A map of the Chesapeake Bay and Pamlico Sound area showing the initial Virginia Colony established by Sir Walter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth I in 1584 through the European settlements established by 1634, including Roanoke Island,...

A map from 1910 showing the territorial disputes in the Guianas at the time. The map shows the Schomburgk Line (1840) between Venezuela and British Guiana, the disputed territories claimed by both Venezuela and Great Britain and occupied...

[Free Registration/Login Required] Students use primary source documents to investigate central historical questions. In this investigation, students critically examine the passenger lists of ships headed to New England and Virginia to...

Introductory article on American Colonial History in which the author takes a look at the first European settlers who made the voyage to America and addresses the essential question of who they were as people and hence, why they made...

One of the primary reasons for colonization of the New World was to escape European religious persecution. This site provides stories of religious nonconformists, militants, zealots, reformers, and the faithful.

The site provides a detailed overview of role religion played in the lives of the colonists. Content explores how religion played a part in the Revolution, and the statute for religious freedom, as well as providing a lesson plan, a link...

An extensive collection of ideas to use when planning a unit on Colonial America. The plan includes detailed lessons, a broad list of resources,and more.

Read about the life and work of Martin de Leonwas, a rancher and wealthy Mexican empresario descended from Spanish aristocracy who later established De Leon's Colony, the only predominantly Mexican colony in Texas.

A good resource that provides the life history of Moses Austin, one of the founders of the lead industry in America. Before he died, he had a vision of establishing an American colony in Spanish controlled Texas.

McHenry was born at Ballymena, County Antrim, Ireland, in 1753. He enjoyed a classical education at Dublin, and emigrated to Philadelphia in 1771. The following year, the rest of his family came to the colonies, and his brother and...

Could human civilization eventually spread across the whole Milky Way galaxy? Could we move beyond our small, blue planet to establish colonies in the multitude of star systems out there? These questions are pretty daunting, but their...

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.

In the years before Christ the Greeks traveled westward to the Black Sea to establish early colonies. This online exhibition is a marvelous display of their ancient art and artifacts.

An account of the Spanish expedition led by Alonso Alvarez de Pineda in 1519 that explored the Gulf of Mexico between Florida and Cabo Rojo, Mexico. The explorers tried to establish the Panuco colony but were unsuccessful.

A very good explanation of how early English settlements were financed, and why the English government refused to invest in such ventures. See who led such companies, who were willing to go to the New World, and why English colonies were...

Brief article provides a short summary of the life of English adventurer and writer, Walter Raleigh (c.1552-1618), who established a colony near Roanoke Island. Although a favorite of Queen Elizabeth, he was eventually put to death after...

Describes the difficulty the Mayflower had in setting off for America, due to the second ship that was to accompany it, Speedwell. This ship repeatedly sprang leaks so they decided to leave it in England. The Mayflower hit rough weather...

In this lesson, students are asked to examine a model for a space station on Mars that will house six researchers studying the possibility of establishing a colony. Given the dimensions of the station and the minimum amount of space...

The early settlers to the New World began to map strategy for their own system of government. This site details that strategy and what kinds of events spawned the idea of representative government.

European settlement patterns were influenced by geographic conditions such as access to water, harbors, natural protection, arable land, natural resources and adequate growing season and rainfall. Examine a variety of primary sources to...

Part of an exhibit that talks about the British exploration and settlement of America.

This site from The History Place provides a timeline of important events that occurred in the United States during the early- and mid-18th century. The information provided is in-depth and worth checking out.

Article from the National Postal Museum on letter writing in America and how it became important as a tie between people exploring or settling in the new world and the sponsors or loved ones they left behind. With primary source material.

This Wikipedia article on the Dutch West India Company discusses its similarities to the Dutch East India Company, its establishment of many colonies and trading posts, its initial success, and the eventual downfall of the company.