While searching for direct trade routes to Asia, Europeans found the lands that later became known as North and South America. As a result of the Columbian Exchange, Europe gained new crops, but diseases such as smallpox devastated Native Americans.
Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement of North America, established in 1607. However, the 13 English colonies grew to resent Britain's taxes and restrictions. Colonists issued the Declaration of Independence in 1776 following battles at Lexington, Concord, and Boston the previous year. The surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown gave the United States its independence.
The Articles of Confederation was the first national government. The government proved to be too weak to address the many challenges the new nation faced. In 1787 in Philadelphia the Constitution was drafted based on the notions of federalism and a balance of power between three branches of government. The Constitution took effect in 1788, and the Bill of Rights, which guaranteed the rights of individual citizens, was added in 1791.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The Witch of Blackbird Pond, written by Elizabeth George Speare, is a historical fiction novel that takes place in colonial America. Katherine "Kit" Tyler is forced to leave a carefree life on Barbados when her grandfather dies. She goes to live with her aunt, the only family that she has left. In April 1687, Kit arrives at the Connecticut Colony and is dismayed by the desolate landscape. Her worries deepen as she is introduced to the Puritan ways of her new family. She finds herself at odds with Aunt Rachel and Uncle Matthew--and the entire community. When she tries to escape the oppressive surroundings of her new home, Kit encounters Widow Tupper, a Quaker who is believed to practice witchcraft. The friendship between Kit and Widow Tupper grows, but not without consequences. Kit is accused of being a witch simply because of her association with the widow, known to all as the Witch of Blackbird Pond.
Links:Liberty! The American Revolution!