1607–1706 - Exploration & Settlement

The Delaware Colony was part of New Sweden, then New Netherland, before England gained control in the late 17th Century. Known for its diverse culture and society, Delaware was closely tied to Pennsylvania, and the landscape was dominated by the Delaware River and Bay. In 1776, New Jersey joined the other colonies in declaring independence from Great Britain and establishing the United States of America.

Disease was widespread in Early America, with malaria, tuberculosis, smallpox, and yellow fever causing significant suffering. The effects were felt in both European and Native American Indian communities. While some diseases like malaria and tuberculosis were persistent, smallpox was reduced through vaccination.

The Dominion of New England was created in 1686 to bring several colonies under the more direct control of the English Crown.

The Duel for North America was the conflict between European powers for North America. This struggle included the four French and Indian Wars and was ultimately won by Great Britain. In 1763, France ceded nearly all its territory in North America to England and Spain, setting the stage for the American Revolution.

Queen Elizabeth I was one of the most famous monarchs of England. She played an important role in the development of Colonial America by supporting Sir Walter Raleigh’s expeditions, which led to the founding of the Roanoke Island Colony, the first English settlement in North America.

The European Adventurers are the men and women who inspired, drove, and documented the Age of Exploration. This list included sea captains, conquerors, historians, and mythical figures who inspired them, as well as the monarchs who funded their expeditions.

APUSH Unit 2, Topic 2.2 covers life in the Americas from the founding of Jamestown to the start of the French and Indian War.

APUSH Unit 1, Topic 1.3 covers the European exploration of the regions of North America, Central America, and South America, up to the settlement of Jamestown.

Ferdinand and Isabella were Catholic monarchs whose marriage united Spain’s two largest kingdoms. Together, they established the basis for the Spanish Empire by implementing the Spanish Inquisition, completing the Reconquista, and sponsoring Christopher Columbus’s 1492 expedition.

Martin Frobisher was an English explorer, privateer, and naval officer who led three unsuccessful Arctic voyages in the 1570s in search of the Northwest Passage and gold. Though he failed to achieve these goals, his expeditions marked the first European contact with the Inuit and influenced later English exploration in the New World.

The Glorious Revolution (1688–1690) was a sequence of events that culminated in the ascension of William and Mary to the throne of England, contributing to uprisings in the colonies of Massachusetts, New York, and Maryland. The English Bill of Rights was also enacted, establishing the power of Parliament in several areas, including taxation.

The Great Dying in New England was an event that took place in New England from 1616–1619 when an unknown disease decimated the Native American Indian population.

Greenland, the world’s largest island, was first settled by the Paleo-Inuit People and later by the Norse. During the Middle Ages, the Norse Colonies grew, but they declined in the 14th Century due to isolation and the lack of trade. European exploration resumed in the late 16th Century when English navigators mapped parts of the island while searching for the Northwest Passage. This contributed to the early exploration of North America and territorial claims of European nations along the Atlantic Coast.

Richard Hakluyt the Elder was a lawyer, geographer, and writer who helped lay the foundation for English colonization of North America.

Prince Henry the Navigator was a Portuguese soldier and prince who promoted the exploration of Africa, leading to the Age of Exploration, the development of the African Slave Trade, and the growth of Mercantilism.

Hispaniola is an island in the Caribbean where Christopher Columbus landed in 1492, during his First Voyage of Discovery. The island is now divided into Haiti in the west and the Dominican Republic in the east.

Thomas Hooker (1586–1647) was a prominent Puritan minister and theologian who played an important role in the founding of the Colony of Connecticut in the 17th Century.

The Virginia House of Burgesses was established in 1619 as the first representative government in the British Colonies in North America. It helped establish the permanent Committees of Correspondence and its members pushed for independence in 1776.

Iceland is a North Atlantic island settled by Norse explorers in 874, and later ruled by Norway and then Denmark. Its history includes the creation of the Althing, a legislative assembly, the spread of Christianity, periods of foreign control, and environmental challenges such as epidemics and soil erosion.

APUSH Unit 2, Topic 2.5 covers interactions between Native American Indians and Europeans in the Colonial Era, up to the end of the French and Indian War.