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American Origins
By the middle of the seventeenth century, the eastern seaboard of North America was a patchwork of empires. Florida, first settled in 1565, was subject to Spain. The Dutch held sway over New Amsterdam, which covered parts of present-day New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Swedes settled in Delaware in 1638.
Simultaneously, the English were settling throughout the Carolinas, Maryland, and Virginia. Jamestown was established in 1607, and the first Africans in bondage were brought there in 1619. More English settlements lay to the north, including the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Rhode Island. Beyond this "New England" were territories claimed by France, including the city of Quebec, established in 1608.
Native American nations interacted with the newcomers in numerous ways. Some formed strategic alliances with the Europeans; other resisted their increasing presence. Eventually, England would become the dominant power in this complex colonial tapestry. Such was the mix from which the United States of America would emerge. |