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Virginia
The first English settlement in the United States was called Jamestown and was located in present-day Virginia. Watch this video segment about Jamestown.
THE FIRST ENGLISH COLONY, VIRGINIA,
WAS FOUNDED IN 1607
BY MEMBERS OF THE VIRGINIA COMPANY OF LONDON:
THEIR STORY WAS IN MANY WAYS TYPICAL OF THE EARLY COLONISTS,
WHILE IN OTHERS IT WAS NOT.
THE 104 MEN AND BOYS WHO MADE THE VOYAGE TO VIRGINIA
PLANNED TO SEARCH FOR GOLD,
AND TO TRY TO FIND A NEW ROUTE TO ASIA.
AS THE SHIPS LEFT ENGLAND TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC
MANY OF THE PASSENGERS HAD WORRIED
ABOUT THE LONG VOYAGE THAT LAY AHEAD OF THEM.
BUT BY THE SPRING, AFTER FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS AT SEA
THEY HAD SAFELY REACHED THE CHESAPEAKE BAY IN VIRGINIA.
AFTER EXPLORING
THEY FOUND AN ISLAND IN A LARGE RIVER THAT FLOWS INTO THE BAY
AND DECIDED TO BUILD THEIR SETTLEMENT ON IT.
FIRST THEY HAD TO CUT DOWN TREES, CLEAR THE LAND,
AND MAKE WOODEN BEAMS FROM WHICH TO BUILD HOUSES.
THEY FILLED THE SPACES BETWEEN THE BEAMS
WITH WOVEN BRANCHES AND MUD;
A BUILDING METHOD CALLED DAUB AND WATTLE
AND THEY MADE THATCHED ROOFS
FROM REEDS THAT GREW IN THE NEARBY SWAMPS.
WHEN THEY WERE DONE
THE HOUSES OF THE SETTLEMENT THEY NAMED JAMESTOWN
AFTER KING JAMES
LOOKED A LOT LIKE THOSE THEY HAD KNOWN IN ENGLAND
BUT MOST OF THEM WERE QUITE SMALL AND HAD ONLY ONE ROOM.
AS TIME WENT BY THE COLONISTS ALSO BUILT BARNS
WHERE THEY COULD STORE SUPPLIES.
AND THEY BUILT A NEW CHURCH
WHERE REGULATIONS REQUIRED THEM TO WORSHIP TWICE A DAY.
THEY EVEN SHARPENED LOGS
TO MAKE A WALL ALL THE WAY AROUND THE FIRST ENGLISH TOWN,
OR "FORT" AS THEY CALLED IT,
FOR PROTECTION
AGAINST BOTH HOSTILE TRIBES OF AMERICAN INDIANS
AND FROM THE SPANISH SOLDIERS
THAT LIVED TO THE SOUTH IN FLORIDA.
MOST OF THE WORK OF BUILDING JAMESTOWN
WAS DONE BY THE POORER COLONISTS.
THE OTHER HALF OF THE COLONISTS
WERE WEALTHY MEMBERS OF ENGLAND'S UPPER CLASS WHO,
ACCORDING TO THE OLD ENGLISH WAYS OF DOING THINGS,
WERE NOT EXPECTED TO WORK:
THIS CAUSED MANY BAD FEELINGS AT THE COLONY.
BUT THAT WAS JUST ONE PROBLEM JAMESTOWN FACED:
ANOTHER WAS THAT IT WAS BUILT ON SWAMPY LAND
THAT WAS BAD FOR FARMING.
MOST OF THE DRINKING WATER WAS NO GOOD.
THE SWAMPS WERE FILLED WITH DISEASE-CARRYING MOSQUITOES
AND BECAUSE OF THESE THINGS, AS WELL AS STARVATION,
AROUND 440 OUT OF 500 COLONISTS HAD DIED BY THE SPRING OF 1610.
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Florida
The first settlement in Florida is still a city today. St. Augustine was settled by the Spanish. This video clip will show you the city of St. Augustine.
In Florida is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement and port in the United States-- historic St. Augustine.
What we have here is St. Augustine, Florida, the nation’s oldest city, founded in 1565 by Pedro Menendez. While st. Augustine was founded as a harbor to-- as a base of operations for the Spanish and their-- it’s actually the last line of defense for their treasure fleets that came out of the Caribbean. This was the last stop that they made before returning to Spain with the treasure that they had gathered from South America, Mexico, and throughout the Caribbean.
St. Augustine is rich in history. The oldest Catholic parish in the United States began here on the side of what is now Cathedral of St. Augustine, September 3, 1565. It’s a national historic landmark. Nearby is the old government house in a prominent place on Town Square. This entire square is a national historic district. The first government house was built here in late 16th century as the residence of the [? region’s ?] governor. There have been several versions of the building on the site, but this one, or portions of it anyway, date back to 1706.
Transcript
Texas
Some of the earliest European settlers to the state of Texas were Spaniards. They set up missions in Texas to convert the Native Americans to Catholicism.
Watch this video segment about early Spanish settlements in Texas.
[MUSIC PLAYING] This is Texas, largest state in the contiguous 48, within which are 13 National Park Service units. This story is about the remarkably rich history of Spanish missions, missionaries, and indigenous people, who are a very important part of this country's heritage.
The influence of Spain and Mexico on America's early history is sometimes overshadowed by that of the early Europeans, who settled the east coast, but nonetheless, a very important part of our country's history and 21st century culture. Spain specially trained Franciscan missionary monks, began their nation expansion efforts in East Texas in the mid 1600s with a series of independent, but related, missions on both sides of the Rio Grande River.
Their communities were bolstered by refugee Spaniards and loyal believing indigenous people who fled from New Mexico, where local natives decided they had had enough of Spanish rule and revolted. Spain's blueprint for their missions? Convert religiously, teach the Spanish language, teach skills, farming, and crafts that could be taxed, create a community, then secularize it so the friars could move on to their next empire building mission and the Spanish king would have yet another source of revenue from New Spain, as this region was called.
Ysleta Mission is the oldest continuously operated parish in Texas and where the missions of Texas and the mission trail begins. Eventually, the order of Friars Minor, or the Franciscans, would establish 35 missions in Texas. In San Antonio, the National Park Service have established the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park to protect and preserve four historic missions, which are also active Catholic parishes.
Transcript
California
Some of the early settlements in California were set up by the Spanish. The Spanish established missions to spread their Catholic faith to Native Americans. The grassy areas of California were also perfect for raising cattle, which helped support the missions. Here is a video about these early settlements:
WHEN THE RUSSIANS ESTABLISHED FORT ROSS
IN THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY,
THE SPANISH CONSIDERED THE TERRITORY
TO BE PART OF THEIR VAST EMPIRE.
IN FACT, SPAIN BEGAN COLONIZING CALIFORNIA
BEFORE THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
WHEN IT ESTABLISHED ITS FIRST MISSION SETTLEMENT IN 1769.
OVER THE YEARS, THE SPANISH BUILT A CHAIN
OF MORE THAN 20 MISSIONS
NEAR THE COAST OF SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA.
IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT SPANISH MISSION SETTLEMENTS
DEVELOPED INTO MANY OF CALIFORNIA'S MAJOR CITIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE FOUNDING IN 1781
OF THE MISSION OUR LADY QUEEN OF THE ANGELS,
NUESTRA SENORA REINA DE LOS ANGELES,
MARKED THE BIRTH OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES.
THE MISSIONS WERE UNIQUE SPANISH COLONIAL INSTITUTIONS.
THEY WERE DESIGNED TO SPREAD THE CATHOLIC FAITH,
TO INTRODUCE AND ENFORCE SPANISH RULE,
TO PACIFY THE INHABITANTS OF NEWLY CONQUERED TERRITORIES,
AND TO MAKE MONEY.
THE SPANISH MISSIONARIES, OR PADRES,
ENCOURAGED NATIVE AMERICANS
TO GIVE UP THEIR TRADITIONAL WAYS
AND LEARN CHRISTIANITY.
THE NATIVE PEOPLE WHO LIVED AT THE MISSIONS
RECEIVED INSTRUCTION IN THE SPANISH LANGUAGE
AND LEARNED TRADES SUCH AS WEAVING,
POTTERY-MAKING, AND BLACKSMITHING.
THE GRASS-COVERED HILLS OF CALIFORNIA
WERE IDEAL FOR CATTLE RANCHING,
WHICH WAS BY FAR THE PRINCIPAL COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY
OF THE MISSIONS.
IN THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY,
THE CAPTAINS OF TRADING SHIPS PURCHASED LEATHER HIDES
FROM THE MISSIONS AND TRANSPORTED THEM
AROUND CAPE HORN TO THE UNITED STATES,
WHERE THEY WERE USED BY SHOEMAKERS,
ESPECIALLY IN NEW ENGLAND.
Transcript
Pennsylvania
You just learned how Pennsylvania was settled. You can review its early settlements again here.
KING CHARLES II OWED WILLIAM PENN'S FAMILY MONEY,
SO AGREED TO GIVE PENN A ROYAL CHARTER
TO LAND WEST OF NEW JERSEY.
THE KING NAMED IT PENNSYLVANIA, WHICH MEANS PENN'S WOODS.
PENN'S GOVERNMENT PLAN GUARANTEED RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
FOR ALL PERSONS WHO BELIEVED IN GOD.
ITS COLONISTS ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES TO AN ASSEMBLY
WHICH CONSISTED OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVES,
A COUNCIL APPOINTED BY THE KING, AND A GOVERNOR.
AS PENN'S BELIEF IN THE FREEDOM OF RELIGION
BECAME KNOWN, IMMIGRANTS FROM MANY COUNTRIES
CAME TO THE PENNSYLVANIA COLONY.
IMMIGRANTS HELPED PENNSYLVANIA PROSPER.
SOME WERE SKILLED WORKERS, BAKERS, CARPENTERS,
SHOEMAKERS, TAILORS, BUTCHERS, AND BLACKSMITHS
WHO SET UP SHOPS.
OTHERS STARTED SMALL FARMS NEARBY
AND SOLD FOOD IN CITIES AND TOWNS.
PHILADELPHIA, THE CAPITAL OF THE COLONY,
WAS NAMED AFTER AN ANCIENT CITY IN THE BIBLE
WHOSE GREEK NAME MEANS "BROTHERLY LOVE."
BECAUSE IT WAS AT AN IMPORTANT LOCATION
FOR SHIPPING AND TRADE, IT GREW BY THE LATE 1700s
TO BE THE LARGEST CITY IN THE AMERICAN COLONIES
AS WELL AS A GREAT CENTER OF CULTURE, LEARNING, AND IDEAS.
WILLIAM PENN WANTED HIS COLONY TO HAVE A PORT
ON THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.
SO THE DUKE OF YORK GAVE HIM RIGHTS
TO THE DELAWARE COLONY, AN AREA BY THE SEA
THEN GOVERNED BY NEW YORK.
IN 1704, DELAWARE AND PENNSYLVANIA AGREED
TO SEPARATE SO THAT EACH COULD MAKE THEIR OWN LAWS.
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