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Jamestown
The first permanent settlement was founded in Jamestown, Virginia. -
The House of Burgesses
The first representatives of America assemble at The House of Burgesses. -
First Slaves
The first African slaves were shipped to Jamestown, which began the potential for the slave trade in the North. -
The Mayflower
The Mayflower, an English ship, departed from Plymouth, England. This cargo ship brought the pilgrims to Massachusetts during the Great Puritan Migration in the 17th century. These pilgrims were some of the first settlers to America after they established the Plymouth colony. -
Navigation Act
The English Crown approves a Navigation Act requiring the exclusive use of English ships for trade in the English Colonies, in addition to limitations on exports of tobacco, sugar, and other commodities to England or its colonies. 9 October 1651 -
The Charter of Carolina
The Charter of Carolina was issued by King Charles II to grant land in America to eight men as a reward for their support in his efforts to regain the throne of England. -
Maryland Passes a Slave Law
Maryland passes a law making lifelong servitude for black slaves mandatory to prevent them from taking advantage of legal precedents established in England, which grant freedom under certain conditions. This paved the way for similar laws passing in New York, New Jersey, the Carolinas, and Virginia. -
New York's Birth
The English King, King Charles II, gave what once was a dutch colony's land to his brother. After obtaining this land, the Duke of York renamed the land, New York. -
The British Navigation Act of 1673
The British Navigation Act of 1673 sets up the office of customs commissioner in the colonies to collect duties on goods that pass between plantations. This act stated that all goods not bonded in England must have a duty and bond placed on them when a ship reaches the colonies. The colonial governor collecting the bond and duty started a tradition that continued through the Revolution. -
The Treaty of Westminster
The Treaty of Westminster ends hostilities between the English and Dutch. Then, returns Dutch colonies in America to the English. -
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King Philip's War
King Philip's War erupts in New England between colonists and Native Americans as a result of tensions over colonist's expansionist activities. The bloody war runs through the Connecticut River valley in Massachusetts, Plymouth, and Rhode Island colonies. Eventually, this resulted in 600 English colonials being killed, in addition to 3,000 Native Americans. -
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The Glorious Revolution
The beginning of King William's War as hostilities in Europe between the French and English spill over to the colonies. In February, Schenectady, New York is burned by the French with the aid of their Native American allies. The Glorious Revolution covers events leading to the deposition of James II and VII, king of England, Scotland, Ireland, his replacement by his daughter Mary II, and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange.