Ignoring Dutch claims to the land, English Puritans from Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay settled along the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound on lands they purchased from Native American peoples. By 1645, the settlements of Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford had united to form River Colony, which became known as Connecticut. New Haven was separate, with its own government. Concerns about attacks by Indians and the Dutch led both colonies to become part of the New England Confederation in 1643.
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From the book Voices from Colonial America: Connecticut, 1614-1776, published by National Geographic Society © 2007
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European Colonization of North America
The invasion of the North American continent and its peoples began with the Spanish in 1565 at St. Augustine, Florida, then British in 1587 when the Plymouth Company established a settlement that they dubbed Roanoke in present-day Virginia. This first settlement failed mysteriously and in 1606, the London Company established a presence in what would become Jamestown, Virginia. From there, the French founded Quebec in 1608, then the Dutch started a colony in 1609 in present-day New York. While Native Americans resisted European efforts to amass land and power during this period, they struggled to do so while also fighting new diseases introduced by the Europeans and the slave trade. Learn more about the colonization of North America and the plight of Native Americans with these classroom resources.
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Thirteen British Colonies
The British began their invasion of North America in 1587 when the Plymouth Company established a settlement that they dubbed Roanoke in present-day Virginia. This first settlement failed mysteriously and in 1606, the London Company sent a ship full of people to establish a presence. They named the area Jamestown. From there, other groups crossed the ocean to start new lives in this “New World.” Some groups arrived to pursue religious freedom and others economic opportunities. Over time, they formed the thirteen British colonies up and down the East Coast. Learn more about the thirteen British colonies with these classroom resources.
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European Colonization of North America
The invasion of the North American continent and its peoples began with the Spanish in 1565 at St. Augustine, Florida, then British in 1587 when the Plymouth Company established a settlement that they dubbed Roanoke in present-day Virginia. This first settlement failed mysteriously and in 1606, the London Company established a presence in what would become Jamestown, Virginia. From there, the French founded Quebec in 1608, then the Dutch started a colony in 1609 in present-day New York. While Native Americans resisted European efforts to amass land and power during this period, they struggled to do so while also fighting new diseases introduced by the Europeans and the slave trade. Learn more about the colonization of North America and the plight of Native Americans with these classroom resources.
-
Thirteen British Colonies
The British began their invasion of North America in 1587 when the Plymouth Company established a settlement that they dubbed Roanoke in present-day Virginia. This first settlement failed mysteriously and in 1606, the London Company sent a ship full of people to establish a presence. They named the area Jamestown. From there, other groups crossed the ocean to start new lives in this “New World.” Some groups arrived to pursue religious freedom and others economic opportunities. Over time, they formed the thirteen British colonies up and down the East Coast. Learn more about the thirteen British colonies with these classroom resources.