Colonial America

Outline 1) The Colonies 2) The First European Settlements 3) Important Documents

The Colonies

A colony is a group of people who move to a new land that is ruled by their parent country.

Colonists settled on these lands in the 1600s and 1700s.

Considered separate; not “United” states yet.

First European Settlements

Roanoke Colony- The first permanent English civilization that was established by Queen Elizabeth I and founded by Sir Walter Raleigh. The colonist disappeared sometime before 1590.

Jamestown- First successful English settlement in North America. Founded in 1607 by the Virginia Company, making it a joint-stock company.

Plymouth: Colony founded in 1620 by the Puritans, or Pilgrims, and where New England, the oldest municipality was established.

Municipality- a city or town that has a local government St. Augustine- Founded by the Spanish in 1565 and it

is the oldest European settlement in North America.

Important Documents

The Mayflower Compact- An agreement among the Pilgrims that established a tradition of direct democracy.

Citizens were allowed to hold town meetings to solve local problems and issues.

Voting was limited to men that owned land. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut- America’s

first written constitution. Called for an assembly of representatives from each town to vote on laws.