Timeline of pre–United States history
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This section of the timeline of United States history concerns events from before the lead up to the American Revolution ().


Antiquity

* 27,000–12,000 years ago – Humans cross the
Beringia Beringia is defined today as the land and maritime area bounded on the west by the Lena River in Russia; on the east by the Mackenzie River in Canada; on the north by 72 degrees north latitude in the Chukchi Sea; and on the south by the tip ...
land bridge into North and then South America. Dates of earliest migration to the Americas is highly debated. *c. 15,500 year old arrowhead; oldest verified arrowhead in the Americas, found in Texas. *c. 11,500 BCE – Start of Clovis Culture in North America. *c. 10,200 BCE –
Cooper Bison skull The Cooper Bison Kill Site is an archaeological site near Fort Supply in Harper County, Oklahoma, United States. Located along the Beaver River, it was explored in 1993 and 1994 and found to contain artifacts of the Folsom tradition, including ...
is painted with a red zigzag in present-day
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, becoming the oldest known painted object in North America. *c. 9500 BC – Cordilleran and Laurentide Ice Sheets retreat enough to open a habitable ice-free corridor through the northern half of the continent (North America) along the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains. *c. 1000 BCE-1000 CE
Woodland Period In the classification of :category:Archaeological cultures of North America, archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 Common Era, BCE to European con ...
of Pre-Columbian Native Americans in Eastern America. *200 CE – Pyramid of the Sun built near modern-day Mexico City. *250–900 CE – Classic Period of the Maya Civilization *600 CE – Emergence of
Mississippian culture The Mississippian culture was a Native Americans in the United States, Native American civilization that flourished in what is now the Midwestern United States, Midwestern, Eastern United States, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from appr ...
in North America.


988–1490

* 986 – Norsemen settle Greenland and
Bjarni Herjólfsson Bjarni Herjólfsson ( 10th century) was a Norse- Icelandic explorer who is believed to be the first known European discoverer of the mainland of the Americas, which he sighted in 986. Life Bjarni was born to Herjólfr, son of Bárdi Herjólfsso ...
sights coast of North American mainland, but doesn't land (see also Norse colonization of the Americas). * : Norse settle briefly in L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland. * c. 1100 – Oraibi was founded the year of 1128 CE, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements within the United States.Casey, Robert L. ''Journey to the High Southwest.'' Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press, 2007: 382. . *c. 1100-1200 – Cahokia near modern-day St. Louis reaches its apex population *c. 1190 – Construction begins on the Cliff Palace by
Ancestral Puebloans The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, were an ancient Native American culture that spanned the present-day Four Corners region of the United States, comprising southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, a ...
in modern-day Colorado *c. 1325 – Tenochtitlan founded as part of the
Aztec Empire The Aztec Empire or the Triple Alliance ( nci, Ēxcān Tlahtōlōyān, Help:IPA/Nahuatl, jéːʃkaːn̥ t͡ɬaʔtoːˈlóːjaːn̥ was an alliance of three Nahua peoples, Nahua altepetl, city-states: , , and . These three city-states ruled ...
*c. 1400 – Beginning of the European Age of Discovery. * : Norse colony in Greenland dies out. * 1473 – João Vaz Corte-Real perhaps reaches Newfoundland; writes about the "Land of Cod fish" in his journal. * 1479 -
Treaty of Toledo A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal pers ...
ends the War of the Castilian Succession. Portugal won the exclusive right of navigating, conquering and trading in all the Atlantic Ocean south of the Canary Islands. Forcing Spain to sail west to India. ** * before 1492 – Population estimates in the New World before European contact may be as high as 112 million people.


1492–1499

*1492 – Christopher Columbus, financed by Spain, lands on the island of
San Salvador San Salvador (; ) is the capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its eponymous department. It is the country's political, cultural, educational and financial center. The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, which comprises the capital i ...
in the Bahamas, discovering the New World for Europe. *1496 – Santo Domingo, the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas, is settled. *1497 –
John Cabot John Cabot ( it, Giovanni Caboto ; 1450 – 1500) was an Italian navigator and explorer. His 1497 voyage to the coast of North America under the commission of Henry VII of England is the earliest-known European exploration of coastal North ...
lands in
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
, beginning the British colonial presence in Continental North America.


1500–1599

* 1500 – Disappearance of
Mississippian culture The Mississippian culture was a Native Americans in the United States, Native American civilization that flourished in what is now the Midwestern United States, Midwestern, Eastern United States, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from appr ...
. *1503 –
Jaragua massacre The Jaragua massacre of July 1503, was the killing of indigenous natives from the town of Xaragua on the island of Hispaniola. It was ordered by the Spanish governor of Santo Domingo, Nicolás de Ovando, and carried out by Alonso de Ojeda during ...
*1504 –
Higüey massacre Higüey (), or in full Salvaleón de Higüey, is the capital city of the eastern La Altagracia Province, in the Dominican Republic, and the eighth largest city of that country. The Yuma River flows through the urban areas of Higüey. Higüey is ...
*1507 – A new world map by
Martin Waldseemuller Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...
names the continents of the New World "America" in honor of Amerigo Vespucci. *1508 – First European colony and oldest known European settlement in a United States territory is founded at Caparra, Puerto Rico, by
Ponce de Leon Ponce may refer to: *Ponce (surname) * *Ponce, Puerto Rico, a city in Puerto Rico ** Ponce High School ** Ponce massacre, 1937 * USS ''Ponce'', several ships of the US Navy *Manuel Ponce, a Mexican composer active in the 20th century * British sla ...
. *1512 – Laws of Burgos *1513 – Vasco Núñez de Balboa crosses isthmus of Panama, sees the Pacific Ocean. *1513 –
Juan Ponce de León Juan Ponce de León (, , , ; 1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and '' conquistador'' known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida and for serving as the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was born in Santervá ...
defeats Tlaxcala, a small state neighboring the
Aztec Empire The Aztec Empire or the Triple Alliance ( nci, Ēxcān Tlahtōlōyān, Help:IPA/Nahuatl, jéːʃkaːn̥ t͡ɬaʔtoːˈlóːjaːn̥ was an alliance of three Nahua peoples, Nahua altepetl, city-states: , , and . These three city-states ruled ...
. *1517 – Protestant reformation *1520s – Spanish begin the conquest of Aztec civilization. *1521 –
Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquess of the Valley of Oaxaca (; ; 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of w ...
conquered the Aztec empire. *1524 – Giovanni da Verrazzano, working for France, explores coastline from present-day Maine to North Carolina. *1526 –
Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón (c. 1480 – 18 October 1526) was a Spanish magistrate and explorer who in 1526 established the short-lived San Miguel de Gualdape colony, one of the first European attempts at a settlement in what is now the United State ...
briefly establishes the failed settlement of San Miguel de Gualdape in South Carolina, the first site of enslavement of Africans in North America and of the first
slave rebellion A slave rebellion is an armed uprising by enslaved people, as a way of fighting for their freedom. Rebellions of enslaved people have occurred in nearly all societies that practice slavery or have practiced slavery in the past. A desire for freedo ...
. *1534 –
Jacques Cartier Jacques Cartier ( , also , , ; br, Jakez Karter; 31 December 14911 September 1557) was a French-Breton maritime explorer for France. Jacques Cartier was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of th ...
plants a cross on the
Gaspé Peninsula The Gaspé Peninsula, also known as Gaspesia (; ), is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River that extends from the Matapedia Valley in Quebec, Canada, into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. It is separated from New Brunswick o ...
(modern Quebec) and claimed the land for France. *1539 –
Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1500 – 21 May, 1542) was a Spanish explorer and '' conquistador'' who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire ...
had 200 executed, in what was to be called Napituca Massacre. *1540 –
Francisco Vázquez de Coronado Francisco Vázquez de Coronado y Luján (; 1510 – 22 September 1554) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who led a large expedition from what is now Mexico to present-day Kansas through parts of the southwestern United States between 15 ...
is infamous for the Tiguex Massacres, after seizing the houses, food and clothing of the Tiwa Puebloans and raped their people, his army found themselves in conflict with the Rio Grande natives, which led to the brutal
Tiguex War The Tiguex War was the first named war between Europeans and Native Americans in what is now part of the United States. The war took place in New Spain, during the colonization of Nuevo México. It was fought in the winter of 1540-41 by the ex ...
. *1540 – Pedro de Tovar comes in contact with the
Hopi The Hopi are a Native American ethnic group who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, there are 19,338 Hopi in the country. The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation within the Unite ...
people at Oraibi as part of the expedition led by
Francisco Vázquez de Coronado Francisco Vázquez de Coronado y Luján (; 1510 – 22 September 1554) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who led a large expedition from what is now Mexico to present-day Kansas through parts of the southwestern United States between 15 ...
*1541 –
Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1500 – 21 May, 1542) was a Spanish explorer and '' conquistador'' who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire ...
discovers the Mississippi River, strengthening Spanish claims to the interior of North America. *1562 – Jean Ribault, leaves France with 150 colonists for the New World, establishing Charlesfort on
Parris Island Parris is both a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Parris Afton Bonds, American novelist * Parris Campbell (born 1997), American football player * Parris Duffus (born 1970), retired American ice hockey go ...
in South Carolina, which was abandoned several years later. *1564 – French Fort Caroline established on the banks of the
St. Johns River The St. Johns River ( es, Río San Juan) is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders twelve counties. The drop in eleva ...
, Florida; Colonized by huguenots, sacked by
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés Pedro Menéndez de Avilés (; ast, Pedro (Menéndez) d'Avilés; 15 February 1519 – 17 September 1574) was a Spanish admiral, explorer and conquistador from Avilés, in Asturias, Spain. He is notable for planning the first regular trans-oceani ...
in 1565. *1565 – Admiral
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés Pedro Menéndez de Avilés (; ast, Pedro (Menéndez) d'Avilés; 15 February 1519 – 17 September 1574) was a Spanish admiral, explorer and conquistador from Avilés, in Asturias, Spain. He is notable for planning the first regular trans-oceani ...
founds
St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; es, San Agustín ) is a city in the Southeastern United States and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabit ...
, the earliest successful Spanish/European settlement in the future continental United States. *1570s –
Iroquois Confederacy The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...
founded. *1579 –
Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580 (t ...
claims the lands of California for England and Queen Elizabeth I, landing in Drake's Bay and naming it New Albion. *1585 – Sir Walter Raleigh founds
Roanoke Colony The establishment of the Roanoke Colony ( ) was an attempt by Sir Walter Raleigh to found the first permanent English settlement in North America. The English, led by Sir Humphrey Gilbert, had briefly claimed St. John's, Newfoundland, in 15 ...
, the first English settlement in the New World, though he never set foot in it. *1587 – Virginia Dare was born on Roanoke making her the first known English child born in the New World. The first Asians to set foot on what would be the United States occurred when Filipino sailors arrived in Spanish ships at Morro Bay, California; see
Landing of the first Filipinos On October 18, 1587, the first Filipinos landed in what is now the Continental United States at Morro Bay. They arrived as crew aboard the ''Nuestra Señora de Buena Esperanza'', which had sailed from Portuguese Macau, as part of the Manila ga ...
. *1588 – First battle of the English against the
Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...
begins, leading to their defeat and the lessening of Spain's influence in the New World and the rise of English influence in the Americas. *1590 –
Roanoke Colony The establishment of the Roanoke Colony ( ) was an attempt by Sir Walter Raleigh to found the first permanent English settlement in North America. The English, led by Sir Humphrey Gilbert, had briefly claimed St. John's, Newfoundland, in 15 ...
found deserted. *1599 – Juan de Oñate and
Vicente de Zaldívar Vicente de Zaldívar (c. 1573 – before 1650) was a Spanish soldier and explorer in New Mexico. He led the Spanish force which perpetrated the Acoma Massacre at the Acoma Pueblo in 1599. He led or participated in several expeditions onto the Gre ...
committed the
Ácoma Massacre The Acoma Massacre refers to the punitive expedition by Spanish conquistadors at Acoma Pueblo in January 1599 that resulted in the deaths of around 500 Acoma men killed in a three-day battle, along with 300 women and children. Of the remaining Ac ...
killing approximately 500 warriors and 300 civilians of the Acoma Pueblos. And committed the Sandia Mountains massacre, killing 900 Tompiro Indians. King Philip III later punished Oñate for his cruelty.


1600–1699


1600s

*1602 – Bartholomew Gosnold is the first Englishman to land on the New England coast, exploring and naming Cape Cod and
Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the s ...
. *1605 – First capital of Acadia (French) was established as Port-Royal in modern-day Nova Scotia; it lasted until 1613. George Weymouth explores New England. *1606 – The joint-stock company Virginia Company of London is founded and granted a Royal Charter by James I to settle in the New World. *1607 – Establishment of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The short lived Popham Colony founded in Maine by the Virginia Company of Plymouth. *1608 – Founding of Quebec ( Habitation de Québec) by
Samuel de Champlain Samuel de Champlain (; Fichier OrigineFor a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December 1635) was a Fre ...
. *1609 – Henry Hudson explores the Hudson River and Delaware Bay for the Dutch. *1609–10 – The Starving Time at Jamestown.


1610s

*1610 –
Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label=Tiwa language, Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. ...
established by Spain *1612 – The Dutch establish a fur trading center with the Native Americans on
Manhattan Island Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. *1614 – Dutch claim New Netherland. John Rolfe successfully harvests tobacco in
Jamestown, Virginia The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James (Powhatan) River about southwest of the center of modern Williamsburg. It was ...
, ensuring the colony's success. *1615 – Fort Nassau (North River) founded near Albany, New York. *1617–19 – Smallpox kills roughly 90% of the Massachusetts Bay Indians *1619 – First enslaved Africans to the North American colonies arrived in
Jamestown, Virginia The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James (Powhatan) River about southwest of the center of modern Williamsburg. It was ...
aboard the White Lion. The House of Burgesses, the first democratically elected legislative body in English North America was formed in Jamestown. *1619 –
Squanto Tisquantum (; 1585 (±10 years?) – late November 1622 O.S.), more commonly known as Squanto Sam (), was a member of the Patuxet tribe best known for being an early liaison between the Native American population in Southern New England and t ...
return to northeast America after living in England.


1620s

*1620 –
Mayflower Compact The Mayflower Compact, originally titled Agreement Between the Settlers of New Plymouth, was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It was written by the men aboard the ''Mayflower,'' consisting of separatist Puritans, adventurers, an ...
signed. Plymouth Colony is founded in what would be Massachusetts, by the Plymouth Company. *1621 – Anthony Johnson is held as an Indentured servant in the Colony of Virginia. *1622 – Indian massacre of 1622 in Virginia. *1624 – King James I revokes the Virginia Company's charter, and Virginia becomes a royal colony. Foundation of
New Amsterdam New Amsterdam ( nl, Nieuw Amsterdam, or ) was a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''factory'' gave rise ...
by the
Dutch West India Company The Dutch West India Company ( nl, Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie, ''WIC'' or ''GWC''; ; en, Chartered West India Company) was a chartered company of Dutch merchants as well as foreign investors. Among its founders was Willem Usselincx ( ...
; would later be renamed
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
. *1625 – King James I dies; King Charles I becomes
King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...
*1628 –
Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...
founded.


1630s

*1630 – Winthrop Fleet to
Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...
.
Manor of Rensselaerswyck The Manor of Rensselaerswyck, Manor Rensselaerswyck, Van Rensselaer Manor, or just simply Rensselaerswyck ( nl, Rensselaerswijck ), was the name of a colonial estate—specifically, a Dutch patroonship and later an English manor—owned by the va ...
founded. Boston founded. *1632 –
Province of Maryland The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S. state of Maryland ...
founded. *1634 – Theologian
Roger Williams Roger Williams (21 September 1603between 27 January and 15 March 1683) was an English-born New England Puritan minister, theologian, and author who founded Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation ...
banished from
Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...
. *1636 –
Connecticut Colony The ''Connecticut Colony'' or ''Colony of Connecticut'', originally known as the Connecticut River Colony or simply the River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636 as a settl ...
founded by Thomas Hooker. *1636 –
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded by Roger Williams. It was an English colony from 1636 until ...
founded by
Roger Williams Roger Williams (21 September 1603between 27 January and 15 March 1683) was an English-born New England Puritan minister, theologian, and author who founded Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation ...
. *1636 – Harvard College founded. * *1637 – New Haven Colony founded. *1638 – The Free Grace Controversy ended, when Anne Hutchinson was banished from the
Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...
. *1638 –
Roger Williams Roger Williams (21 September 1603between 27 January and 15 March 1683) was an English-born New England Puritan minister, theologian, and author who founded Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation ...
founded the
First Baptist Church in America The First Baptist Church in America is the First Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, also known as the First Baptist Meetinghouse. It is the oldest Baptist church congregation in the United States, founded in 1638 by Roger Williams in Pr ...
. *1638 –
Pequot War The Pequot War was an armed conflict that took place between 1636 and 1638 in New England between the Pequot tribe and an alliance of the colonists from the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Saybrook colonies and their allies from the Narragans ...
ends in New England. New Sweden established around the southern
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
by Peter Minuit. *1639 – Fundamental Agreement of the New Haven Colony signed. Fundamental Orders of Connecticut adopted and the Crown formally recognizes the Virginia Assembly.


1640s

*1640 –
French and Iroquois Wars The Beaver Wars ( moh, Tsianì kayonkwere), also known as the Iroquois Wars or the French and Iroquois Wars (french: Guerres franco-iroquoises) were a series of conflicts fought intermittently during the 17th century in North America throughout t ...
escalate to full warfare. *1640 – Virginia courts sentence John Punch a black indentured servant to life of servitude for running away from an abusive plantation owner Hugh Gwyn. *1642 – Beginning of the English Civil War. Montreal founded. *1643 – New England Confederation created. *1643–1645 – Kieft's War in New Netherland. *1644–1646 – Third Anglo–Powhatan War *1649 –
Maryland Toleration Act The Maryland Toleration Act, also known as the Act Concerning Religion, the first law in North America requiring religious tolerance for Christians. It was passed on April 21, 1649, by the assembly of the Maryland colony, in St. Mary's City in S ...
. Execution of King Charles I and the establishment of Commonwealth in England.


1650s

*1651 – In the wake of the English Civil War, Virginia acknowledges the authority of the Parliament of England. *1655 – New Sweden becomes incorporated into the Dutch colony of New Netherland *1655 – John Casor was declared a slave for life after Anthony Johnson, a free black man, sued Robert Parker for stolen services. *1656 –
Elizabeth Key Grinstead Elizabeth Key Grinstead (Greenstead) (1630 – January 20, 1665) was one of the first black people of the Thirteen Colonies to sue for freedom from slavery and win. Key won her freedom and that of her infant son John Grinstead on July 21, 1656, i ...
was one of the first black people to sue for freedom for alleged slavery and win. *1656 – First Quakers arrive in New England. *1655 – Peach War *1658 – Death of Oliver Cromwell *1659–1663 – Esopus Wars


1660s

*1660 – Commonwealth of England collapses, Charles II is restored to the throne. *1660 – The
Royal African Company The Royal African Company (RAC) was an English mercantile (trade, trading) company set up in 1660 by the royal House of Stuart, Stuart family and City of London merchants to trade along the West Africa, west coast of Africa. It was led by the J ...
is founded. *1662 – The Virginia Colony passed a law incorporating the principal of partus sequitur ventrem, ruling that children of enslaved mothers would be born into slavery, regardless of their father's race or status * *1662 – Halfway Covenant adopted. *1663 – The Rhode Island Royal Charter provided recognition to the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation, and outlined many freedoms including freedom of religion and acknowledged Indian rights to the soil. *1663 – King Charles II grants charter for a new colony, (Province of Carolina). *1663 – Gloucester County, Virginia Revolt *1664 –
New Amsterdam New Amsterdam ( nl, Nieuw Amsterdam, or ) was a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''factory'' gave rise ...
captured by the English at the start of the Second Anglo-Dutch War. New Jersey and
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
established as Proprietary Colonies of England. *1665 –
The Duke's Laws The Duke of York's Laws for the Government of the Colony of New York were a set of guidelines laid out during the early years of English rule in the Colony of New York. Context In March 1665, Governor Richard Nicolls convened a convention at Hemp ...
are issued. *1667 – New Netherland ceded to England under Treaty of Breda. *1667 – Virginia law enacted, declaring that baptism of slaves does not exempt them from bondage. *1669 – Virginia law enacted, that killing one's own enslaved people was not a felony. *1669 – The Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina are drawn up. *1669–1670 – John Lederer of Virginia explores the Appalachian Mountains.


1670s

*1670 – Charles Town (
Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
) founded in present-day South Carolina. *1671 – The Batts-Fallam expedition sponsored by Abraham Wood reaches the
New River (West Virginia) The New River is a river which flows through the U.S. states of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia before joining with the Gauley River to form the Kanawha River at the town of Gauley Bridge, West Virginia. Part of the Ohio River wate ...
. *1672 – Blue Laws enacted in Connecticut. *1672–73 – Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette explore the Illinois Country. *1674 – New Netherland permanently relinquished to English with Treaty of Westminster. *1675 – King Philip's War (1675–76) in New England. *1676 – Bacon's Rebellion in Virginia; Bacon writes the "
Declaration of the People of Virginia The Declaration of the People of Virginia, or simply the Declaration of the People, was a list of complaints issued by Nathaniel Bacon on July 30, 1676, in which he proclaimed Virginia's colonial governor, William Berkeley, to be corrupt and ex ...
". *1677 – Colonists in North Carolina rebel against Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper. Edmund Andros, Governor of New York, negotiates the Covenant Chain with the Iroquois. Province of Maine absorbed by
Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...
. *1679 – War between the Westo and colonial South Carolina results in the destruction of the Westo. The Province of New Hampshire is created out of the
Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...
by royal decree from King Charles II.


1680s

*1680 - Pueblo Revolution *1681 – William Penn receives a royal charter from Charles II to establish Pennsylvania. *1682 –
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (; November 22, 1643 – March 19, 1687), was a 17th-century French explorer and fur trader in North America. He explored the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, the Mississippi River, ...
explored the Ohio River Valley and the Mississippi River Valley, and he claimed the entire territory for France as far south as the Gulf of Mexico. William Penn publishes "
Frame of Government of Pennsylvania The Frame of Government of Pennsylvania was a proto-constitution for the Province of Pennsylvania, a proprietary colony granted to William Penn by Charles II of England. The Frame of Government has lasting historical importance as an important step ...
" that provides for a precursor of a
bicameral Bicameralism is a type of legislature, one divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single grou ...
government. Philadelphia founded. *1685 – Charles II dies and his brother the Duke of York becomes King James II. Fort St. Louis ( French colonization of Texas) established near Arenosa Creek on
Matagorda Bay Matagorda Bay () is a large Gulf of Mexico bay on the Texas coast, lying in Calhoun and Matagorda counties and located approximately northeast of Corpus Christi, east-southeast of San Antonio, south-southwest of Houston, and south-southeast ...
by French explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle; the fort was abandoned in 1688. *1686 –
Arkansas Post The Arkansas Post (french: Poste de Arkansea) (Spanish: ''Puesto de Arkansas''), formally the Arkansas Post National Memorial, was the first European settlement in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain and present-day U.S. state of Arkansas. In 168 ...
established by Henri de Tonti as the first European settlement in the lower Mississippi River Valley. *1688 - The first recorded formal protest against slavery, the
1688 Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery The 1688 Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery was the first protest against enslavement of Africans made by a religious body in the Thirteen Colonies. Francis Daniel Pastorius authored the petition; he and three other Quakers living in G ...
. *1688–97 – King William's War, the North American theater of the
Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarch ...
. *1688 – The
Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
occurs; King James II flees to France and is replaced by William and Mary of Orange. *1689 – The English Parliament presents the English Bill of Rights to William and Mary and is later used as one of the models for the United States Bill of Rights. The
Boston Revolt The 1689 Boston revolt was a popular uprising on April 18, 1689, against the rule of Sir Edmund Andros, the governor of the Dominion of New England. A well-organized "mob" of provincial militia and citizens formed in the town of Boston, the cap ...
and Leisler's Rebellion occurs.
Toleration Act 1688 The Toleration Act 1688 (1 Will & Mary c 18), also referred to as the Act of Toleration, was an Act of the Parliament of England. Passed in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution, it received royal assent on 24 May 1689. The Act allowed for f ...
is passed by Parliament which gives limited freedom of religion to all English subject.


1690s

*c. 1690 – Spanish authorities, concerned that France posed a competitive threat, constructed several missions in East Texas; see Spanish Missions in Texas. *1690 – The first newspaper issue in the English colonies is published in Boston, the Public Occurrences. *1692 – Salem Witch Trials *1693 – College of William & Mary founded in Williamsburg, Virginia. Rice culture introduced in the Province of Carolina. *1694 –
Mary II Mary II (30 April 166228 December 1694) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, co-reigning with her husband, William III & II, from 1689 until her death in 1694. Mary was the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York, and his first wife ...
dies,
William III William III or William the Third may refer to: Kings * William III of Sicily (c. 1186–c. 1198) * William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702) * William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ...
takes sole rule over England. *1696 –
Cahokia, Illinois Cahokia was a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. It was located east of the Mississippi River in the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, 15,241 people lived in the village, a decline from 16,391 in 200 ...
established by French missionaries from Quebec and is one of the earliest permanent settlements in the region. *1697 – The Treaty of Ryswick ends King William's War and restores all colonial possessions to pre-war ownership. *1698 – The Parliament of England's
Trade with Africa Act 1697 The Trade with Africa Act 1697, also known as An Act to settle the Trade to Africa was a law passed by the Parliament of England to officially revoke the monopoly enjoyed by the Royal African Company in the African slave trade. Instead the act i ...
comes into effect, ending the Royal African Company's monopoly on English trade with Africa, including the
Atlantic slave trade The Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and i ...
. The act, which was passed in part due to heavy pressure from merchants in England's American colonies, results in the number of Africans transported to the American colonies being increased from 5,000 to 45,000 ''per annum''. *1699 – Capital of Virginia moved from Jamestown to
Williamsburg Williamsburg may refer to: Places *Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum and private foundation in Virginia *Williamsburg, Brooklyn, neighborhood in New York City *Williamsburg, former name of Kernville (former town), California *Williams ...
; Jamestown is slowly abandoned. The Wool Act forbade the export of wool from the American colonies. Free blacks ordered to leave the Colony of Virginia.


1700–1759


1700s

*1700 –
José Romo de Vivar José Romo de Vivar was a Novo Hispanic rancher and miner, considered to be one of the early settlers in Arizona. In 1700, Vivar drove his cattle to the Huachuca Mountains because he was convinced he could carve out a future in that territory. Desp ...
becomes one of the earliest European (Spanish) settlers in the future state of Arizona. *1701 – The Collegiate school at Saybrook is founded in Connecticut; it will later be renamed as Yale College. Delaware Colony granted charter, separating it from Pennsylvania. *1702 –
William III William III or William the Third may refer to: Kings * William III of Sicily (c. 1186–c. 1198) * William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702) * William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ...
dies, is succeeded by Queen Anne. Queen Anne's War (War of the Spanish Succession) begins. East Jersey and West Jersey become crown colonies.
Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...
founded. *1703 –
Kaskaskia, Illinois Kaskaskia is a village in Randolph County, Illinois. Having been inhabited by indigenous peoples, it was settled by France as part of the Illinois Country. It was named for the Kaskaskia people. Its population peaked at about 7,000 in the 18th c ...
established as a small mission station for the French. *1704 – The first regular newspaper publishes its initial edition in Boston, the News-Letter and was begun by John Campbell. The
Province of Carolina Province of Carolina was a province of England (1663–1707) and Great Britain (1707–1712) that existed in North America and the Caribbean from 1663 until partitioned into North and South on January 24, 1712. It is part of present-day Alaba ...
allows the arming of the enslaved population during time of war. *1705 – The House of Burgesses passes the Virginia Slave Codes of 1705. *1706 – Benjamin Franklin born in Boston. Albuquerque founded and named for the viceroy of New Spain, Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, 10th Duke of Alburquerque.


1710s

*1710 – Francis Nicholson takes
Port Royal Port Royal is a village located at the end of the Palisadoes, at the mouth of Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, it was once the largest city in the Caribbean, functioning as the centre of shipping and co ...
. *1711–15 – North Carolina fights the Tuscarora War with the Tuscarora people. *1712 – New York Slave Revolt of 1712. *1713 – The Treaty of Utrecht is signed, bringing an end to Queen Anne's War; England gains Nova Scotia. *1714 – Queen Anne dies; succeeded by George I. Natchitoches established by
Louis Juchereau de St. Denis Louis Antoine Juchereau de St. Denis (September 17, 1676 – June 11, 1744) was a French-Canadian soldier and explorer best known for his exploration and development of the Louisiana (New France) and Spanish Texas regions. He commanded a small gar ...
, making it the oldest permanent European settlement in the modern state of Louisiana. *1715 – South Carolina begins the
Yamasee War The Yamasee War (also spelled Yamassee or Yemassee) was a conflict fought in South Carolina from 1715 to 1717 between British settlers from the Province of Carolina and the Yamasee and a number of other allied Native American peoples, incl ...
. *1718 –
Mission San Antonio de Valero The Alamo is a historic Spanish missions in the Americas, Spanish mission and fortress compound founded in the 18th century by Roman Catholic missionaries in what is now San Antonio, Texas, United States. It was the site of the Battle of the Al ...
(The Alamo) built as the first Spanish mission along the San Antonio River. New Orleans founded by the French. Blackbeard is killed in battle by lieutenant Robert Maynard in the waters off the Province of North Carolina.


1720s

*1723 – The House of Burgesses passes an act to deal with slave rebellions. The French establish
Fort Orleans Fort Orleans (sometimes referred to Fort D'Orleans) was a French fort in colonial North America, the first fort built by any European forces on the Missouri River. It was built near the mouth of the Grand River near present-day Brunswick. Inte ...
along the Missouri River near
Brunswick, Missouri Brunswick is a rural city in Chariton County, Missouri, United States. Its population was 801 at the 2020 census. Brunswick, by official state proclamation, is the Pecan Capital of Missouri. The Missouri Farmers Association ( MFA Incorporated) w ...
. *1725 – Father Rale's War (1722–25) *1727 – George I dies, is succeeded by George II. British construct Fort Oswego. *1729 –
Province of Carolina Province of Carolina was a province of England (1663–1707) and Great Britain (1707–1712) that existed in North America and the Caribbean from 1663 until partitioned into North and South on January 24, 1712. It is part of present-day Alaba ...
proprietors sell out to Crown. City of
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...
founded.


1730s

*c. 1730 – For the first time, the majority of the enslaved population in
Chesapeake, Virginia Chesapeake is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,422, it is the second-most populous independent city in Virginia, tenth-largest in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 90th ...
were born in the Americas. *1732 – The Province of Georgia is founded by General James Oglethorpe. Where slavery was prohibited. *1735 – John Peter Zenger is found innocent of libel by the New York City trial on August 4. *1737 – Benjamin Lay writes All Slave-Keepers That Keep the Innocent in Bondage, Apostates. Published by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia. *1739 – The Stono Rebellion in the Province of South Carolina is crushed. *1739-40 –
George Whitefield George Whitefield (; 30 September 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement. Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke College at th ...
begins his travels throughout the colonies. His message of everyday Christians having a personal connection with God resonates and begins the First Great Awakening.


1740s

*1740 – The Plantation Act of 1740 is passed to encourage immigration to the Thirteen Colonies and regularize the colonial naturalization procedures. Battle of Cartagena de Indias, where the colonists are called "Americans" for the first time. James Oglethorpe fails to take St. Augustine. South Carolina enacts the
Negro Act of 1740 The Negro Act of 1740 was passed in the Province of South Carolina, during colonial Governor William Bull's time in office, in response to the Stono Rebellion in 1739. The comprehensive act made it illegal for enslaved Africans to move abroad, ...
. *1741 – The New York Conspiracy of 1741 is suppressed. *1744 –
King George's War King George's War (1744–1748) is the name given to the military operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748). It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in t ...
(1744–48) *1745 – New Englanders take Louisbourg. *1746 – Princeton University founded, with
Jonathan Dickinson Jonathan Dickinson (1663–1722) was a merchant from Port Royal, Jamaica who was shipwrecked on the southeast coast of Florida in 1696, along with his family and the other passengers and crew members of the ship. The party was held captive by Job ...
as its first president. *1747 – Founding of the Ohio Company. *1749 – Province of Georgia overturns its ban on slavery. Father Le Loutre's War (1749–55)


1750s

*c. 1750 – Population of the Thirteen Colonies is roughly 1.5 million. *1750 – Thomas Walker passes through the Cumberland Gap. *1751 – The ban on slavery was lifted after 19 years in the Province of Georgia. *1752 – Benjamin Kent represented slaves in court against their masters in Massachusetts. *1754 – French and Indian War begins, which was a theater of the Seven Years' War; first engagement at the Battle of Jumonville Glen. Albany Congress, in which a "Union of Colonies" is proposed. Columbia University founded as King's College by George II Royal Charter. *1757 – Siege of Fort William Henry. *1758 – Siege of Louisbourg; Battle of Fort Frontenac; Battle of Fort Duquesne. The first black Baptist church is founded in
Lunenburg, Virginia Lunenburg is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Lunenburg County, Virginia, United States. The population was 165 at the 2010 census. The community is also known as Lunenburg Courthouse or Lunenburg Court House. Geography ...
. *1759 – Quebec is taken, British victory assured in French and Indian War. :''See
Timeline of the American Revolution Timeline of the American Revolution — timeline of the political upheaval culminating in the 18th century in which Thirteen Colonies in North America joined together for independence from the British Empire, and after victory in the Revolutiona ...
for events starting from 1760.''


See also

*
Timeline of the colonization of North America This is a chronology and timeline of the colonization of North America, with founding dates of selected European settlements. See also European colonization of the Americas. Before Columbus * 986: Norsemen settle Greenland and Bjarni Herjólfsson ...
*
Colonial history of the United States The colonial history of the United States covers the history of European colonization of North America from the early 17th century until the incorporation of the Thirteen Colonies into the United States after the Revolutionary War. In the ...
* Timeline of United States history *
Timeline of the American Revolution Timeline of the American Revolution — timeline of the political upheaval culminating in the 18th century in which Thirteen Colonies in North America joined together for independence from the British Empire, and after victory in the Revolutiona ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of Pre-United States History
1759 In Great Britain, this year was known as the ''Annus Mirabilis'', because of British victories in the Seven Years' War. Events January–March * January 6 – George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Custis. * January 11 &ndas ...
+ - 1757 -