US History timeline & concept chart: 16th-18th centuries (to 1754) British-American colonies

US History timeline & concept chart: American colonies 17th & mid-18th centuries

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U.S. History course pages:

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British Colonial America growth

PERIOD / TIMELINE	Major Events, Concepts & Themes	Notes & connections: details of issues, concepts, themes & events
1497 Cabot expedition to explore coast of North America 15xx Roanoke settlement fails 1578 "Frobisher expedition" to find the Northwest Passage (route to Asia over Canada) failed but spurred British interest in North America 1607-11 Henry Hudson explorations of Canada in search of Northwest Passage 1607 Jamestown settlement 1614 Tobacco 1st shipped to England 1634 Maryland founded by Catholic George Calvert 1642 English Civil War 1651 British Navigation Act 1676 Bacon's Rebellion 1681, William Penn granted charter for Pennsylvania 1692 Salem Witchcraft Trials 1721 British policy of "Salutary Neglect"	Population growth 1530-1680: 200,000 immigrants to colonies increasing diversity of migrants from England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany diverse origins, religions, and motives	BIG IDEAS during 1500s Britain sponsors several exploratory expeditions to the Americas the goal is to find gold and a passage to Asia starting with Roanoke expedition ion DETAILS early British explorations of North America 1497 John Cabot sent by Henry VII to explore North American coast and find gold or other riches Cabot's name was Giovanni Caboto; he was from Venice, Italy 1st European visit to coastal North America since the Vikings his 1st expedition was unsuccessful the 2nd reached "Newfoundland", the easternmost point of modern Canada he may also have encountered Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia and/or Maine a third expedition was organized in 1498 unsuccessful, and Cabot may have been lost at sea 1508-9 Sebastian Cabot's expedition John Cabot's son he explored the North American coast from the Hudson Strait (and possibly the Hudson Bay itself) to the Chesapeake Bay Henry VIII became king in 1509 and had no interest in further explorations of North America 1607-11 Henry Hudson seeks the Northwest Passage Hudson explored the Chesapeake Bay, the Delaware Bay, the Hudson River, Nova Scotia and the Hudson Bay Hudson made land claims and traded with Native Americans (fur) after spending the winter of 1611 at James Bay (southern part of Hudson Bay), Hudson's crew mutinied and sent him, his son, and a few crewmen into the Bay in a small boat, where after they disappeared Hudson's primary accomplishments were British claims on land development of fur trade competition with the Dutch for North American lands and fur trade Virginia settlements of North America Tobacco economy John Rolfe planted seed from Trinidad in Virginia 1614 fist tobacco shipment to England spurred colonial projection 1634 Maryland founded by Catholic George Calvert, Lord Baltimore; granted by English King Charles I first prioprietary colony = owned and governed by an individual British governance of early colonies up until 1763, Britain largely ruled the colonies indirectly events leading up to and after the English Civil War occupied British attentions outside of the colonies English Civil War Glorious Revolution Restoration the primary method of governance was through charters, grants and trade regulations King James II's 1686 attempt to impose more direct rule of the colonies by revoking existing charters of most northeastern colonies into the "Dominion of New England" failed (see below) Royal charters & mercantilism colonial reorganization in order to control the colonial possessions, the British government/ King created or reorganized colonial charters Plymouth colony, for example, never received a Royal charter and thus lacked legal standing after dissolution of the Dominion of New England in 1689 and the Massachusetts Bay Colony's charter was revoked by James II the British "Lords of Trade" incorporated them in 1691 into Province of Massachusetts Bay along with coast islands and most of modern Maine (but without New Hampshire) Dominion of New England in response to colonial resistance of the Navigation Acts, as well as in order to more directly rule the region in 1686 King James II reorganized various New England and Mid-Atlantic colonial entities into the Dominion of New England the proprietary colonies of Delaware and Pennsylvania were excepted especially targeted was the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Boston merchants for resisting the Navigation Acts colonial resistance: resented the revocation of their charters and feared that the English King was trying to impose the Church of England the 1689 Boston revolt and Leisler Rebellion (in New York) resisted Dominion rule the Dominion was dismantled in 1689 and new charters were granted after the Glorious Revolution under William & Mary mercantilism European political and economic policy of forcing colonial possessions to trade directly with the home country and not others Navigation Act of 1651 required that all trade to/from colonies had to be conducted on English ships designed to force American colonists to trade directly with England was mostly targeted at colonial trade with the Dutch, which the English wanted to halt the Act contributed to the Anglo-Dutch war of 1652-54 (impacted colonial trade but no battles in North America) Navigation Acts of 1651, 1660 & 1696 targeted specific goods that were to be transported only on English ships including: sugar, tobacco, fabric, indigo (dye), ginger required that ships trading with American colonies must first stop at British ports for inspection and taxes the 17th century Navigation Acts were largely unenforced in the American colonies Salutary neglect "salutary" = "producing good effects," usually as result of something unwanted lax British control of the colonies up until 1763 (after the French-Indian War) Britain governed through granting or reorganization of land and colonial charters, taxes on imports into England and occasional enforcement of "Navigation Acts" British fiscal policy 1721 followed the idea of "salutary neglect": Robert Walpole, British Lord Commissioner of the Treasury in 1721: sought to increase taxes on colonies by reducing them, which would allow for greater economic activity Walpole wrote: " “if no restrictions were placed on the colonies, they would flourish” which would lead to an increase in trade with the colonials, and, thus, higher tax receipts on duties on that trade the term "salutary neglect" was coined in 1775 by Edmund Burke, a pro-colonial Irish-British politician click EXPAND for excerpt from Burke's speech to Parliament in 1775: “That I know that the colonies in general owe little or nothing to any care of ours, and that they are not squeezed into this happy form by the constraints of watchful and suspicious government, but that, through a wise and salutary neglect, a generous nature has been suffered to take her own way to perfection; when I reflect upon these effects, when I see how profitable they have been to us, I feel all the pride of power sink, and all presumption in the wisdom of human contrivances melt, and die away within me.” see What Was the British Policy of Salutary Neglect? (historyofmassachusetts.org)

Southern colonial economies & demographics

PERIOD / TIMELINE	Major Events, Concepts & Themes	Notes & connections: details of issues, concepts, themes & events
1660–1677 Governor Sr. William Berkely in office 1660s settlers encroach upon Indian lands along "Northern Neck" land between Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers 1666 colonists declare war upon Native Americans in Northern Neck region 1675-76 Bacon's Rebellion 1680s significant growth in slavery 1730s rice economy	cash crops plantation economy coastal elites Governor Berkeley backcountry farmers yeoman farmers Bacon's Rebellion slavery	BIG IDEAS plantation economy social/ economic stratification frontier settlements & conflict with Native Americans Bacon's Rebellion expansion of slavery by early 1700s VA & MD planters switch from indentured servants to slaves DETAILS cash crops: tobacco in NC, VA and MD rice/ indigo in SC plantation economy increasing use of slaves demographics stratification of southern society Southern gentry large estates gentry lifestyle, including hunting, horse racing, gambling, dancing coastal or Tidewater elites based on plantations and ports indentured servants and "backcountry" farmers: half of indentures servants died in colonies before earning freedom yoeman farmers owned their land, engaged in subsistence farming many former servants become tenent farmers (rent not land ownership) due to costs of land surveys, fees, farming equipment & animals, etc. general trend is towards small-farm ownership and westward expansion in search for new lands to farm rice economy 1730 Parliament removed rice from mercantalist restrictions, freeing sale directly to other nations rice economy rose/fell with wars when price was high benefited freeholders and not large plantations Bacon's rebellion background: Governor Sr. William Berkely controlled House of Burgesses via political patronage and favors among elites exempted himself and ruling "governor council" members from taxes restricted right to vote to property ownership (cut vote rolls by half) growing conflict with Native Americans over colonial encroachment on frontier lands 1675 war between Native Americans and frontier settlers coastal elites did not want war with Indians Nathaniel Bacon = wealthy landowner, buys frontier land, attacked by Indians member of the governor's council but sides with frontier farmers on war with Native Americans Bacon leads his own militia to fight Native Americans Gov Berkeley calls for new election but new legislators back Bacon and authorize militia known as "Bacon's Laws" also restores vote to all free men and removed Berkeley's tax exemptions Bacon still opposes Berkeley regime, with small army takes over capital at Jamestown and charges Berkeley with corruption Berkeley flees, raises his own army and battles Bacon's army Bacon escapes but dies while hiding in a swamp and his army disintegrate

Colonial slavery

PERIOD / TIMELINE	Major Events, Concepts & Themes	Notes & connections: details of issues, concepts, themes & events
1619 first Africans colonial America 1638 Maryland legally recognizes slavery 1705 Virginia slave code enacted	subtitle	BIG IDEAS DETAILS 1619: first African slaves brought to British colonies by Dutch merchants British entry to slave trade via Royal African Company (1672) 1680s growth in central / south colonies slavery & slave culture growth in slavery in 1680s after Bacon's rebellion wealthy planters increased reliance on slaves instead of indentured servants expanding frontiers, especially in Pennsylvania, had diminished flow of indentured servants increase in transatlantic slave trade, including by British under the Royal African Company starting 1672 slave culture maintain oral traditions, songs mixture of African and colonial cultures

New England colonial expansion

PERIOD / TIMELINE	Major Events, Concepts & Themes	Notes & connections: details of issues, concepts, themes & events
	subtitle	BIG IDEAS coastal economy townships frontier Indian Wars DETAILS coastal economy King George's War spurred adventurism and privateerism >> see Taylor on 1/4th of Boston freeman had ownership of a ship

central colonies

PERIOD / TIMELINE	Major Events, Concepts & Themes	Notes & connections: details of issues, concepts, themes & events
	subtitle	BIG IDEAS DETAILS PA land >> = decline in indentured servitude Quakers During King George's war European demand for food due to war and poor harvests increased demand for grain Chesapeake region conversion to diverse crops tobacco still largest export growth in central coast ports, especially Baltimore

Colonial wars

War Timeline	Colonial name	European name	Consequence
1675-1763	"French & Indian Wars" include: King Philip's War King William's War Queen Anne's War King George's War French-Indian War		BIG IDEAS the colonial "French & Indian Wars" were part of various European "dynastic wars" in French known as "Intercolonial wars" all of these wars were largely result of American colonial expansion, including: rising population frontier settlement, especially by small farmers' European political and religious dynamics deeply influenced British and French colonial interactions as well as among and between the British colonies
1675–1678	King Philip's War	n/a - independent of European conflicts or involvement	early Pilgrims & Wampanoag chief Massasoit maintained friendly relations upon his death, his son, Metacom, accused colonists of violating agreements (land use) led raids on Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and Connecticut villages & settlements colonial militia responded considered the most deadly of all colonial wars half of colonial towns attacked and 12 destroyed 1/10 colonial males killed 100s of Wampanaogs executed or enslaved Wampoaaogs lands entirely lost to them impact upon New England identity war conducted without British involvement or support created distinct identify and sense of independence from Britain
1688–1697	King William's War	War of the Grand Alliance War of the League of Augsburg Nine Years' War	started due to New England expansion into Acadia, a region of New France France aligned Wabanaki Confederacy opposed colonialists and their allied Iroquois Confederacy wiki: The Iroquois dominated the economically important Great Lakes fur trade and had been in conflict with New France since 1680.[15]:43 At the urging of New England, the Iroquois interrupted the trade between New France and the western tribes. In retaliation, New France raided Seneca lands of western New York. In turn, New England supported the Iroquois in attacking New France, which they did by raiding Lachine. also konwn as Second Indian War resulted in no changes in British of French colonial territories Wabanaki Confederacy" held off colonial American attempts to expand into southern Main
1702–1713	Queen Anne's War	War of the Spanish Succession	War of Spanish Succession over death of Spanish King Charles II France and England wanted colonies to remain neutral existing colonial border tensions were enflamed by the European conflict included French, Spanish & British boundaries in Newfoundland & Hudson Bay Massachusetts & Maine Carolinas English colonial population 250,000 French & Spanish populations were negligible, relying mostly on Indian allies outcome: British take Acadia, Newfoundland, Hudson Bay, and Saint Kitts
1722–1725	Dumner's War	n/a - colonial war not part of European dynastic wars	series of conflicts between New England colonials and Wabanaki Confederacy William Dummer was governor of Massachusetts fought mostly in Maine and Nova Scotia source of conflict was ongoing British colonial settlements in Maine and (modern) Vermont the Wabanaki Confederacy had not been party to French and English settlement of Queen Anne's War and so did not adhere to the French-British agreement outcome was that New England colonials took over most of Acadia (Maine)
1739	War of Jenkin's Ear	n/a - colonial conflict not part of European dynastic wars	a Spanish commander sliced the ear of a British merchant captain the conflict was largely in the Caribbean British colonials from Georgia attacked the Spanish St. Augustine, FL in 1740 Spanish forces retaliated in 1742 with an attack upon the Georgia coast, which was repelled the conflict did not involve the French, but did morph into the larger European conflict in the War of the Austrian Succession
1744–1748	King George's War	War of the Austrian Succession	New England colonists organized invasion of Nova Scotia led to heavy losses of colonial forces, 8% of males were killed the war energized New England ship building industry adventurism / privateers & investments in expeditions on Spanish ships & possessions in Caribbean European demand for food due to war and poor harvests increased demand for grain & rice conclusion of the war changed no boundaries and did not settle tensions may be considered as contributor to French-Indian War of 1754
1754–1763	French-Indian War	Seven Years' War	to be discussed in subsequent timeline & concepts chart