21 December 1620: settling: After an initial exploratory expedition, the Mayflower anchors off Plymouth, concluding it's 63 day voyage. The colonist began to disembark. ------- December 1620: Ideas/Beliefs: The Plymouth Pilgrims led by William Brewster, William Bradford, and Edward Winslow, established a separatist church. These three Pilgrim leaders were originally members of the Leyden congregation. Ralph Smith, the first pastor of this church, arrived later. ---------- Arts/Culture:1620 Virginia settlers organized the first public library in the American Colonies at the proposed college in Henrico. The volumes for the library are donated by English landowners. ----- Population: 1620 An epidemic rages in Virginia and more than 1000 settlers died. ----------- 21 March 1621 settling: the final group of colonist disembarks from the Mayflower which has remained anchored off the Plymouth colony all winter in support of the new settlers. ------- 22 March 1621 Indians: the Plymouth Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians led by Chief Massassoit reach a treaty agreement. The Pilgrims and Indians form a defensive alliance and enact a peace pact. Squanto an Indian who can speak English[because he spent 2 years in England after being captured in 1615] faciltates the treaty. This is one of the first documented treaties between Europeans and American Indians. ------ 21 April 1621 Colonial Affairs: When Deacon John Carver, the first governor of Plymouth Colony dies, William Bradford is chosen as second Gov'r. He held this position until 1656. ---------- 1 June 1621: British policy: in London, John Pierce receives a 2d patent from the council for New England. This patent grants land title jointly to the Plymouth Colony investors and settlers with 100 acres going to each colonist. 1500 acres are set aside as public land. the bounderies of the colony are not spelled out. ----------- 3 June 1621 settling: in order to organize trade and colonial efforts in American areas frequented by Dutch traders and ships. a leading Dutch merchant, Willem Usselix and other merchants come together to established the Dutch West India Company. The Charter granted to this group by the Dutch government provides them with a trading monopoly and the right to establish settlements in North America. Furthermore, the Amsterdam merchants receive authority over the New Netherland.....present day New York. ------------------ June 1621 Settling: a group of 50 Englishmen led by Andrew Weston arrives at Plymouth Colony. They decide to settle at Wessagusset to found a fishing and trading post. This Wessagusset colony fails 2 years later because of ineffective administration and Indian raids. ---------- October 1621 Colonial affairs: following his appointment by the Virginia Company in London, Sir Francis Wyatt arrives in Jamestown [VA] to assume the postion of governor. He carries with him the Orddiance and Constitution granted to the Jamestown colony by the Virginia Company. ---------------- 10 Nov 1621: settling: 30 additional settlers arrive in Plymouth on the "Fortune". ----------- 13 Dec 1621 Settling: the "Fortune" leaves Plymouth for England carrying a cargo of lumber and furs bartered from the Indians. The vessel is seized by the French before it reaches it destination. ----------- 8 March 1622: British policy: the lottery which was a fund-raising device for the Virginia Company is banned by the Privy Council. This undermines the financial basis of the Virginia Company and sends the organization into receivership. ---------- 22 March 1622 Indians: In Virgina the Opechancanough Indians attacked and massacred some 350 colonist.. This distaster frustrates the attempts of Virginians to establish an ironworks at Falling Creek. The colonist retaliate with series of raids on the Indians. --------- 10 Aug 1622 British Policy: Sir ferdinando Gorges and John Mason receive a grant from the Council for New England deeding them all the land between the Merrimac and Kennebec Rivers,[ now in NH and Maine] ----------- From this point on the timeline gets interesting.......... ------------ Cynthia Moderator of : Ct-River-Valley-L@rootsweb.com CTHartfo-L@rootsweb.com MANorfol-L@rootsweb.com Ma-Bay-Colony-L@rootsweb.com Rootsweb sponsor