Colonial America Timeline (1492-1763)
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1492 | Aug 3. Christopher Columbus sails on First Voyage. |
1497 | ![]() |
1499 | Amerigo Vespucci finds the South American Coast. |
1507 | “America” is first used in a book, referring to the New World. Amerigo Vespucci receives credit for the discovery of the continent. |
1513 | Spaniard Ponce de Leon makes landfall in Florida.![]() |
1517 | Oct 31. Protestant Reformation, led by Martin Luther is launched in Europe. |
1524 | ![]() |
1534 | Sep. Jacques Cartier sails from France to explore the New World. |
1541 | ![]() |
1565 | Spain establishes the first European Colony in North America, St. Augustine, Florida. |
1577 | ![]() |
1584 | July 4. First Expedition, led by Sir Walter Raleigh, arrives at Roanoke Island. |
1585 | ![]() |
1587 | Aug 18. Virginia Dare is the first English child born in the Roanoke Colony. |
1607 | ![]() |
1607 | Dec. Captain John Smith is captured by the Powhatans at Werowocomoco. |
1609 | Colonists’ plant and harvest native tobacco in Virginia. |
1609 | ![]() |
1610 | During that winter of 1609-1610, nearly 440 settlers of Jamestown die because of what is known as Starving Time. |
1614 | ![]() |
1620 | Nov. 11. Earliest Plymouth Colony document is known as the Mayflower Compact |
1620 | Dec. 21 Landing party arrives what is to become the Plymouth Colony. |
1621 | ![]() |
1626 | Manhattan Island was bought by Peter Minuit from Native Americans. |
1629 | ![]() |
1629 | Massachusetts Bay Colony Royal charter was issued by Parliament. |
1635 | The first public school in America is established, Boston Latin School. |
1636 | Harvard College in Massachusetts is founded. |
1638 | Cambridge, Massachusetts is where the first Colonial printing press is located. |
1641 | New England makes Slavery legal. |
1652 | Rhode Island passes the first law within the colonies making slavery illegal. |
1663 | ![]() |
1673 | May. Marquette and Joliet cross Lake Michigan into Wisconsin |
1675 | ![]() |
1676 | July 30. Declaration of the People of Virginia leads to Bacon’s Rebellion. |
1677 | Colonists in North Carolina rebel against taxation by the English. |
1681 | ![]() |
1690 | King William’s War starts to spread to the colonies. |
1692 | ![]() |
1699 | The parliament in England passes the Wool Act. |
1705 | The Virginia Black Code is passed in Virginia. |
1706 | ![]() |
1707 | Act of the Union combines England, Scotland, and Wales as part of the United Kingdom. |
1710 | Post Office Act passes in the English parliament. Begins a postal system in the colonies. |
1718 | May 7. The French establishes New Orleans. |
1720 | Population of the American colonists number 475,000. |
1732 | ![]() |
1737 | First copper Coins of the Colony are minted in Connecticut. |
1754 | ![]() |
1763 | Feb. 10. French and Indian War ends with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. |