyvaina. -
Parlimentary Supremacy
English crown formally reconized parliment's supreme authority in matters such as taxation. -
English Bill of Rights of 1689
It was a re-statement in statutory form of the Declaration of Right presented by the Convention Parliament to William and Mary in March 1689, inviting them to become joint sovereigns of England. It lays down limits on the powers of sovereign and sets out the rights of Parliament and rules for freedom of speech in Parliament. -
First Great Awakening
Johnathan Edwards accepted the traditional teachings of Calvanism reminding his parishioners that their eternal fate had been determinded by an omnipotent God, there was nothing they could do to save themselves. George Whitefield, was not an original thinker, he described himself as a Calvinist, he welcomed all Protestants. He didn't care about denominations he only cared about people being Christain. -
Georgia
James Oglethorpe, a british general and member of Parliament, believed he could thwart Spanish designs on the area south of Charles Town while at the same time providing a fresh start for Londons worthy poor, saving them from debtors prison, -
French and Indian War (Seven Years War)
The British and French both wanted the Mississippi river valley because they would be able to trade with people not on the coast. Worldwide conflict that pitted Britan against France for control of North America. With help from the American colonists, the British won the war and eliminated France as a power on the North American continent. -
Sugar Act
Revised duties on sugar, coffee, tea, wine, other imports; expanded jurisdiction of vice-admiralty courts. -
Stamp Act
Printed documents issued only on special stamped paper purchased from stamp distributors. -
Stamp Act Congress
The delegates drafted petions to the king and Parliament that restated the colonists' belief "that no taxes should be imposed on them, but with their own consent, given personally, or by their represenatives." The tone of the meeting was restrained, even concilatory. The congress studiously avoided any mention of independence or disloyalty to the crown. -
Declaratory Act
Parliment declares its sovereignty over the colonies "in all cases whatsoever" -
Quartering Act
Colonists must supply British troops with housing and other items such as candles and firewood. -
Townshed Acts
New duties on glass lead, paper, paints, tea; customs collections tightened in America. -
Boston Massacre
In the gathering dusk of that afternoon, young boy and street toughs threw rocks and snowballs at soldiers in a small, isolated partol outside the offices of hated customs commissioners in King Street. A mob grew and became more threatening, the soldiers panicked. The troops fired, leaving five Americans dead. -
Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts)
Closes ports of Boston restructures Massachusetts government; restricts town meetings; troops quartered in Boston; Britsh officals accused of crimes sent England or Canada for trial. -
Tea Act
Parliament gives East India Company right to sell tea directly to Americans; some duties on tea reduced. -
Boston Tea Party
Governor Huchinson would not permit the ships in harbor to return to England. Local patriots would not let them unload. Crammed with the East India Company's tea, the ships sat in the Boston Harbor waiting for the colonists to make up their minds. One night they did so in a dramatic style. A group of men disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded the ships and pitched 340 chests of tea worth €10,000 over the side. -
First Continental Congress
Meeting of delegates from 12 colonies in Philadelphia in 1774, the Congress denied parliament's authority to legisltate for the colonies condemed British actions toward the colonies, created Continental Assciation, and endorsed a call to take up arms. -
Shot Heard Around the World
Blows fell at Lexington and Concord, two small farm villiages in eastern Massachusetts. General Gage dispatched troops from Boston to sieze the rebel supplies. -
Lexington and Concord
First battle of the Revolution. Many people weren't expecting a fight. Militiamen not and actual army. Began the war and fight for independence. -
Second Continential Congress
In the midst of rapidly unfolding military events. It organized the Continental Army and commissionned George Washington to lead it, then began recruiting men and supplies for the war effort. -
Olive Branch Petition
attempt to assert the rights of the colonists while maintaining their loyalty to the British crown. King George refused to read it and said the colonists had "proceeded to open rebellion." -
Prohibitory Act
Declares British intention to coerce Americans into submission; embargo on American goods; Americans ships seized. -
Common Sense
An essay by Thomas Paine systamaticaly stripped kingship of historical and theological justification. -
Trenton
Hessians were sleeping and the Americans were able to take 900. Night, Christmas, ice-filled Delaware. -
Germantown/ Valley Forge
Hard winter for both sides, fog covered battlefield, disease, frost bitten soldiers. Americans won. -
Second Battle of Saratoga
Burgoyne led 1,500 of his men on a mission. Scouts brought news of the British approach to Gates, who dispatched a brigade of soldiers to attack the British left. The forces met at Bemis Heights, south of Saratoga. Arnold played a major role in the attack, charging to the front and leading the American forces in battle. They drove the British forces back to their camp, again inflicting heavy losses. -
Kings Mountain
The most vicious fighting of the Revolution, the backwoods men decimated a force of British regulars and Tory raiders who had strayed too far from base. -
Yorktown
Cornwallis pushed north into Virginia, planning apparently to establish a base of opperations on the coast. He selected Yorktown. Washington learned the French fleet could gain temporary dominance in the Chesapeake Bay. The French cut Cornwallis off from the sea, while Washington encircled the British army on land. Cornwallis surrendered.
