SUMMARY BY COLONIES. 1492. 1492-1763. America having been discovered and extensively explored, actual possession was taken of the new regions by the planting of settlements in them. The first attempts at settlement on the part of the French and English were not successful. On the part of the Spaniards, St. Augustine, Florida, was settled in 1565, and is therefore the oldest settlement in the United States. Virginia. The next permanent settlement 1607. (this was made by the English) was at Jamestown. The growth of Virginia was at first slow, owing to the unfitness of the settlers for pioneer life. Domestic strife, the "Starving Time," hostility of the Indians, and Bacon's Rebellion were causes against the progress of the colony; the marriage of Pocahontas, importation of wives, and the cultivation of tobacco contributed to its prosperity. African slavery began in 1619. 1609. 1620. English king and English church were alike faithfully honored here. The gentry of Virginia. dwelt on their great plantations after a fashion almost patriarchal.' New York and New Jersey.-The discovery of the Hudson river for the Dutch and their explorations gave them a title to the country, which they took advantage of by making settlements at various places. Liberal inducements were offered to settlers, who, coming mostly from England, preferred English rule; and the Dutch governor was compelled to submit (1664). New Netherlands, while in the possession of the Dutch, made good progress in population and wealth. A large fur trade was carried on with the Indians. The early history of New Jersey is connected with that of New York, both colonies having been under the same ownership or governor much of the time. In both were large numbers of slaves. The Jerseys were never disturbed by Indian wars. The government of both colonies was of the class called provincial or royal. New England.-Religious motives influenced the first settlers of all the New England colonies. The Pilgrims left England to escape persecution, and, after a brief stay in Holland, established themselves at Plymouth. The other New Eng Sovereigns of England. Elizabeth. 1558-1603. James I. 1603-1625. James I. 1634. 1650. Summary by Colonies. land colonies, except Rhode Island, were settled Maryland.-The first settlement was made at North and South Carolina.-The first settlement in North Carolina was made on the Chowan river (1650), that of South Carolina on the Ashley (1670). The settlers were from Virginia, England, or from English possessions: they were influenced by the hope of bettering their worldly condition. The cultivation of rice was carried on extensively; and indigo, tar, and turpentine were exported. The Grand Model," from which great expectations had been formed, was a hindrance to the growth of North and South Carolina. The colony was divided in 1729. The form of government of both colonies was provincial or royal. Pennsylvania and Delaware. -Both Delaware and Pennsylvania were settled by Swedes, the former more than forty years before Penn received his charter (1638). The subjugation of the Swedes by the Dutch placed the settlers under the rule of New Netherlands (1655), but the sur 121 Charles I. 1625-1649. Charles I Charles II 1660-1685. Charles I. render of New Netherlands to the English gave that power undisturbed possession of the whole region (1664). The charter obtained by Penn, with his grant of Delaware from the Duke of York, put both Pennsylvania and Delaware under 1682. proprietary rule. Like the New England colonies and Maryland, a leading motive for the settlement of Pennsylvania was religious. Penn welcomed all good men to his colony, but he extended a special invitation to Quakers, who were subjected to persecution in England. As the Indians were dealt with justly and kindly, no Indian war ever disturbed the colony of Pennsylvania or Delaware. Both colonies, especially the former, made rapid growth in population. 1733. 1689 to Georgia. -The first settlement was at Savannah. The colony was established for the poor-that is, for those persons in England who could not pay their debts, and who, in consequence, were condemned by law to spend their lives in prison. Other distressed persons found a shelter in Georgia, but for a long time the colony did not prosper. How could it with such settlers? The hostility of the Spanish neighbors of Florida was another cause that operated against its prosperity, until, finally, the colony was returned to the crown, and thence forth was under provincial or royal government. European Wars.-The three wars of European origin-King William's, Queen Anne's, and King 1748. George's-afflicted the northern colonies most. Their only important result in America was the transfer of Acadia to England's possession. 1754. French and Indian War.-This was a contest between England and France for dominion in America. Both powers claimed the territory west of the Alleghany mountains. The English were aided by their colonists and the Iroquois, the French by their colonists and the Indians of Canada. The French, in the first years of the war, drove the English from the western part of Pennsylvania and the northern part of New York; but the English expelled the Acadians from Nova Scotia, recovered their lost territory of Pennsylvania and New York, and finally gained a great victory before Quebec. Result: Canada and all the region to the Mississippi, except a very small portion at the mouth of that river, became British 1763. territory; the debt of Great Britain was greatly increased; and the colonists had taken important lessons in the art of war, which, in a short time, were to be turned to account in enabling them to resist oppression and gain their independence, Topical Review. GENERAL SUMMARY. 123 1607 When Newport sailed up the James river, all America from Nova Scotia to Florida, was still in possession of the Indians. Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in America. Two years later the Dutch, under the leadership of an 1609. English navigator, entered the Hudson river; but before Holland had effected any settlement in the new region, the Virginians had gone through the experience of a "starving time," and had married one of their number to Pocahontas; and so rapid was the march of events that before the Dutch began in earnest to colonize New Netherlands (1623) the African slave made his appearance at Jamestown (1619). The slave preceded 1620. the Pilgrim. When, then, the Mayflower's "little crew de scended upon the solitary rock on that level shore of Plymouth," slavery was already planted in America. The Pilgrim Fathers" took early measures to secure themselves from Indian molestation by making a treaty with Massasoit. New Hampshire (1623) and Connecticut (1633) were settled; but, two years before Roger Williams "wandered over wooded hill and valley to unfurl the banner of religious toleration (1636)," Lord Balti1634. more's colonists had established themselves at an Indian village in Maryland. The Pequod war, in Connecticut, was ended before the Swedes made their appearance in the Delaware. The formation of the New England Union was effected (1643) before North Carolina was settled (1650), or before the Dutch subdued the Swedes in Delaware (1655), or even before the Puritans persecuted the Quakers (1656). The transfer of New Netherlands to the English (1664) in the same year led to the colonization of New Jersey (1664). King Philip's war, in New England (1675), overlapped Bacon's Rebellion, in Virginia (1676); and when William Penn commenced what he called the "holy experiment," 1682. and founded the "City of Brotherly Love," Charleston, in South Carolina, was just two years old. During King William's war, Andros's career, as governor of New England, was brought to a close (1689), and the "witchcraft delusion" prevailed (1692). The 1732. year in which Oglethorpe and other benefactors were sent across the ocean to provide in America an asylum for the " poor, distressed, or persecuted" was the year of Washington's birth (1732). Georgia was the last settled of the thirteen colonies (1733). TOPICS FOR REVIEW. BIOGRAPHICAL. (See Hillard's Life of Smith in Sparks's John Smith. Pocahontas. (See Hillard's Life of Smith.) King Philip. Peter Stuyvesant. William Penn. Jamestown. Kennebec R. Plymouth.. 53-59 55-57 (See Knowles's Memoirs of Williams, also 84, 85 86-96 (See Janney's Life of Penn, also Dixon's.) - .53-59 Wilmington... Charlestown (now of Boston).. Connecticut R.. 93 92 97 98 .98, 99 99 ..101, 107, 108 73 Salem... .68, 74 burg)... Crown Point.. New York City. Albany. Delaware R.. Long Island.. Potomac R.. Virginia. New York. 69 Ohio R.. 69 Alleghany R.. 70 Fort Duquesne (now Pitts ..103-111 ...103, 104 .105-111 ..107, 108 80-85 Fort Ticonderoga.. 82-85 Lake Champlain. .82,94 Fort Niagara.. .107, 108 .41, 107, 108 107 .86, 87 Lake George.. 108 Massachusetts.. New Hampshire.. Connecticut.. .64-79 Georgia.. .99-101 67 European Wars. 101 .69-77 French and Indian War... 105-111 |