1606 – King James I of England issued the First Virginia Charter, granting the Virginia Company of London the authority to establish a colony in North America.
1607 – The first permanent English settlement in North America was established at Jamestown, named in honor of King James I.
1609–1610 – The “Starving Time” began in Jamestown. A severe food shortage, harsh winter, and strained relations with Native tribes led to the deaths of many colonists.
1612 – John Rolfe successfully cultivated tobacco along the James River, turning it into a profitable cash crop that transformed Virginia’s economy.
1614 – A temporary peace was established between the English colonists and the Powhatan Confederacy, following the marriage of John Rolfe and Pocahontas.
1619 – The Virginia House of Burgesses, the first representative legislative assembly in the American colonies, held its first meeting in Jamestown. The first recorded Africans arrived in Virginia during this year, marking the beginning of African slavery in the English colonies.
1620 – Pilgrims established Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. They created the Mayflower Compact as a framework for self-government.
1622 – Conflict erupted between Native American tribes and English settlers in Virginia, leading to a war that would last intermittently for several years.
1624 – Virginia became a royal colony under direct control of the English Crown after the charter of the Virginia Company was revoked.
1628 – The Massachusetts Bay Company was established by Puritans planning to form a new colony in New England.
1630 – John Winthrop led approximately 700 settlers aboard 11 ships to establish the Massachusetts Bay Colony, beginning the Great Migration of Puritans to New England.
1637 – The Pequot War took place in New England. English colonists and their Native allies defeated the Pequot tribe in a series of brutal battles.
1640 – The Beaver Wars began between the Iroquois Confederacy and various Native and European rivals. These conflicts continued until 1701.
1649 – The Maryland Toleration Act was passed, granting religious freedom to all Christians in the colony of Maryland.
1651 – England enacted the first Navigation Act, designed to tighten control over colonial trade and ensure it benefited the English economy.
1655 – The Peach Tree War occurred in the Dutch colony of New Netherland, involving attacks by Native American tribes in retaliation for previous conflicts.
1662 – King Charles II formally recognized Connecticut as a colony through a royal charter, legitimizing its self-governance.
1675 – King Philip’s War broke out in New England, a major conflict between colonists and Native tribes led by Metacom (King Philip). It was one of the deadliest wars in colonial American history.
1675 – The Lords of Trade were appointed by England to oversee colonial affairs and enforce trade laws to maximize profits from the colonies.
1677 – Culpeper’s Rebellion occurred in Carolina. Colonists protested the enforcement of trade laws and temporarily overthrew the colonial government.
1686 – The Dominion of New England was formed by merging several northern colonies under a single royal governor appointed by King James II.
1688 – The Glorious Revolution in England replaced King James II with William III and Mary II. The event significantly influenced colonial governance and reinforced the authority of elected assemblies.
1689 – The English Bill of Rights was enacted, strengthening Parliament’s authority. In the colonies, this encouraged greater local control and resistance to royal governors.
1691 – Plymouth Colony was merged into the Province of Massachusetts Bay. The infamous Salem Witch Trials began later that year.
1696 – The Board of Trade was established to manage colonial affairs. A period of Salutary Neglect began, during which England allowed the colonies considerable economic autonomy.
1700 – The close of the century set the stage for increasing colonial population, economic growth, and tensions that would shape the 18th century.