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Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1620 | - 11 Nov 1620: Mayflower Compact signed
The male passengers of the Mayflower signed a compact establishing a form of self-government for the Plymouth Colony.
- 21 Dec 1620: Pilgrims arrive at Plymouth
The Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower land at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, founding the first permanent English settlement in New England.
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| 2 | 1622 | - 20 Mar 1622: Jamestown Massacre
Native American tribes led by Chief Opechancanough attacked the English settlement of Jamestown, Virginia, killing nearly 350 colonists.
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| 3 | 1629 | - 4 Oct 1629: Massachusetts Bay Colony chartered
King Charles I granted a royal charter to the Massachusetts Bay Company, leading to a large Puritan migration to the New World.
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| 4 | 1630 | - 1 Sep 1630: Founding of Boston
Puritan colonists led by John Winthrop founded the city of Boston, which became the capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
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| 5 | 1636 | - 18 Sep 1636: Harvard College founded
The General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony established Harvard College, the first institution of higher learning in the United States.
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| 6 | 1639 | - 14 Jan 1639: Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
The settlements of Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield adopted the "Fundamental Orders," considered to be the first written constitution in America.
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| 7 | 1643 | - 25 Sep 1643: New England Confederation formed
The colonies of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven formed a military alliance for mutual defense against Native Americans.
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| 8 | 1652 | - 30 May 1652: Rhode Island outlawed slavery
Rhode Island passed a law prohibiting slavery, though it was largely ignored and later repealed.
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| 9 | 1663 | - 24 Mar 1663: Carolina Charter granted
King Charles II granted a charter to eight proprietors to establish the Carolina colony.
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| 10 | 1664 | - 2 Sep 1664: English seize New Netherland
The English fleet seized the Dutch colony of New Netherland without a fight, renaming it New York.
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| 11 | 1675 | - 19 Oct 1675: King Philip's War begins
A major conflict between Native Americans and New England colonists began, resulting in widespread destruction and significant loss of life.
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| 12 | 1676 | - 10 Jun 1676: Bacon's Rebellion
Nathaniel Bacon led a rebellion of Virginia colonists against Governor William Berkeley, protesting his failure to protect them from Native American attacks.
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| 13 | 1681 | - 16 Jan 1681: Pennsylvania granted to William Penn
King Charles II granted a large tract of land to William Penn, a Quaker, to found the colony of Pennsylvania.
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| 14 | 1683 | - 10 Apr 1683: New York City Charter
The Dongan Charter established the government of New York City.
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| 15 | 1686 | - 1 Jan 1686: Dominion of New England formed
King James II merged the New England colonies into a single administrative unit, revoking their colonial charters.
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| 16 | 1689 | - 16 Apr 1689: Boston Revolt
Bostonians arrested the royal governor of the Dominion of New England, Sir Edmund Andros, in a popular uprising.
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| 17 | 1690 | - 8 Feb 1690: Schenectady Massacre
French forces and their Native American allies attacked the settlement of Schenectady, New York, killing over 60 people.
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| 18 | 1692 | - 1 Mar 1692: Salem Witch Trials begin
The first arrests for witchcraft were made in Salem Village, Massachusetts, leading to a series of trials and executions.
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| 19 | 1701 | - 27 May 1701: Charter of Privileges
William Penn granted a new constitution to the Pennsylvania colony, giving more power to the colonial assembly.
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| 20 | 1704 | - 20 May 1704: Boston News-Letter published
The first successful, continuously published newspaper in the colonies was published in Boston.
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| 21 | 1718 | - 3 Jan 1718: New Orleans founded
The French founded the city of New Orleans, which became a key port on the Mississippi River.
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| 22 | 1733 | - 12 Feb 1733: Georgia founded
James Oglethorpe founded the colony of Georgia, the last of the original 13 colonies, as a haven for debtors.
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| 23 | 1735 | - 19 Mar 1735: Zenger Trial
John Peter Zenger was acquitted of seditious libel, a landmark case that established a precedent for freedom of the press in America.
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| 24 | 1739 | - 1 Jan 1739: Stono Rebellion
A slave rebellion in South Carolina resulted in the deaths of over 20 whites and 44 slaves, leading to stricter slave codes.
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| 25 | 1740 | - 1 Jan 1740: Great Awakening begins
A series of religious revivals began to sweep through the American colonies, led by figures like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield.
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| 26 | 1752 | - 15 Jun 1752: Franklin's kite experiment
Benjamin Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment, proving that lightning is a form of electricity.
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| 27 | 1754 | - 28 May 1754: French and Indian War begins
A conflict between Great Britain and France for control of North America began, with Native American tribes allied with both sides.
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| 28 | 1759 | - 14 Sep 1759: Battle of Quebec
British forces under General James Wolfe defeated the French, leading to the capture of Quebec and a turning point in the French and Indian War.
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| 29 | 1763 | - 10 Feb 1763: Treaty of Paris ends war
The Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the French and Indian War and ceding French territory in North America to Great Britain.
- 7 Oct 1763: Proclamation of 1763
King George III issued a proclamation forbidding American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.
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| 30 | 1764 | - 5 Apr 1764: Sugar Act passed
The British Parliament passed the Sugar Act to raise revenue from the colonies, which angered colonists and led to protests.
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| 31 | 1765 | - 22 Mar 1765: Stamp Act passed
The British Parliament passed the Stamp Act, requiring a tax on all legal documents, newspapers, and other printed materials.
- 24 Mar 1765: Quartering Act
The British Parliament passed the Quartering Act, requiring American colonists to provide housing and food for British soldiers.
- 7 Oct 1765: Stamp Act Congress meets
Delegates from nine colonies met in New York to protest the Stamp Act, issuing a Declaration of Rights and Grievances.
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| 32 | 1766 | - 18 Mar 1766: Declaratory Act passed
The British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act but passed the Declaratory Act, asserting its right to legislate for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever."
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| 33 | 1767 | - 29 Jun 1767: Townshend Acts passed
Parliament passed new laws taxing imports of glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea into the colonies.
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| 34 | 1770 | - 5 Mar 1770: Boston Massacre
British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists in Boston, killing five people and further inflaming tensions.
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| 35 | 1773 | - 10 May 1773: Tea Act passed
The British Parliament passed the Tea Act, which gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies.
- 16 Dec 1773: Boston Tea Party
Colonists in Boston, disguised as Native Americans, dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor in protest of the Tea Act.
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| 36 | 1774 | - 31 Mar 1774: Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts)
In response to the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed a series of punitive laws, including the Boston Port Act and the Quartering Act.
- 5 Sep 1774: First Continental Congress
Delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia to coordinate a response to the Coercive Acts.
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| 37 | 1775 | - 19 Apr 1775: Battles of Lexington and Concord
The "shot heard 'round the world" was fired, marking the start of the American Revolutionary War.
- 10 May 1775: Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, assuming the role of a provisional government for the colonies.
- 17 Jun 1775: Battle of Bunker Hill
British forces defeated the American colonists in a costly battle in Boston, demonstrating the colonists' determination.
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| 38 | 1776 | - 4 Jul 1776: Declaration of Independence adopted
The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, formally severing ties with Great Britain.
- 26 Dec 1776: Battle of Trenton
General George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River and defeated a Hessian garrison in a surprise attack.
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| 39 | 1777 | - 17 Oct 1777: Battle of Saratoga
American forces defeated the British at Saratoga, a turning point that convinced France to enter the war as an American ally.
- 19 Dec 1777—19 Jun 1778: The Continental Army endured a brutal winter at Valley Forge
suffering from disease, cold, and starvation.
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| 40 | 1778 | - 23 Feb 1778: Treaty of Alliance with France
The United States and France signed a treaty, formally recognizing American independence and creating a military alliance.
- 29 Dec 1778: British capture Savannah
British forces captured the city of Savannah, Georgia, as part of their "Southern strategy."
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1668 - 
