* 1607: The English establish the first permanent settlement in North America at Jamestown, Virginia.
* 1620: The Pilgrims, a group of English Puritans, establish the Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts.
* 1630: The Massachusetts Bay Colony is founded by a large group of English Puritans.
* 1634: The Maryland Colony is founded as a refuge for English Catholics.
* 1636: The Connecticut Colony is founded by a group of English Puritans.
* 1638: The New Haven Colony is founded by a group of English Puritans.
* 1664: The English capture the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam and rename it New York.
* 1670: The Carolina Colony is founded by a group of English settlers.
The American Revolution
* 1765: The Stamp Act is passed by the British Parliament, sparking protests and resistance in the colonies.
* 1770: The Boston Massacre occurs when British soldiers fire on a crowd of colonists, killing five.
* 1773: The Boston Tea Party occurs when colonists protest the Tea Act by throwing British tea into the Boston Harbor.
* 1775: The American Revolutionary War begins with the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
* 1776: The Declaration of Independence is signed, declaring the colonies' independence from Great Britain.
* 1781: The Battle of Yorktown occurs, leading to the British surrender and the end of the Revolutionary War.
* 1783: The Treaty of Paris is signed, officially ending the Revolutionary War and recognizing the United States as a sovereign nation.
* 1789: George Washington is inaugurated as the first President of the United States.