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Aug 3, 1492
Columbus's Voyage
Columbus's voyage is famous for it the first mark of the New World and Old World interacting. Columbus was backed by the Spanish crown to find a way to the Indies. -
May 1, 1493
Implementation of the encomienda system
(exact day innacurate) The encomienda system was established by the Spanish, whom would be granted a specific number of Natives in order to protect them, and teach them of the Spanish religion and language, but became little more than slavery. It is significant for it would lead to a complete wipeout of Natives, and also one of the reasons why Natives and Europeans were more likely to intermingle in the Southern Americas. -
Jun 7, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Treaty of Tordesillas devided the newly discovered Americas between Spain and Portugal in the Meridian 390 line, which would soon be the reason why the only colony established in the Americas in Brazil, while the Spanish got the remainder of South/Central Ameica. -
Jun 24, 1497
Giovanni Caboto (a.k.a. John Cabot) explores North America
John Cabot was an Italian navigator who was backed by England to begin their exploration of the Americas as well. This is significant for he became the first European to explore North America. -
Aug 13, 1521
Cortez conquers the Aztecs
Cortez was a Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that led to the fall of the Aztec Empire. This is significant for it was the event that brought large portions of what is now modern day Mexico under the King of Castille. -
May 19, 1535
Jacques Cartier explores the St. Lawrence River
Cartier was a french navigator who explored the St. Lawrence Gulf and St. Lawrence River. He would claim modern day Canada for the french throne. -
Colony at Roanoke Island
Roanoke colony was the first colony ever established in North America by the english which mysteriously dissapeared. Though the reasons are unclear, it proves how hostile and difficult it was to first colonize the Americas due to a lack of knowledge of governmental backing. -
England defeats the Spanish Armada
The attack of the Spanish armada was issued to dethrone the protestant Queen Elizabeth, as well as to halt English interests in the Netherlands as well as privateering of Spanish ships. The Spanish Armada was brutally defeated for the ships were too bulky as well as the disastrous weather in the English Channel. This event is significant for it gave England significant backing as a naval power, as well as the means and incentive to start exploring the New World. -
Settlement at Jamestown
Jamestown is the second colony established by the English, and though it faced many hardships, it was the first successful colony that would lead to even stronger colonies. -
First Anglo-Powhatan War
The First Anglo-Powhatan War started when de la Warr attacked the Paspaheg capital of the Powhatan's when he tired of their response. For killing royal women and children the Powhatan retaliated, yet many fled or were completely exterminated. Due to this, the region around Jamestown was relatively cleared of Natives. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of the colonies. It was the first social contract that was created in order to establish loyalty under the king and reduce dissidence among its members. It is significant for it foreshadows the colonies tradition of self made social pacts. -
Second Anglo-Powhatan War
Opechancanough played out a friendly facade until the sudden attack on the Jamestown colony that nearly wiped out 1/3 of its citizens, and of which could have been more if not for the warnings of other christianized Natives. In revenge battles issued as the English completely exterminated the Natives going against any and all peace treaties and alliances. -
Establishment of New Netherlands
(month and day unclear) New Netherlands was established by the Dutch West India Company and soon becomes a profitable fur trade town. The company soon expands into Manhattan and would become one of the most profitical towns of New England. -
Establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
(Month and day unsure) The Mass. Bay Colony was established in the New England region in what is now Boston, which was established by the Mass. Bay Company. The town was mostly puritan and had a government system of elected governors. It played a strong role in the Pequot War as well as King Phillip's War and would become the base for colonial dissidence toward the crown in the American Revolution. -
Establishment of the Carolinas
(no clear month or day) The Carolinas was originally chartered as an English colony, which would face many difficulties due to dissent over political rule and would finally up as royal colonies. This particular colony is significant for it is one the first souhern slave colonies. -
Banishment of Roger Williams
Puritan minister Roger Williams was found guilty of spreading "new & dangerous opinions" and banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Before leaving England in 1630, Williams had seen heretics whipped, imprisoned, and burned at the stake, which led to his call for religious freedom. In order to escape inprisonment in Boston, he establishes the new settlement of Providence. -
Establishment of Rhode Island
Rhode Island was first established with the establishment of Providence by Roger Williams. It was united with four other towns which all held the same view of religious tolerance. Rhode Island was mostly able to retain its independence from the crown as well other puritan or quaker colonies. -
Pequot War
(month and day unsure) The Pequot War was an armed conflict in 1634–1638 between the Pequot tribe against an alliance of the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Saybrook colonies. The result was the elimination of the Pequot as a viable polity in the region. -
Banishment of Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was expelled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for holding prayer meetings attended by both men and women, for criticizing the colony's ministers, and for asserting that a person could know God's will directly. Put on trial for heresy, she defended herself brilliantly yet in the end moved to Rhode Island and New York. (first women defendant and one of the first to call for religious tolerance) -
Fundamental Orders
The Fundamental Orders were adopted by the Connecticult Colony to set up a government. It is significant for it is considered one of the first constitutions written in the western tradition. It was more democratic in nature compared to the government of England. -
Maryland Act of Toleration
The Maryland Toleration Act was a law mandating religious tolerance for trinitarian Christians. it was the second law requiring religious tolerance in the British North American colonies, after Rhode Island, and created the first legal limitations on hate speech in the world. (precedent of freedom of religion) -
Navigation Laws
The English Navigation Acts were a series of laws that restricted the use of foreign shipping for trade between England and its colonies.It would later become one source of resentment by merchants in the American colonies against Great Britain -
Barbados Slave Code
(month and day unclear) The Barbados Slave Code was a law passed by the colonial legislature to provide a legal base for slavery in Barbados. The slave code ostensibly sought to protect slaves from cruel masters and masters from unruly slaves; in practice, it provided far more extensive protections for masters than for slaves. It allowed the slaves' owners to do entirely as they wished to their slaves, including mutilating them and burning them alive, without fear of reprisal. -
New Netherlands becomes New York
(day unclear) The colony was first established by the Dutch East Asia Company. Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant surrenders New Amsterdam, the capital of New Netherland, to an English naval squadron under Colonel Richard Nicolls. Following its capture, New Amsterdam's name was changed to New York, in honor of the Duke of York, who organized the mission. -
King Philip's War
(day unsure) King Philip's War was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and their Native American allies. In little over a year, nearly half of the region's towns were destroyed, its economy was all but ruined, and much of its population was killed.King Philip's War was the beginning of the development of a greater American identity, for the trials suffered by the colonists gave them a group identity separate from the English crown. -
Pope's Rebellion
Popé's Rebellion was an uprising of several pueblos of the Pueblo people against Spanish colonization of the Americas. (Natives did revolt after a while) -
Penn's "Holy Experiment"
(day unclear) The "Holy Experiment" was an attempt by the Quakers to establish a community for themselves in Pennsylvania. They hoped it would show to the world how well they could function on their own without any persecution or dissension. -
Dominion of New England
The Dominion of New England in America was an administrative union of English colonies in the New England region of North America. The dominion was a failure because the area it encompassed was too large for a single governor to manage. -
Establishment of Georgia
Georgia Colony was one of the Southern colonies in British America. It was the last of the thirteen original colonies established by Great Britain in what later became the United States. (southern absolute slave state)