The French and the British were fighting over lands in the Ohio Valley, and there was a brutal war. The British brutally defeated the French, and as a result ruled the East Coast of North America.The war was known as the French and Indian War, or the Seven Years' War.
A group of English men and women who were persecuted for their religious beliefs, called Pilgrims, wanted religious freedom. They founded Plymouth, in Massachusetts, as a way to escape the prosecution and be free to practice their religion.
Jamestown was the first permanent English colony in the America. It was the capital of Virginia for 83 years. It is located along the James River. The colony was threatened by survival due to starvation, brutal winters, and attacks from the native people.
Pizarro captured Atahualpa in 1533. Atahualpa offered tens of thousands of gold and silver, and Pizarro agreed to take the gold and silver in exchange of letting Atahualpa go. Although he did receive the money, Pizarro and his men executed Atahualpa because they believed he was a threat.
Cortez invaded in on the Aztec empire in 1521. One of the main reasons that they were able to conquer the land was because of their diseases and weaponry. The Aztecs then rebelled against Cortez and drove him back out. Cortez's troops would not give up, so they attacked yet again, and they conquered the Aztecs again.
The Atlantic Slave Trade was a major event in history. Rich Europeans living in the Americas began enslaving people from Africa to work for them on their farms.
In August of 1492, three ships, named the Santa María, the Pinta, and the Niña sailed across the Pacific Ocean. Columbus led the whole voyage. On October 12th, which is now known as Columbus Day, one of Columbus's crew members spotted what is now America.