bigpigeon.us webpage History > Iowa History > The Colonial Period, updated by RAC 18 Oct 2023.
Incomplete.
Incomplete.
During the nearly 300 years between the rediscovery of the western hemisphere in 1492 and American independence in 1783, three colonial powers explored and settled portions of what is now the United States. Their presence had a profound impact on indigenous Native Americans. Trade, warfare, disease, and displacement impacted many Indian nations. Native cultures far beyond the areas settled by Europeans were profoundly altered.
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The following timelines for the three colonial powers refer to events within today's 48 contiguous states.
Spain
1680 - Pueblo Indian revolt in New Mexico; Indians aquire many horses. 1783 - Spain receives France's colonies west of the Mississippi. 1788 - Julien Dubuque, French Canadian, first non-Indian resident of Iowa. 1802 - Spain returns Louisiana to France. 1821 - Mexico achieves independence from Spain. 1835 - Texas receives independence from Mexico. 1848 - United States acquires most of the southwest from Mexico at end of Mexican War. 1854 - United States purchases part of today's southern Arizona and SW New Mexico from Mexico. |
France
1655 - Green Bay, oldest city in Wisconsin. 1668 - Sault St. Marie, oldest city in Michigan. 1673 - Marquette & Joliet "discover" Iowa. 1680 - Fort Crevecoeur/Peoria, oldest city in Illinois. 1718 - New Orleans, Louisiana. 1735 - St. Genevieve, oldest city in Missouri. 1763 - France loses its North American colonies at the end of the French and Indian/Seven Years war. 1764 - St. Louis, Missouri. 1802 - France regains Louisiana from Spain. 1803 - France sells Louisiana to the United States. |
England
1607 - first permanent colony at Jamestown, Virginia 1763 - England receives France's colonies of Canada and the Illinois country at the end of the French and Indian/Seven Years war. 1783 - The United States is formed from thirteen English colonies at the end of the Revolutionary War; the United States receives the Illinois country which becomes the Northwest Territory. |
Sources for Big Pigeon's The Colonial Period webpage:
- The North America - 1702 map is taken from the New France article in wikipedia and is found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_France#/media/File:QueenAnnesWarBefore.svg.