British colonization of the Americas

Quick Facts: Who was British colonization of the Americas?

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British colonization of the Americas

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The establishment and evolution of British control over the continents of the Americas.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The British colonization of the Americas is the history of establishment of control, settlement, and colonization of the continents of the Americas by England, Scotland, and, after 1707, Great Britain. Colonization efforts began in the late 16th century with failed attempts by England to establish permanent colonies in the North. The first permanent English colony in the Americas was established in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. Colonies were established in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. British colonization of the Americas occurred at the same time as the Plantations of Ireland.

Career & Major Achievements

Although most British colonies in the Americas eventually gained independence, some colonies have remained under Britain's jurisdiction as British Overseas Territories. The first documented settlement of Europeans in the Americas was established by Norse people around 1000 AD in what is now Newfoundland, called Vinland by the Norse. Later European exploration of North America resumed with Christopher Columbus's 1492 expedition sponsored by Castile. English settlement began almost a century later. Sir Walter Raleigh established the short-lived Roanoke Colony in 1585.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The 1607 settlement of the Jamestown colony grew into the Colony of Virginia. Virgineola—settled unintentionally by the shipwreck of the Virginia Company's Sea Venture in 1609, and renamed The Somers Isles—is still known by its older Spanish name, Bermuda. In 1620, a group of mostly Pilgrim religious separatists established a second permanent colony on the mainland, on the coast of Massachusetts. Several other English colonies were established in North America during the 17th and 18th centuries. With the authorization of a royal charter, the Hudson's Bay Company established the territory of Rupert's Land in the Hudson Bay drainage basin.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1000: 1000 Milestone — The first documented settlement of Europeans in the Americas was established by Norse people around 1000 AD in what is now Newfoundland, called Vinland by the Norse.
2. 1492: 1492 Milestone — Later European exploration of North America resumed with Christopher Columbus's 1492 expedition sponsored by Castile.
3. 1585: 1585 Milestone — Sir Walter Raleigh established the short-lived Roanoke Colony in 1585.
4. 1607: 1607 Milestone — The first permanent English colony in the Americas was established in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607.
5. 1609: 1609 Milestone — Virgineola—settled unintentionally by the shipwreck of the Virginia Company's Sea Venture in 1609, and renamed The Somers Isles—is still known by its older Spanish name, Bermuda.
6. 1620: 1620 Milestone — In 1620, a group of mostly Pilgrim religious separatists established a second permanent colony on the mainland, on the coast of Massachusetts.
7. 1707: 1707 Milestone — The British colonization of the Americas is the history of establishment of control, settlement, and colonization of the continents of the Americas by England, Scotland, and, after 1707, Great Britain.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: British colonization of the Americas

True or False: “The first permanent English settlement in North America was established by Norse people around 1000 AD.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The first documented European settlement mentioned was the Roanoke Colony in 1585; the Norse settled Vinland much earlier.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Anna Maria van Schurman — Historical peer (Born in 1607) (1607): Polymath scholar, poet, and early feminist advocate for female education.
• Bartholomew Gosnold — Historical peer (Died in 1607) (1607): English barrister, explorer, and privateer key to Virginia's founding.
• Bi Sheng — Historical peer (Born in 1000) (1000): Pioneering Chinese inventor of the world's first movable type printing system.
• Bjarni Herjólfsson — Historical peer (Died in 1000) (1000): Icelandic explorer credited with the first European sighting of the mainland Americas in 986.
• Bernal Díaz del Castillo — Historical peer (Born in 1492) (1492): Spanish conquistador and memoirist who chronicled the conquest of New Spain.
• Casimir IV Jagiellon — Historical peer (Died in 1492) (1492): A pivotal ruler who strengthened Poland and Lithuania, achieving great military and political success.
• Cardinal Richelieu — Historical peer (Born in 1585) (1585): Powerful French statesman who centralized royal authority and checked Habsburg power.
• Cornelius Jansen — Historical peer (Born in 1585) (1585): Influential Dutch Bishop and founder of the theological movement known as Jansenism.

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