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Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America, is established by the London Company in southeast Virginia.
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The House of Burgesses, the first representative assembly in America, meets for the first time in Virginia. The first African slaves are brought to Jamestown.
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The Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts is established by Pilgrims from England.
Before disembarking from their ship, the Mayflower, 41 male passengers sign the Mayflower Compact, an agreement that forms the basis of the colony's government. -
Colonial population is estimated at 50,400.
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English seize New Amsterdam (city and colony) from the Dutch and rename it New York.