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Jan 1, 1441
African Slavery
In 1441 the tradition of shipping slaves from West Africa began and slowly grew into the slave trade. By the 1450's a small trade was established but as time progressed the slave industry would become vital to european and colonial economies. -
Jan 1, 1441
Impact of Slave Trade on Africa
The begining of the massive slave trade operations in the Atlantic gave way to catostrophic effects in Africa.
Cause: Increase in demand for slaves in Europe and America lead to more slaves being taken from Africa
Effect: The population of Africans was severly diminished and the African economie collapsed. -
Jan 1, 1580
Roanoke Island
One of the first attempts on behalf of the English to establish a colony in the New World which ended in failure after war broke out in 1588 between England and Spain. It would not be until the early 1600's when the English would establish a sucessful colony in the New World -
East India Company
In the 1600's the British government chartered the East India Company to manage the commerce in the region and provided protection to the region as well. The result was a huge monopoly protecting and regulating the commerce in the region. -
Cardinal Richlieu
Cardinal Richlieu was a french cardinal who helped lay out the fundamental Catholic Imperial Policy and with the help of colonists established a second Catholic Empire in the New World. -
Chesapeake Colonies
In 1603 with the rise of King James I, royal charters were dispatched to the New World to establish english colonies. The resulting effect was the establishment of the first succsesful Eniglish Colony in the new world. -
Jamestown
In 1607 the first succesful colony was established in the Chesapeake Region of North America known as Virginia and established Jamestown.
Cause: English expansion dorve to colonization of the east coat of North America.
Effect: The Establishment of Jamestown in 1607 was the first stepping stone to further English colonization. -
Powhatan
Powhatan was the leader of the Five Nation Iroquois Confederacy. When the English arrived at Jamestown Powhatan saw opportunity and danger.
Casue: Powhatan decided to ally with the English to use them to attack enemy indian tribes.
Effect: Becasue they were allies, when Jamestown was on the verge of starving Powhatan sent food and saved the colony. -
Tobacco
In 1613 the first version of profitable Tobacco was developed by John Rolfe creating a merchantable commodity.
Cause: The English colonies saught to find some sort of profitable commodity in which to generate wealth leading to the harvesting of Tobacco.
Effect: Huge amounts of wealth would be generated out of the Chesapeake as the tobacco industry grew. Under head right grants the Tobacco industry hugely increased the population of the Colonies as well. -
New England Colonies
In the early 1600's the English fought to keep their colonial options open and established colonies north of the Chesapeake in what was deemed by John Smith New England.
Cause: These colonies were estabolished to keep englands options in North America open even though the land was less favored by settlers becasue of the lands inability to grow tobacco.
Effetct: Even though New England was less favored by settlers it became a haven for Puritans -
Mayflower Compact
After arriving in North America in 1620 the pilgrims sought to escape from the English and establish their own church.
Casue: The mayflower Compact was drafted by William Bradford and signed in November of 1620 to establish a government.
Effect: The Mayflower Compact was the first document of self-government in North America -
Roger Williams
Roger Willaims came to New England in 1631 to be the minister in Salem. Williams was one of the first major figures to introduce the idea of sepration of church and state. AAfter preaching this to the puritans he was banished him from teh Massachusetts Bay Colony. Williams would later go on to get a charter for the colony of Rhode Island. -
Calverts
The Calverts were a family who were granted 10 million acres of land north of Virginia by King Charles I. After the Kings wife they named their proprietary colony Maryland.
Cause: The Calverts sought new wealth and planned to use their colony to build Manors in which they would collect rent.
Effect: As more and more people came to Maryland it became a tobbaco producing colony and eventually consisted of the same characteristics as Virginia. -
Harvard
Harvard was created in 1636 in Massachusetts as a part of the elaborate educational sytem.
Effect: Harvard is one of the most prestigious school in the world today. -
"The Bay Psalm Book"
In 1639 the first printing press was opened in the English Colonies and a year later the first American English publication was released called "The Bay Psalm Book". -
Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were a series of legislation that were put in place under the Puritan Commonwealth government begining in 1651 to prevent foreign trading in the colonies....the Navigation Acts provided regulations on commerce in the Colonies. -
Half-Way Covenant
The half-way covenant was a practical agreement created in 1662 designed by the puritans to increase church attendance. The half-way convenant said that members whose children had not experienced conversion could be half-way members who were only restricted from communion. -
King Phillip's War
In 1657 fighting breaks out between the Indians of southern New England and the Puritans over the control of land. Ending a year later with the defeat of the indians led to the control of more land under the Puritans. -
William Penn
William Penn was and English Quaker also known as the Society of Friends. After being granted land in the western part of New Jersey, Penn created the Colony Pennsylvania. The creation of this colony provided a safe haven for Quakers and all other religions do to the Quakers belief in religious toleration and pacifism. -
"Sovereignty and Goodness of God"
"Sovereignty and Goodness of God" was a captivity narrative by Mary Rowlandson and was the second best selling book only to the Bible. This peice expressed vies of Enlightenment. -
The Glorious Revolution
After the death of King Charles II his brother James II replaced him. Determined to control the increasingly powerful colonies King James abolished assemblies and enforced the navigation acts of 1651, 1660, and 1663. King James also tried to alienate Parliment which lead to his resignation in 1688 in what is known as the Glorious Revolution. The result of this was the creation of a Constitutional Monarchy. -
"Letter on Tolerance"
The "Letter on Tolerance" was written by John Locke who supported Enlightenment. The letter expressed views that churches and religions were voluntary societies and only persuasion would religion work. His views were invcluded in the toleration act of 1689. -
King Williams War
Begining in 1689 King William's War was fought between England and France in the northern frinteirs of New England and New York and finally ending in 1697. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials were a series of trials which prosecuted over 150 people of witchcraft. -
Florida Slave Policy
The Spanish Colony of Florida was created mainly to create a buffer fro the English to protect their highly profitable Caribean Colonies. In 1699 Florida was declared a slave refuge where any escaped slave could go live freely if they accepted to defend the colony and convert to Catholicism. -
Wool Act of 1699
The wool act of 1699 prohibited the colonies from manufacturing wool as to not allow competition with wool enterprises at home. This greatly weakened the ecomnomies of the colonies. -
Tidewater Region
The tobacco industry in North America was confined to sea-level coast-line known as the tidewater region. However when the demand for tobacco increased 10 fold in the 1700's plantaion owners were forced to plant above the tidewater region above the fall line in the foothills. -
Enlightenment
Enlightenment was a series of theories and beliefs intorduced to the public which offered a simple explanation for how the world works. This knowledge that came to be during the Enlightenment period is still used today. -
French Crescent
During the 1700's the French uised their good relations with the indians to create a great cescent that stretched from Nova Scotia down the Mississippi River down to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. This was created to hold back the English from colonizing further into the continental interior. -
Predestination
Starting in the 1700's more and more puritans began to drift away from the theory of predestination which stated that God had already determined which few men and women would be saved in the second coming. Instead of accepting this calvinist theory more and more puritans began to accept Arminianism. -
Arminianism
Starting in the 1700's many puritans began to accept the more comforting idea and theory of Arminianism which coincided with the theories of Enlightenment and stated that humans were not pawns but rational beings who shaped their own destiny. A very important view of Arminianism that contrasted from predestination was the view of god as loving and not angry. -
Queen Anne's War
Begining in 1702 Queen Anne's War was fought by England against France and Spain. The war took place in northern fronteir of New France and in the Caribbean. The war ended in English Victory with the Peace of Utrecht which gave englang exclusive rights to supply spain with slaves. -
Saybrook Platform
In 1708 the churches of Connecticut ratified the Saybrook Platform allowing councils of ministers and elders to have the power as oppossed to the congragation. The effect of this platform weakened the passion and commitment of the members of the church. -
Peace of Utrecht
The Peace of Utrecht ended the Queen Anne's War with Britain defeating Spain. The significance of this peace treaty was it granted Great Britain exclusive rights to supply Spanish colonies with slaves. -
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole became the Prime Minister of England in 1721 and designed the idea of a decentralized government. -
Great Awakening
Begining in 1730 with the preaching of several ministers throughout the colony, people began to take different views on religion and many became more religious. Factions with opposing reliogious views came to be and people began to think critically and learn more about their own religion. The effect of this great awakening was felt all over the colonies. -
"Hivning Off"
As more and more religions were incorproated into New England, the tone was set for massive population growth. As towns became over populated and land in towns was running out groups of people would leave and establish new towns and chrurches. This was known as "hiving off" and this method quickly dimished the amount of available land in New England. -
Georgia
Created in 1732 georgia was created by an act in Parliment mainly to create a buffer zone from the Spanish Colony of Florida. Georgia was allowed to outlaw slavery but when planters began to settle in the colony the need for slaves as labor eventually legalized slavery. -
"Poor Richards Almanac"
The almanac was another best seller book and one the most famous was written by Benjamin Franklin and was titled "Poor Richards Almanac". What was so great about this almanac was how Franklin uniquely incorporated views of enlightenment into the text. -
War of Jenkins Ear
Starting in 1739, the war between Britain and Spaintook place in Georgia to the Caribbean. The war started after a sailor talked in front of the House of Commons saying the Spanish cut off his ear.
The effect of the war lead to the defeat of the British Fleet and the overtake of Florida with the exception of St. Augustine. -
Stono Rebellion
A group of 20 Angolans raided an Armory in 1739 and began to march to Florida while collecting over 100 followers. The rebel slaves killed some 30 colonists but their rebellion was soon crushed by the local militia. The effect of this rebellion and several other rebellions was the closing of slve trade through Charleston for a decade. -
King George's War
This war between the English and the French took place in Nova Scotia and Acadia. The war was mainly a stalemate with the exception of Loiusburg where the british captured a valuable strategic fortress. This war was the first european war whose concluding battle was fought on American soil. -
Log College
In 1746 William Tennent, an evangelical preacher, gounded the log college to train ministers. This college evolved into the College of New Jersey and then into the name it is known as today Princeton Universtiy. -
Tight Pack
With the great demand for slaves in the mid 1700's methods of packing slaves favored the "Tight Packing" or fitting as many africans as possible in a single ship. For example ships designed to carry 450 people often carried more than 600. The effect of this packing method was an increased mortality rate amongst africans but an increase in number of slaves being delivered to America and Europe. -
French and Indian War
Known in Europe as the Seven years war the Franch and Indian War lasted until 1763 between the British and the French who were allied with Spain. This war was the Last of the great colonial wars. -
My Birthday
I was born -
World Trade Center Attacks
On 9/11 a group of terrorists hijacked several American commercial jets. On a suicide mission the terrorists flew the planes into the Pentagon and the World Trade Centers. Demolishing a peice of the Pentagon and collapsing the both World Trade towers, over 3,000 Americans were killed. -
Execution of Saddam Hussein
Old Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was executed for crimes against his people during his brutal regime. -
First Black President is elected to office
President Barrack Obama (D) was elected to office after defeating Senator John McCain (R) in the presidential election.