1492
Columbus reached America
1497
John Cabot (for England) explores the Atlantic coast
1512
Spain establishes encomienda system
1525
First record of a slave ship from Africa to the Americas
1534
Cartier explores the St. Lawrence
1550
Bartolome de Las Casas argues in the Council of Valladolid to end the encomienda system
1565
Spanish founded St. Augustine, Florida
1584
Raleigh's Roanoke Island Va. Colony
1588
The defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English results in Great Britain replacing Spain as dominant world power
1590
Roanoke found abandoned
1607
Jamestown is founded