Timeline of Colonial America facts for kids

The history of North America is a long and exciting story, filled with amazing discoveries and big changes. From the very first people who arrived thousands of years ago to the founding of new nations, this timeline will guide you through the early years of what would become the United States and Canada. You'll learn about ancient cultures, brave explorers, and the challenges faced by early settlers.

Early Times: Before European Arrivals (30,000 BC – 1500 AD)

Long before Europeans arrived, North America was home to many different groups of people. These first inhabitants traveled from Asia across a land bridge called Beringia. This bridge connected Asia and North America, but it disappeared around 11,000 BC.

Ancient Cultures and New Ways of Life

Over thousands of years, these early people developed new ways to live.

• Around 5000 BC – People in the Tehuacán Valley matorral began to farm. This was a huge step, as it meant they could settle down instead of always moving to find food.
• Around 1500 BC – The Eastern Woodland culture began to grow. These groups lived in the eastern parts of North America.
• Around 1200 BC – The Olmec culture emerged in what is now Mexico. They were known for their large stone carvings and complex societies.
• Around 500 BC – The amazing Maya civilization started to flourish. They were famous for their writing, math, and astronomy. At the same time, the Adena culture developed in North America.
• Around 300 BC – Maize (corn) was first grown in Eastern North America. This crop became a very important food source.
• 100 BC – 400 AD – The Hopewell tradition was a major culture known for its large earthworks and trade networks.
• Around 600 AD – The Mississippian culture began to thrive. They built large mound cities, like Cahokia.
• Around 700 AD – The bow and arrow became widely used by people in Eastern North America. This made hunting much easier.
• 1200 AD – The city of Cahokia had a population of about 30,000 people. It was one of the largest cities in the world at that time.
• 1500 AD – The Mississippian culture began to decline and eventually disappeared.

The Age of Discovery: Europeans Arrive (1420 – 1550)

This period saw European explorers sailing across the oceans, looking for new trade routes and lands. They "discovered" continents that were already home to millions of people.

First Voyages and New Lands

• 1492 – Christopher Columbus made his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. He landed in the Caribbean, believing he had reached Asia.
• 1494 – The Treaty of Tordesillas was signed. This agreement divided the newly explored lands of the New World between Spain and Portugal.
• 1496 – Santo Domingo was settled. It is the oldest European settlement in the Americas that has been continuously lived in.
• 1497 – John Cabot made his first voyage, searching for a sea route to Asia called the Northwest Passage.
• 1498 – Vasco da Gama reached India by sailing around Africa.
• Around 1500 – The first African slaves were brought to Hispaniola. This marked the sad beginning of a long history of slavery in the Americas.

Exploring New Territories

• 1513 – Ponce de León explored Florida.
• 1519 – Hernán Cortés began his conquest of the Aztec Empire in Mexico.
• 1531–33 – Francisco Pizarro led the conquest of the Inca Empire in South America.
• 1539–42 – Hernando de Soto explored a large part of North America, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Ozarks.

English Expansion and Early Colonies (1558 – 1625)

England began to take a greater interest in the New World during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.

Queen Elizabeth I's Reign (1558 – 1603)

• 1559 – Tristan de Luna founded a short-lived settlement in Pensacola, Florida.
• 1565 – Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded St. Augustine, Florida. This became the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in what is now the United States.
• 1579 – Francis Drake claimed a region called New Albion (in present-day California) for England.
• 1585 – The Roanoke Colony was founded. This colony famously disappeared, becoming known as the "Lost Colony."
• 1588 – England and its allies defeated the powerful Spanish Armada. This victory helped England become a major sea power.

King James I's Reign (1603 – 1625)

• 1605 – George Weymouth explored the coast of New England.
• 1606 – The London Company and the Plymouth Company received special permissions (charters) to start colonies.
• 1607 – The Jamestown Settlement was founded. This was the first permanent English colony in North America. An attempt to start a colony at Sagadahoc failed.
• 1608 – Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City for France.
• 1609–10 – The colonists at Jamestown suffered through a very difficult period known as the Starving Time.
• 1609 – Henry Hudson explored the river that now bears his name, the Hudson River.
• 1614 – Peace was made between the Virginia colony and the Powhatan Confederacy, a group of Native American tribes.
• 1619 – The House of Burgesses, the first elected assembly in the colonies, met in Virginia. Also, the First Africans in Virginia arrived.
• 1620 – The Pilgrims founded the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts.
• 1622 – A major Indian massacre of 1622 occurred in Virginia, leading to many deaths among the colonists.
• 1624 – The Virginia Company failed, and Virginia became a crown colony, directly controlled by the English king. The Dutch West India Company founded New Netherland.
• 1624–28 – The Mohawks defeated the Mahicans in a conflict.

Growth of Colonies and Conflicts (1625 – 1660)

During this time, more English colonies were established, and there were growing tensions with Native Americans and other European powers.

King Charles I's Reign (1625 – 1649)

• 1626 – Salem, Massachusetts was founded. Peter Minuit purchased Manhattan Island for the Dutch.
• 1629 – The Massachusetts Bay Company was formed.
• 1630 – Puritans founded Boston and other settlements in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. John Winthrop gave his famous "City upon a Hill" sermon, describing their vision for the new colony.
• 1632 – George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore received a charter to found the Province of Maryland.
• 1634 – The first English settlers arrived in Maryland.
• 1635 – Roger Williams was expelled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his beliefs.
• 1636 – The Connecticut Colony was founded. Roger Williams founded the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, which offered religious freedom. Harvard University was also founded.
• 1637 – The Pequot War led to the killing of many Pequot people. The New Haven Colony was founded. Anne Hutchinson was expelled from Massachusetts Bay Colony for her religious views.
• 1638 – New Sweden was founded by the Swedes. Slavery was first mentioned in Maryland's laws.
• 1642 – The English Civil War began in England, affecting the colonies.
• 1643 – The New England Confederation was formed, a union of several colonies for defense.
• 1643–45 – War broke out between Native Americans and Dutch settlers.
• 1644 – The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations received its charter.
• 1644–46 – A Second Native American Massacre occurred in Virginia.
• 1646 – Peter Stuyvesant became the leader of New Netherland.
• 1649 – King Charles I was executed in England.

English Interregnum (1649 – 1660)

This was a period when England was ruled by Parliament, not a king.

• 1651 – Virginia recognized the authority of the Parliament of England.
• 1655 – The Dutch took control of New Sweden. The Peach Tree War occurred between Dutch settlers and Native American tribes.
• 1656 – The first Quakers arrived in New England.
• 1657 – Jews were allowed to become citizens of New Amsterdam. The Flushing Remonstrance was an important document for religious freedom.
• 1658 – Oliver Cromwell, who led England during this period, died.

Restoration and Further Expansion (1660 – 1689)

With the return of the monarchy in England, the colonies continued to grow and face new challenges.

King Charles II's Reign (1660 – 1685)

• 1660 – The monarchy was restored in England, and Charles II became king. The first Navigation Acts were passed, controlling colonial trade.
• 1662 – The king confirmed the charters of Rhode Island and Connecticut. A law in Virginia declared that children of enslaved mothers would also be enslaved.
• 1663 – The Province of Carolina was created by a royal charter.
• 1664 – England captured New Netherland from the Dutch and renamed it the Province of New York.
• 1669 – The Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina were written, setting up the colony's government.
• 1670 – Charleston, South Carolina was founded.
• 1672–74 – The Third Anglo-Dutch War took place.
• 1674 – East Jersey and West Jersey were chartered.
• 1675 – King Philip's War broke out, a major conflict between colonists and Native Americans.
• 1676 – Bacon's Rebellion in Virginia was put down. Metacomet (King Philip) was defeated. William Penn and the Quakers bought West Jersey.
• 1677 – Edmund Andros, Governor of New York, made the Covenant Chain agreement with the Iroquois.
• 1680 – The Province of New Hampshire became a royal colony.
• 1681 – William Penn received a charter to establish the Province of Pennsylvania, a place for religious freedom.
• 1682 – Philadelphia was founded in Pennsylvania.
• 1683 – The Province of New York held its first assembly and issued the Charter of Liberties.

King James II's Reign (1685 – 1689)

• 1685 – The Dominion of New England was created, combining several colonies under one governor.
• 1686 – Edmund Andros became Governor General of the Dominion of New England.
• 1688 – The Glorious Revolution took place in England, changing the monarchy.

Colonial Changes and Wars (1689 – 1714)

This period saw major political changes in England and new conflicts in the colonies.

William III and Mary II's Reign (1689 – 1694)

• 1689 – The Dominion of New England was overthrown in Boston. Leisler's Rebellion occurred in New York. War broke out with Kingdom of France, known as King William's War in the colonies.
• 1690 – Schenectady, New York was attacked by French and Native American troops. Massachusetts Bay Colony was the first to issue paper money. Spain began to colonize Texas.
• 1691 – The Province of Carolina passed a law to better control slaves.
• 1692 – The first of the Salem witch trials took place in Massachusetts.
• 1693 – Rice farming was introduced in the Province of Carolina.

William III's Reign (as sole monarch, 1694 – 1702)

• 1696 – The Board of Trade was established to oversee colonial trade.
• 1697 – The Treaty of Ryswick ended King William's War.
• 1699 – Parliament banned the export of colonial woolen goods. Free blacks were ordered to leave the Colony of Virginia.
• 1700 – A neutrality treaty was signed between the Iroquois and New France.
• 1701 – The Delaware Colony was granted its own charter, separating from Pennsylvania. Yale University was founded.
• 1702 – East Jersey and West Jersey merged to become the Province of New Jersey. The War of the Spanish Succession began in Europe, known as Queen Anne's War in the colonies. The Province of Carolina attacked St. Augustine.

Queen Anne's Reign (1702 – 1714)

• 1704 – The Raid on Deerfield occurred. The Province of Carolina allowed slaves to be armed during wartime.
• 1705 – The House of Burgesses in Virginia passed the Virginia Slave Codes of 1705, which further defined slavery.
• 1710 – Francis Nicholson took Port Royal from the French.
• 1711–12 – North Carolina fought the Tuscarora War against the Tuscarora people.
• 1712 – The New York Slave Revolt of 1712 occurred.
• 1713 – The Treaty of Utrecht ended Queen Anne's War.

Colonial Development and Growing Tensions (1714 – 1760)

The colonies continued to grow, but issues like slavery and conflicts with Native Americans and other European powers remained.

King George I's Reign (1714 – 1727)

• 1715 – South Carolina fought the Yamasee War against the Yamasee people.
• 1718 – The famous pirate Blackbeard was killed by naval forces from Virginia.
• 1719 – A rebellion occurred against the officials in South Carolina.
• 1720 – Slaves became the majority of the population in South Carolina.
• 1723 – Virginia passed a law to deal with slave conspiracies.

King George II's Reign (1727 – 1760)

• 1729 – The proprietary rights to South and North Carolina were given back to the Crown.
• Around 1730 – For the first time, most slaves in Chesapeake, Virginia were born in the New World.
• 1732 – The Province of Georgia was founded.
• 1735 – The Province of Georgia initially banned slavery.
• 1739 – The War of Jenkins' Ear began. The Stono Rebellion, a slave uprising in South Carolina, was crushed.
• 1740 – The Plantation Act was passed to encourage immigration to the colonies. Colonists were called "Americans" for the first time during the Battle of Cartagena de Indias. South Carolina enacted the Negro Act of 1740, which restricted the rights of enslaved people.
• 1741 – The New York Conspiracy of 1741 was stopped. Jonathan Edwards preached "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", a key sermon of the First Great Awakening.
• 1745 – New Englanders captured Louisbourg from the French.
• 1746 – Princeton University was founded.
• 1748 – The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ended the War of the Austrian Succession.
• 1750 – The Province of Georgia reversed its decision and allowed slavery.
• 1754 – The French and Indian War began. The French built Fort Duquesne. The Albany Congress met to discuss colonial union. Columbia University was founded.
• 1755–58 – The Expulsion of the Acadians occurred, where many French-speaking people were forced to leave their homes.
• 1756 – The Seven Years' War began in Europe.
• 1758 – Major battles occurred, including the Siege of Louisbourg and the Battle of Fort Duquesne.
• 1759 – The Battle of the Plains of Abraham was a key British victory against the French.
• 1760 – Jeffery Amherst received the surrender of New France, ending French rule in North America.

The Road to Revolution (1760 – 1783)

This period saw growing disagreements between the American colonies and Great Britain, leading to a fight for independence.

King George III's Reign (1760 – 1783)

• 1760 – George III became king.
• 1761 – Challenges were made against Writs of Assistance, which allowed British officials to search homes without cause.
• 1763 – The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 limited colonial expansion. Pontiac's War began. The Paxton Boys killed Conestoga Native Americans.
• 1764 – The British Parliament passed the Sugar Act and the Currency Act, which angered colonists. Brown University was founded.
• 1765 – The Stamp Act was passed, requiring colonists to pay a tax on many printed materials. The Quartering Act required colonists to house British soldiers. Riots broke out in Boston. The Stamp Act Congress met in New York City to protest.
• 1766 – The Declaratory Act was passed, repealing the Stamp Act but stating Parliament's right to tax the colonies.
• 1767 – The Townshend Acts were passed, taxing goods like tea, glass, and paper.
• 1768 – Massachusetts sent a circular letter to other colonies, urging them to resist the Townshend Acts. Bostonians rioted when the British ship Romney seized the Liberty.
• 1770 – The Boston Massacre occurred, where British soldiers fired on a crowd of colonists. The Townshend duties were repealed on all goods except tea.
• 1772 – The Gaspée incident occurred, where colonists burned a British ship. A committee of correspondence was established in Boston to share information among colonies.
• 1773 – The Boston Tea Party took place, where colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to protest taxes.
• 1774 – Parliament passed the Boston Port Act and the Massachusetts Government Act, punishing Massachusetts for the Tea Party. The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to discuss colonial grievances.
• 1775 – The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of armed conflict. The Second Continental Congress met. The Proclamation of Rebellion declared the colonies in rebellion.
• 1776 – Common Sense, a pamphlet by Thomas Paine, was published, arguing for independence. On July 4, the United States Declaration of Independence was adopted.
• 1776–81 – The American Revolution was fought.
• 1783 – Britain signed the Treaty of Paris, officially recognizing American independence. On November 25, the British left New York, and General George Washington returned triumphantly.