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Roanoke
The island of Roanoke was discovered 1585 off the coast of North Carolina. Many English settlers arrived including Sir Walter Raleigh who hoped to colonize there. But, they figure out they aren't the first people to settle there. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roanoke_Colony) -
Jamestown
Jamestown was established in 1607 when the Virginia Company of London colonized along the coast of Virginia. Not getting off to a good start, only 38 out of the 150 settlers survived the first winter due to harsh weather conditions and not being prepared for them. John Smith emerged as the leader and said, those who didn't work, wouldn't eat. Later on, tobacco was found to be the first profitable export in Virginia. (https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/jamestown) -
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Great Migration
The years 1620 to 1640 are known as the Great Migration. The Puritan immigrants from England settled in New England, north of Plymouth Bay, in land known as the Massachusetts Bay Colony. About 20,000 people came to Massachusetts. The descendants of these settlers ended up moving west throughout the nation. (https://historyofmassachusetts.org) -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of the Plymouth colonies. Created on November 11, 1620, it was written and signed by passengers of the Mayflower as Puritans were attempting to escape religious persecution by King James I of England. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower_Compact) -
New Yok
New York was a middle colony settled by the Dutch in 1624. The Dutch called the area "New Netherlands" but as time passed it was renamed New York after the Duke of York, or the brother of King Charles II who received a charter for the territory. The Dutch were given large tracks of land that they could rent out to the farmers. (https://www.landofthebrave.info/new-york-colony.htm) -
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was settled by Pilgrims and Puritans looking for religious freedom in 1630. This was a New England Colony under leadership of John Winthrop. The Massachusetts Bay Colony turned out to be successful in engaging in trade with multiple countries. (notes and "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Bay_Colony") -
Maryland
The Maryland Colony was settled in 1632 by Lord Baltimore. This land was used for persecuted Catholics to settle in. It was also settled as a proprietary colony (owned by a ruler.) Plantations grew many things, one of them being tobacco. The Maryland Colony was named after King Charles I's wife. This is also where the Toleration act of 1649 occurred, granting religious freedom for all Christians living in Maryland. (https://www.softschools.com/facts/13_colonies/maryland_colony_facts/2037/) -
Connecticut
The Connecticut colony was founded 1636 by Thomas Hooker. The first European settlement in Connecticut was in Hartford. It was founded to gain political and religious freedom. In 1637 the English permanently gained control of the region after struggles with the Dutch. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_Colony) -
Rhode Island
The Rhode Island colony was a New England Colony settled by Roger Williams and his supporters in 1635. Rhode Island was important to Christians because it was a place where they could find no persecution against their religion. This is important later on also because it acts like a seed to religious freedom in the Declaration of Independence. (mostly notes, and "https://www.britannica.com/place/Rhode-Island-state/History") -
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was a building which was created in 1642 in Virginia for representatives to meet and hold an assembly. It is significant to our country because it is the first form of a representative government. In the House of Burgesses, the General Assembly would meet which included the governor and the council. (https://www.britannica.com/topic/House-of-Burgesses) -
Maryland Toleration Act
The Maryland Toleration Act was passed on April 21, 1649, and was a law mandating religious tolerance for Trinitarian Christians. This act created the first legal limitations on religious hate speech in the world. The Act allowed freedom of worship for all Trinitarian Christians in Maryland, but, anyone who denied Jesus' divinity was sentenced to be killed. (https://www.americanhistoryusa.com/topic/maryland-toleration-act/) -
Carolina
Carolina was a Southern colony settled by supporters of King Charles II in 1663. King Charles II granted 8 supporters land in the Carolinas. Carolina was a center for cash crops. Some of their crops included rice, indigo, and tobacco. Years later African slaves poured in and eventually outnumbered the European settlers. (http://www.celebrateboston.com/history/carolinas.htm) -
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was led by Nathaniel Bacon in Virginia, 1776. This rebellion happened because of colonists getting angry at Governor William Berkeley for lowering tobacco prices, raising taxes and giving people close to him special privileges. The significance of the rebellion is that it was the first rebellion in the American colonies which frontiersmen took place. The result of this was indentured servitude ending and America gaining territory from Spain. (https://www.nps.gov) -
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania was a Middle Colony settled by William Penn in 1682. The land was established as a holy experiment by Penn where every male settler got rights to vote and land. William Penn became a Quaker which made his land the main place for Quakers to settle. (https://www.thoughtco.com/key-facts-about-the-pennsylvania-colony-103879) -
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Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials was a wave of mass hysteria the started in the fall of 1692 and ended in September of the same year. These trials had to do with witchcraft in Salem Village, Massachusetts. It all started after young girls from the village claimed to be possessed by the devil and started pointing fingers. This wave of hysteria resulted in the death of 27 people and 150 being imprisoned. (mostly notes and https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/salem-witch-trials) -
Great Awakening
In 1741 Jonathan Edwards gave one of the most famous sermons in history, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", which marked the beginning of the Great Awakening, also known as the Enlightenment. In this time, many ordinary people and Christians grew closer to God. This period of time made believers realize all people are sinners and you can't be saved without forgiveness from God. (https://www.history.com/topics/british-history/great-awakening) -
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French-Indian War
The French-Indian War lasted from 1754 to 1763 and is known as the bloodiest war of the 18th century. The cause of the war sprouted from an issue about which empire (British or French) owned the upper Ohio River valley. This war took place in North America where British and French colonies were living. (https://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/frenchindian/summary/) -
Albany Plan
The Albany Plan was an idea from Benjamin Franklin to unite the American colonies and stand up against British taxation. This was held at the Albany Congress in Albany New York on July 10, 1754. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albany_Plan) -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was issued by the British at the end of the French and Indian War to appease Native Americans by checking the encroachment of European settlers on their lands. This created a boundary between the British colonies and American Indian lands. This Proclamation closed down colonial expansion west, and was the first measure to affect all thirteen of the colonies. (https://www.history.com) -
Salutary Neglect
Salutary Neglect was the British policy of avoiding strict enforcement of parliamentary laws and trade laws. This was only in affect if the British colonies remained loyal to the government and helped grow the economy of England. This affected the colonies because now they were able to establish trade relations with each other. This also maximized economic output of the colonists. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salutary_neglect)
