G08: Colonial America, Colonization or the Americas: Timeline: 1600-1776

The first quarter of the 17th century was a turbulent period for the English colonies in North America. In England, Queen Elizabeth I died, and James I succeeded her, with a much more aggressive expansionist policy, a far more controlling hand over the new colonies; and competition from the French and Dutch kept things interesting.

Between 1626 and 1650, the new American colonies chafed at being so close to political rivals, and squabbled with one another over borders, religious freedom, and self-government. The key events during this time include the ongoing wars with Indigenous residents and disputes with the government of Charles I of England.

The American Revolution would not commence until 1765, when the Stamp Act Congress, representing the 13 colonies, disputed the right of the British parliament to tax the colonists without providing them with representation in the House of Commons. The American Revolutionary War would not begin until 1775. During the period from 1651 to 1675, however, attempts by the British government to control commerce in the American colonies gradually created an atmosphere in which rebellion was almost inevitable.

Library of Congress U.S. History Primary Source Timeline

Between 1675 and 1700, the British colonies on the eastern coast of the North American continent began to evolve. Plymouth became part of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania changed from being a proprietary colony to a royal one and then back to a proprietary colony, and North Carolina was designated. Here are the key events that occurred between these years.

The first quarter of the 18th century in America can be characterized as a time of conflict, with different European colonies—English, French, and Spanish—waging fierce and political battles against each other and Indigenous inhabitants over new territories and colonization strategies. Enslavement as a way of life became entrenched in the American colonies.

Anglo-Spanish War breaks out. It lasts a little more than one year, with skirmishes mainly in the Carolinas.
George II becomes King of England.