What can you say about colonial history of the United States?

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 442.

The colonial history of the United States covers the history of European settlements from the start of colonization of America until their incorporation into the United States. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain and the Netherlands launched major colonization programs in eastern North America. Colonizers came from European kingdoms with highly developed military, naval, governmental and entrepreneurial capabilities. The Spanish and Portuguese centuries-old experience of conquest and colonization during the Reconquista, coupled with new oceanic ship navigation skills, provided the tools, ability, and desire to colonize the New World. Numerous colonies failed in the beginning of the settlement era. The colonists faced high rates of death because of disease, starvation, inefficient resupply or wars with Native Americans or other European powers.

Spain had numerous failed attempts, including San Miguel de Gualdape in Georgia in 1526; Pánfilo de Narváez in Florida in 1528–36; Pensacola in West Florida 1559–61; Fort San Juan in North Carolina 1567–68; and the Ajacán Mission 1570–71, in Virginia. Spain established several small outposts in Florida. The most important, St. Augustine, Florida, founded in 1565, was repeatedly attacked and burned, but was the first permanent European settlement in what is now the continental United States.