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Aug 12, 1492
Colombus discovers the New World
Columbus lands in the Americas under the instructions of the king and queen of Spain. Discovering new people and new resources, the idea of getting these things through trade in the Atlantic Ocean spread, and exlorers, traders, and slavers all started travelling across the ocean in what is known as the Columbian Exchange. -
First Slaves Arrive in Virginia
In August of 1619, the first slaves arrived in Jamestown of the Virginia colony. After being captured by the Dutch, who took them from the Spanish, who enslaved them, they were the first slaves to te sold to anyone in the English colonies. -
Start of the Royal Africa Company
The Company of Royal Adventurers Trading to Africa was granted its charter in 1660, and began by taking the gold in Western Africa. A few years later it was granted its charter to carry slaves around the Atlantic, and it soon became one of the largest mercantile companies in England. -
Height of the Sugar Trade Between England and the Americas
Among other goods that went to England from the New World, sugar was one of the most profitable. Around 1750, the French colony known as Saint-Domingue became the leading producer of sugar in the world. England used sugar more and more each year, increasing its demand. -
Britain Abolishes the Slave in its Colonies
After abolitionist groups in England are finally heard, the British Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act prohibitting the slave trade in the British Empire. Although this significantly reduced the trade in the Atlantic, it did not abolish slavery itself in the British colonies. -
The First Steam Ships Cross the Atlantic
Using both steam and windpower, the first steam ships to cross the Atlantic revolutionize trade by making fast ships more trustworthy to other countries. they prove that this faster way to ship is reliable as well. -
The First World's Fair in London
Also known as the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations, the first world's fair took plave at Hyde Park in a building called the Crystal Palace. There were twenty-eight countries that had exhibits, and it attracted over 6 million people.
