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  3. Colonial America

Colonial America

Colonial America was a vast land settled by Spanish, Dutch, French and English immigrants who established colonies such as St. Augustine, Florida; Jamestown, Virginia; and Roanoke in present-day North Carolina.

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HISTORY: The 13 Colonies

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The 13 Colonies

The 13 Colonies were a group of colonies of Great Britain that settled on the Atlantic coast of America in the 17th and 18th centuries. The colonies declared independence in 1776 to found the United States of America.

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HISTORY: Plymouth Colony

Plymouth Colony

Journey to the New World Among the group traveling on the Mayflower in 1620 were close to 40 members of a radical Puritan faction known as the English Separatist Church. Feeling that the Church of England had not sufficiently completed the necessary work of the Protestant Reformation, the group had chosen to break with the […]

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HISTORY: The Salem Witch Trials

Salem Witch Trials

Context & Origins of the Salem Witch Trials Belief in the supernatural–and specifically in the devil’s practice of giving certain humans (witches) the power to harm others in return for their loyalty–had emerged in Europe as early as the 14th century, and was widespread in colonial New England. In addition, the harsh realities of life […]

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HISTORY: The Pilgrims

The Pilgrims

The Mayflower Voyage The group that set out from Plymouth, in southwestern England, in September 1620 included 35 members of a radical Puritan faction known as the English Separatist Church. In 1607, after illegally breaking from the Church of England, the Separatists settled in the Netherlands, first in Amsterdam and later in the town of […]

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Why Did the Pilgrims Come to America?

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Why Did the Pilgrims Come to America?

They were less religious refugees than economic migrants.

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Ousamequin, chief of the Wampanoag signs a peace treaty with Governor John Carver (1576 - 1621).

Why the Wampanoag Signed a Peace Treaty with the Mayflower Pilgrims

The treaty that made the first Thanksgiving possible has a dark backstory.

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A black preacher addressing his mixed congregation on a plantation in South Carolina, c. 1860

The Surprising Religious Diversity of America’s 13 Colonies

It wasn’t just Protestants seeking a place to freely practice their faiths.

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George Whitefield preachingGeorge Whitefield preaching. English Anglican priest and a founder of Methodism. Preached during the Great Awakening in 1700s in Europe and American colonies. 16 December 1714 – 30 September 1770. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***

How ‘Poor Laws’ Tried to Tackle Poverty in Colonial America

Before Social Security, American colonists initiated local poverty relief taxes, and differentiations were made between “worthy” and “unworthy” poor.

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1:56 minTV-PG
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Mystery at Roanoke

Before Jamestown and Plymouth, the English attempted to forge a colony at Roanoke. Within three years, it had disappeared, leaving a mysterious clue behind. What really happened to the Roanoke settlers?

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1:34 minTV-PG

The 13 Colonies

The U.S. is 50 states strong today, but it began as 13 small colonies. Can you name them?

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1:00 minTV-PG

This Day In History: 03/22/1765 – Stamp Act Forced on Colonies

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This Day in History

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1690

First paper currency is issued in the Colonies

Colonial America

This Day In History: 03/22/1765 – Stamp Act Forced on Colonies

Colonial America
1704

Deerfield settlement razed in Queen Anne’s War

Colonial America
1788

Georgia enters the Union

Colonial America
1770

The Boston Massacre

Colonial America
1620

Mayflower departs England

Colonial America
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