1565 – the Spaniards founded the first permanent settlement at St. Augustine in Florida.
1607 – the English founded the first permanent settlement Jamestown, Virginia. It was named after King James I.
NB! Pocahontas and John Smith. The story well-known almost to everyone due to the Walt Disney’s cartoon Pocahontas. But unlike the cartoon it was far from being romantic. According to the legend Captain John Smith was one of the leaders of the expedition. Once he went to Indians to buy some food from them, but was taken prisoner. If not for the young princess Pocahontas, he would have died. After that it is said that she often visited the English colony and brought some gifts. At the age of 18 she married John Rolfe (a tobacco planter) and even visited England. Unfortunately she didn’t get back to America, because she died of smallpox. But her son did and today the citizens of Virginia claim to be the descendants of Pocahontas.
1620 - the Pilgrim Fathers sailed on ship Mayflower to North America. They landed in Provincetown Harbour at Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In order to regulate their behavior they worked out and signed a document called Mayflower Compact. In a month they explored the land around Cape Cod Bay and founded a settlement at Plymouth Harbour. Later it became known as Plymouth (the 2nd permanent settlement).
NB! The Pilgrim Fathers were the member of the Puritan movement, who were persecuted by the English authorities for their beliefs. They called themselves Pilgrims because they were sailing to the New World to find religious freedom.
Mayflower Compact is the first document for self-government in the USA. In the Compact the Plymouth settlers agreed to set up a government- a "civil body politic" to make "just and equal laws" for their new settlement. All of them, Pilgrims and Strangers alike, promised that they would obey these laws. In the difficult years which followed the Mayflower Compact served the colonists well. (Got interested? - see the text in “Hello, America!” Appendix1 p.205)
NB! Thanksgiving Day was first celebrated in November 1621. The first winter of the new colonists turned out to be a disaster, as they were not prepared with to cope with the life on the new continent. The severe climate, bad food and diseases took almost half of the settlers. The rescue came in spring with the chief Massasoit’s tribe, the people of which taught the whites to hunt, to grow crops and gave them food. In autumn that year they raised good crops and decided to have a celebration. The celebration was meant not only to thank God for good harvest, but also to strengthen their friendship with the Indians. So they invited Chief Massasoit and his tribe to share the feast. Since that time there is a tradition to celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the fourth day in November. The usual dishes for the day are turkey, squash, corn and pumpkin pie for dessert. ( Got interested? – see unit15 in “Hello, America!” p.87 )
1630 – 8 new towns (including Boston) were founded by John Winthorp.
1634 – a new settlement in Maryland was founded by Cecilius Calvert. Very soon it became the place of religious toleration, attracting people of different faiths.