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United States History
Timeline 1 of 3. -
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First timeline
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Queen Elizabeth I Dies
At this time, no Englishman had established a permanent North American colony, but England stood ready to embark on it's dominance over North America. -
Jamestown is colonized.
104 English men arrived in North America by sailing up the James River, named for their King, James I ; the settlement became the first permanent English settlement in North America. -
The King James Version
Also known as the "Authorized Version" of the Bible is published. It is said to be the most printed book in the history of the world, with more than one billion copies in print. -
"Dale's Code"
Is implement in Jamestown, mixing military law with religious precepts to bring order to the poorly run colony. -
The House of Burgessess
The first representative assembly in America is formed; meets for the first time in Virginia. -
Virgina Imports first slaves
Virigina planters built larger and larger estates, building an economy dominated by tobacco. Slaves were brought from Africa to labor, often dawn to dusk throughout the colony. -
John Howland, Thrown overboard
John Carver was one of the leaders on the Mayflower, he was later referred to as the "Moses of the Pilgrims," had a manservant on board with him, John Howland. John Howland was the 13th man to sign the Mayflower compact and was thrown overboard during the voyage and had to be rescued. Fun Fact John Howland is one of my direct ancestors, according my Daughters of the American Revolution application and his lineage also includes President George H.W. Bush. -
Plymouth Colony Established
The Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts is established by a group of Puritan Separatists that would later become known as the Pilgrims. After Jamestown, the Plymouth Colony was the first permanent English settlement in the New England region. Most of its citizens were fleeing religious persecution and searching for a place to worship, rather than being entrepreneurs like many of the settlers of Jamestown were. Thier social and legal systems were closely tied to their religious beliefs. -
Mayflower Compact
41 men sign the Mayflower Compact, an agreement that forms the basis for the colony's government. It would remain active until 1691 when the Plymouth Colony became part of Massachusetts Bay Colony. -
Mayflower sets sail
The Mayflower and the Speedwell depart for America. The Mayflower carried 102 passengers, cramped into a liveing area of approximately 1600sq. feet. A trip that would take 10 weeks to reach America. Finally reaching it's destination in late November, in present day Cape Cod. -
First Submarine
Cornelius Drebbel, a Dutch inventor, built a rowboat that was covered in leather. The oars came out through holes that were airtight, so no water seeped through. This invention would change the way war was fought. -
First Celebration of Thanksgiving
The Plymouth colony Pilgrims and Puritans, prompted by a good harvest celebrate with the Wampanoags, a tribe of Native Americans who had helped them get through the previous winter by giving them food, in exchange for an alliance and protection against a rival tribe. This first celebration would start the annual tradition, to become known as Thanksgiving. -
Indian Massacre of 1622
Peace had been established between the colonists and natives since the end of the First Powhatan War in 1614. Natives and colonists partnered in trade, visited each other’s settlements, and natives were often guests in colonist’s homes. However, the colonists had begun to spread from their initial settlement at Jamestown, taking more lands from the Powhatan Confederacy. The attack was a complete surprise and resulted in the death of 347 English Colonists. -
James I revokes Virgina's charter
Making it a royal colony with an appointed governor. -
Method for Blood Transfusion Invented
French physician Jean-Baptiste Denys invents a method for blood transfusion. -
Steam Turbine Invented
Italian engineer and architect Giovanni Branca invents a steam turbine. -
Settlement of Boston
John Winthrop and 175 colonists of the Massachusetts Bay colony choose the trimountain to harbor area to establish a town. -
Maryland Founded as a Catholic Colony
Promotion religous tolerance, the subsequent state would be named for Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of England's Charles I. -
Colonial Hurricane
The Great Colonial Hurrican strikes the Atlantic Coast and the colonies of Jamestown, Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay. Much of the area was damaged and the damage was still noticeable 50 years later. -
Fundamental Orders
The first written constitution in the colonies, Roger Ludlow's Fundamental Orders, is adopted by representatives from Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield, Connecticut; it remains in effect until 1818. -
Witchcraft is made a capital crime in English Law
And interestingly, the Massachusetts colony becomes the first colony to legalize slavery. -
The Body of Liberties
The Massachusetts Bay Colony established it's first set of laws in the "The Body of Liberties". They would use past documents as the basis; documents like the Magna Carta, the Petition of Rights granted by English Parliament to King Charles and scripture. The document going forward, would be credited as influential in the crafting of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. -
First Female Barrister
Margaret Brent is the first woman to appear in a Court of the Common Law as the first female barrister in America. Regarded as a feminist today, she advocated for her own legal prerogative as an unmarried property owner. -
Colonial population is estimated at 50,400
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First Legalized Corporation
The Harvard Board becomes the first legalized corporation in the American Colonies, fourteen years after the establishment of Harvard College. -
First Bible printed in America
John Eliot's Algonquin Bible is the first Bible printed in America, it was printed in the native Algonquin Indian Language, not English. -
First Reflecting Telescope Invented
By mathematician and astronomer James Gregory. Isac newton would build on this with his invention in 1668. -
New York Founded
The Dutch republic colonial province of New Netherland is conqured, and renamed New York. -
Fundamental Constitutions of Caroline
Attempt to establish Carolina as a Feudal colony with a representative assembly -
Doxology Written
Thomas Ken was born in 1637 and orphaned soon after. Raised by his sister and her husband, he became an Oxford scholar and eventually became chaplain to members of royalty before becoming a bishop in the Anglican church. He wrote a manual of prayers in 1674, including a three-verse one simply named Morning Hymn. The doxology (which is simply a combination of two Greek words to mean ‘word of glory’) as we know today is the final verse of this poem, and it’s often sung without music. -
King Phillips War (First Indian War)
It was the Native Americans' last-ditch effort to avoid recognizing English authority and stop English settlement on their native lands. It was the Native Americans' last-ditch effort to avoid recognizing English authority and stop English settlement on their native lands. -
France claims Louisiana
When Robert Cavelier and Sieur de LaSalle explore the lower Mississippi River valley, France claims the region for itself. -
Halley's Comet
Comet first observed by English astronomer Edmond Halley. After examining reports of a comet in 1531, 1607 and 1682 he correctly predicted its return in 1758.0 -
Colony of Pennsylvania Established
William Penn signs a treat with the Delaware Indians and pays for Pennsylvania lands. -
Johann Sebastian Bach, born
Born in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany, on March 31, 1685 (N.S.) / March 21, 1685 (O.S.), Johann Sebastian Bach came from a family of musicians, stretching back several generations. His father, Johann Ambrosius, worked as the town musician in Eisenach, and it is believed that he taught young Johann to play the violin. -
English Parliment Adopts Bill of Rights
An act signed into law by William II and Mary II, outlining specific constitutional and civil rights. It would later become the basis for the American Bill of Rights. -
First Newspaper Published
The Publick Occurrences, the first newspaper published in Boston. -
First Paper Money issued
By the Massachusetts Bay Colony, bills of credit to pay for their military service in King William's War. -
Plymouth Colony joins the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Losing its independence in a proclamation from King William III and Queen Mary II following King Phillips War. -
Salem Witch Hunts
Spurred by preaching, resulted in the arrest of 150 people and the death of 19.0 These trials were held in Essex, Suffolk and Middlesex counties. -
The Navigation Act passed
Acts of Parliament signed with the intention to promote the self-sufficiency of the British Empire by restricting colonial trade to England and decreasing dependance on foreign imported goods.