U.S. Historical Chronology

Discovery & Colonization: 1450 - 1760

Updated: November 16, 2001

California Missions - Grades 6-12 - This site from the California Museum of Photography offers a collection of archival images of all of California's missions. It would be a useful resource for any study of the history of these missions, but would be especially useful to show students how these sites have changed over time, or as an introduction to the use of archival photos as a primary source.

The Columbus Navigation Homepage - Grades 4-8 - is a privately maintained site offering detailed information on each of Columbus' several voyages to the New World. Good resources on navigation in the 15th century. Lots of information, though visually less-than-stunning.

Discovering New Horizons - Grades 4-8 - This is an elegant, student-developed site that introduces more than a dozen different explorers from Marco Polo to Neil Armstrong, including a number of those who first explored North America. There are explanations of exploration routes, navigation equipment, biographies, and some nice visuals as well. Students will enjoy this one. Both Flash and HTML versions are available.

Discovering the New World - Grades 4-12 - This site deals with explorations of both North and South America, offering a collection of resources that work forward from the first Spanish efforts to sail westward. This is a rich resource which suffers a bit from a complex frameset, but the content is well worth a look.

Florida Archaeology - Grades 9-12 - This site from the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research provides pictures, downloadable Abode Acrobat files, and discussions about life in Florida from pre-history through the present. There are sections on ancient cultures, sunken Spanish ships, and many other topics, each presented in enough detail for high school level research papers.

The Mayflower on the Web - Grades 5 and up - A very complete presentation with notes for both teachers and students. Lots of historical and genealogical information.

Rediscovering Jamestown - Grades 6-12 - This site, created by the Virginia Historical Society, provides a look at recent archaeological activities around the site of the original Jamestown fort and settlement. In addition to descriptions and a number of photos, the site offers additional links to other sites dealing with Jamestown and early English settlements in Virginia.

TeachersFirst's Colonial America Tour - A virtual tour of seven important places in the colonization of what became the United States. Take a look at sights you can visit, as well as sites that let you experience America's colonial history from your computer at home.

Jamestown Webquest - Grades: 4-6 - This webquest teaches students all about the history of Jamestown. Students will form groups and take on the roles of newspaper reporters to create a mini-newspaper for the Jamestown settlement. Links are provided to research four different article topics: a top news story, a food column, a feature article, and an editorial.

The World of Benjamin Franklin - Grades 5 and up - Extensive biographical information and historical context. From the Franklin Institute.

The French & Indian Wars - Grades 6 and up - Not a complete discussion, but a good deal of information on the sites of various events. Does not appear to be regularly maintained.

Archiving Early America - Grades 7-12 - An Archivist's approach to early American documents and related information. A unique array of original newspapers, maps and writings come to life on screen just as they appeared to our forebears more than 200 years ago. These archival materials-- forming as they do a historical record of a significant time in the American experience-- are displayed in their original formats. Special Features: Material from 18^th Century America-- all displayed digitally. Historic early American documents, trivia, life in Colonial times, Colonial crossword puzzle.

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Historical Chronology
Original Documents
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