Colonial America
Colonial America was a vast land settled by Spanish, Dutch, French and English immigrants who established colonies such as St. Augustine, Jamestown, Roanoke and many others. Often these settlements displaced Native American societies that had preceded them by thousands of years.
Start Here
St. Augustine, Florida was founded by Spanish explorers long before Jamestown and the Plymouth Colony.
It’s popularly thought that the Pilgrims fled England in search of religious freedom, but their quest was more financial than spiritual.
Early American colonists may not have had electricity, plumbing or cars, but they found ways to make daily life easier with these objects.
Kidnapped and taken to Spain, Opechancanough used what he learned of the Europeans to lead his people against two of the world's greatest powers.
Did Jamestown Drink Itself to Death?
Did Jamestown Drink Itself to Death?
Jamestown's demise has been blamed on many causes, from famine and drought, to disease and violence. But was it actually something in the water?
3 Failed North American Colonies
Explore All Related Topics
The Salem witch trials of 1692-1693 were a series of prosecutions for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. Hysterical accusations were hurled at hundreds of people, and 25 people were killed.
As families lost one loved one after another in the 19th century, some believed the undead were preying upon them.
From a dancing plague to a laughing epidemic, the symptoms were clear—but the culprit was not.
It’s popularly thought that the Pilgrims fled England in search of religious freedom, but their quest was more financial than spiritual.
Standards of education varied widely, and corporal punishment was the norm.
The witch flying on her broomstick is a Halloween icon, possibly based on pagan fertility rituals, hallucinogenic herbs and church doctrine.
Pilgrims had to find a way to get along with 'strangers' on their ship once they landed in America.
The Mayflower Compact was a set of rules for self-governance established by the English settlers who traveled to the New World on the Mayflower.
St. Augustine, Florida was founded by Spanish explorers long before Jamestown and the Plymouth Colony.
An intriguing discovery on Hatteras Island offers possible evidence.
For one thing, you'd likely have to share a bed with a stranger.
The colonists weren't the only ones to settle the New World.
Colonial governors needed somewhere to buy their shoes, and also their wigs.
From rum to cakes to rowdy parades, election day was a time for gathering and celebration.
Here’s how our collective image of Revolutionary fashion stacks up against reality.
It wasn't just Protestants seeking a place to freely practice their faiths.
