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40,000 BCE
The native Americans
The first people on the American Continent came from Asia .They come across The Bering Straight from Siberia to Alaska . The first migration might have been as early as 40.000 years ago -
Aug 3, 1492
Columbus's Arrival
Columbus arrived to America in the 15th century . 1492
His objective was to sail west until he reached Asia (the Indies) where the riches of gold, pearls and spice awaited. -
British settlement In Jamestown
Jamestown settlement in the colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in America -
The Pilgrims
Some 100 people , some of them seeking religious freedom in the new world . they set sail on the Mayflower in September 1620 . The ship landed on the shores of Cape Cod . In late December ; a scouting party was sent out . The group landed at Plymouth Harbor . Where they formed the first permanent settlement in New England . These original settlers of Plymouth are knows as The Pilgrims . -
Period: to
Plymouth Colony
Over the next six years, more English colonists arrived and many of the people who had to stay behind in England or Holland when Mayflower left England were able to join their families. By 1627, Plymouth Colony was stable and comfortable. Harvests were good and families were growing. In 1627, about 160 people lived in Plymouth Colony -
Maryflower arrival to Plymouth Harbor
After the settlement on the shores of Cape Cod, A scouting party was sent to find an appropriate location to settle permanently . exploring party arrived at what appeared to be an abandoned Wampanoag community. The plentiful water supply, good harbor, cleared fields, and location on a hill made the area a favorable place for settlement. -
A treaty with the native Americans( the Pilgrims and Wampanoag)
The colonists made a treaty of mutual protection with the Pokanoket Wampanoag leader, Ousamequin (also known as Massasoit to the Pilgrims). The treaty had six points. Neither party would harm the other. If anything was stolen, it would be returned and the offending person returned to his own people for punishment. Both sides agreed to leave their weapons behind when meeting, and the two groups would serve as allies in times of war. -
Thanksgiving
In the fall of 1621, the colonists marked their first harvest with a three-day celebration. Massasoit and 90 of his men joined the English for feasting and entertainment. In the 1800s this famous celebration became the basis for the story of the First Thanksgiving. -
African Americans
From 1620 to 1820 , by far the largest group of people to come to the US came . Nut Unwillingly . African people were brought to work as slaves especially on plantations or large farms of the south . -
Immigrants from Northern and Western Europe
Starting from 1820s , the number of immigrants coming to US increased . Many people were faced with different problems --poverty , war , discrimination , religious persecution . They hoped for a better life and better opportunities in the New world . In the first half of the century , many immigrants came from Northwestern Europe --From Germany , United Kingdom , Ireland , Sweden and Norway . -
The end of slavery
The Civil war in 1860s ended slavery and established equal rights for black Americans. -
Immigration slowed
In the 1920s , discrimination and prejudice in the US led to laws limiting immigration . Immigration slowed down until the 1960s , when those laws were changed .
The Immigration Act of 1924 (The Johnson-Reed Act) The Immigration Act of 1924 limited the number of immigrants allowed entry into the United States through a national origins quota. ... In 1917, the U.S. Congress enacted the first widely restrictive immigration law. -
Immigrants from Sauthern and Eastern Europe
from the 1870s to the 1930s even more people came from the countries of southern and eastern Europe -- For example : Italy - Greece , Poland , and Russia . Like the former immigrants , they came to America to escape poverty and the predicaments of life in Europe .
During this period , America was changing from a mainly agricultural to a mainly industrial country .
