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in 1492 christopher colombus sets sail from spain to find a faster route to china for trade.
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john cabot on his first voyage searching for the Northwest Passage.
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Amerigo Vespucci finds the South American Coast.
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“America” is first used in a book, referring to the New World. Amerigo Vespucci receives credit for the discovery of the continent.
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Spaniard Ponce de Leon makes landfall in Florida.
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Protestant Reformation, led by Martin Luther is launched in Europe.
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Alonso de Pineda sails along the Texas coast.
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Spanish explorer Cortés claims Mexico for spain
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Giovanni de Veranzo leads French expedition beginning in Carolina, and ending at Nova Scotia.
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French sponsored navigator Giovanni da Verrazano discovers the Hudson River.
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The first settlers from Hispaniola establish San Miguel de Guadalupe, now South Carolina.
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Cabeza de Vaca explores the Gulf coast, including both Florida and Texas.
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Fortún Jiménez sent by Cortéz to explore Baja Peninsula and names the region California
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Jacques Cartier sails from France to explore the New World.
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Hemano de Soto lands in Florida. Fransico de Ulba explores the California coast. . Marcos de Niza explored New Mexico and Arizona in search of gold.
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FranciscoVasquez de Coronado explores the southwest, north of the Rio Grande..
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Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto explores the Mississippi River.
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Juan Rodiquez Cabrillo enters current day California
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Sir Walter Raleigh is born.
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The French establish a colony at Fort Caroline in Florida.
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Spain establishes the first European Colony in North America, St. Augustine, Florida.
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Santa Catalina colony is established in Georgia.
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Sir Francis Drake set sail from Plymouth to return to England.
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Francis Drake explores the Pacific Ocean
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First Expedition, led by Sir Walter Raleigh, arrives at Roanoke Island.
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The first English settlement, the Roanoke Colony, is established.
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Virginia Dare is the first English child born in the Roanoke Colony.
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Jamestown, Virginia is the first established colony of the 13 Colonies.
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Captain John Smith is captured by the Powhatans at Werowocomoco.
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Henry Hudson sailed into Cape Cod.
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Colonists’ plant and harvest native tobacco in Virginia.
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During that winter of 1609-1610, nearly 440 settlers of Jamestown die because of what is known as Starving Time.
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Tobacco farmer John Rolfe marries Pocahontas, daughter of Cheif Powhatan.
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House of Burgesses becomes the first representative assembly.
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Earliest Plymouth Colony document is known as the Mayflower Compact
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Landing party arrives what is to become the Plymouth Colony.
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The Pilgrims celebrate the First Thanksgiving at Plymouth.
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Virginia falls under British control. The Virginia Company charter is revoked by Britain. New Netherland is founded by Dutch West India Company.
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Manhattan Island was bought by Peter Minuit from Native Americans.
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King Charles I try to rule as absolute Monarch, leading people to leave for the American Colonies.
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Massachusetts Bay Colony Royal charter was issued by Parliament.
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Boston is established by John Winthrop.
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George Calvert (Lord Baltimore) gains land in Maryland.
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Maryland is founded. Plymouth Bay settlers start colonies on Conneticut River. Jean Nicolet arrives in Green Bay (Wisconsin). Also, Jean Nicolet explores Lake Michigan.
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The first public school in America is established, Boston Latin School.
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Harvard College in Massachusetts is founded.Providence, Rhode Island is founded by Roger Williams. Hartford founded
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Cambridge, Massachusetts is where the first Colonial printing press is located. Puritans establish settlement called Naumkeag. The House of Burgesses is officially reestablished.
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New Hampshire founded by John Wheelright.
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Yonkers (New York) is founded by the Dutch.
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New England makes Slavery legal.
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Providence, Newport, Shawomet & Portsmouth become one colony. Providence Plantation in Narragansette Bay.
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Liberal Constitution drafted in Rhode Island.
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Religious toleration is granted to Maryland.
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Quaker and Jewish immigrants seeking freedom of worship begin arriving in northeast.
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Rhode Island passes the first law within the colonies making slavery illegal.
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The first permanent settlement in New Jersey is at Bergen (Jersey City). First Navigation act is passed by the British Parliament.
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Colony of Conneticut is chartered by England. Conneticut and Rhode Island merged under one charter.
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Cotton Mather was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
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Pedro Menedez founds Saint Augustine in Florida. Carolina and Georgia are colonized.
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Marquette and Joliet cross Lake Michigan into Wisconsin
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Earliest attacks against Colonists begins King Philip’s War.
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Declaration of the People of Virginia leads to Bacon’s Rebellion.
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Colonists in North Carolina rebel against taxation by the English.
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Pennsylvania is established by William Penn for quakers.
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King William’s War starts to spread to the colonies.
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Salem Witch trials take place in a village in Massachusetts
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First mission founded in Baja California
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The parliament in England passes the Wool Act.
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The Virginia Black Code is passed in Virginia.
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Benjamin Franklin is born in Boston, Massachusetts.
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Act of the Union combines England, Scotland, and Wales as part of the United Kingdom.
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Post Office Act passes in the English parliament. Begins a postal system in the colonies.
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The French establishes New Orleans.
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Population of the American colonists number 475,000.
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Feb. 22. George Washington of Virginia is born.
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First copper Coins of the Colony are minted in Connecticut.
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June 19. Delegates from seven colonies met at the Albany Congress.
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Feb. 10. French and Indian War ends with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
