This site provides an extensive look into the people and events surrounding the founding of the original 13 colonies in America.

What connection did King James I have with Virginia? In 1606, James authorized the Virginia Company of London to found the Jamestown colony. The English successfully settled in Virginia, planting the foundation of Great Britain's...

An overview of how the Age of Enlightenment influenced the American colonies in thought, Benjamin Franklin, and the colony of Georgia.

Fourth graders learn about the American Revolution and evaluate the decisions and choices colonists had to make leading up to and during their fight for freedom from England. Students explore the idea of taking sides and how, despite...

Begins with a description of the British system of mercantilism that was imposed on the American colonies along with the taxes levied through the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act. The Americans complained that it was taxation without...

PBS presents a biography on the life of Stephen Fuller Austin. Known as "The Father of Texas," Stephen F. Austin established the first Anglo-American colony in the Teas province of Mexico and saw it grow into an independent republic.

Often called "The Father of Texas", Stephen Austin settled the first American colony in Mexican controlled Texas and fought for Texas independence. Hyperlinks to additional information.

A review of the Age of Revolution, particularly as it was perceived in the American colonies. See how the various actions taken by the British government to control the colonists resulted in uniting the colonists and set the stage for...

This site contains the address Pitt gave against the Stamp Act in front of the House of Commons. His address helped secure the Act's repeal.

An illustrated guide to American colonization and the original 13 Colonies.

It is fairly well-accepted that American slavery of the 19th century developed from three distinct traditions of slavery that were mutated into a new, racialized, institutionalized form: European indentured servitude, West African...

Primary resource material on the ideas, scientific and religious, of the colonial period from 1690 to 1730.

Article illustrating colonial life in North America. The author discusses religion and religious movements, women and the colonial family, and work, including slavery, during the 17th and 18th Century. Photographs and links to primary...

Provides background information and the complete text of the charter of the Massachusetts Bay 1629.

Article on the development and practices of the London Company, including discussion on the economy and resources in 17th Century colonial America.

Twenty nine primary sources-historical documents, literary texts, and visual images-that explore the qualities and conditions of African lives on the west coast before and during the European slave trade.

The early 1600s saw the beginning of a great tide of emigration from Europe to North America. Spanning more than three centuries, this movement grew from a trickle of a few hundred English colonists to a flood of millions of newcomers....

During the religious upheavals of the 16th century, a body of men and women called Puritans sought to reform the Established Church of England from within. Essentially, they demanded that the rituals and structures associated with Roman...

View the complete text of the 1620 British Charter for the settlement of New England granting authority to colonize and govern.

The text of a 1649 colonial act concerning religion in Maryland. Describes punishment of any who reject Christian teaching.

The empresario system in Texas provided a contract between settler and state. Find out the terms and responsibilities of each party in this site from Texas A&M University. Keep reading to find the duties of an epresario as outlined...

This is a group activity that allows students to use predictions to learn about the lifestyle of American colonists.

A brief look at the population increase in colonial America. Find out where all these immigrants came from and what they did in the colonies. From PBS.

Before Vietnam became the stage for an American war against international communism, it was a war between France and Indochina. France, concerned about losing their colonial holdings in Indochina and therefore losing international...