Colonial Era of the United States (America, 1492 to 1776)
(1492 to 1776)
What happened?
The Colonial Era of the United States covers the European colonization of North America from the early 17th century until the incorporation of the Thirteen Colonies after the War of Independence. The era was preceded by the Pre-columbian Period and followed by the American Revolution.
The Dutch Republic, France, Spain, and England launched major colonization projects in the 16th century. The death rate of the early immigrants was very high. Successful colonies were only established within several decades.
The European settlers came from different social and religious groups. These groups included adventurers, farmers, indentured servants, and tradesmen. The settlers built New Netherland (the Dutch), New England (the English Puritans), New Sweden (The Swedes and Finns), Jamestown (the English), Province of Pennsylvania (the English Quakers), Province of Maryland (the English Catholics and Protestant Nonconformists), Province of Georgia (the British Worthy Poor), and others. All these settlements became part of the United States when it gained independence in 1776. At later times were the Russian America, parts of New France and New Spain added to the United Sates.
Over time, the non-British colonies East of the Mississippi River were taken over. Most of its inhabitants were assimilated. Only in Nova Scotia- were the French Acadians expelled and relocated to Louisiana. The Thirteen Colonies had no civil wars. Two chiefs armed rebellions, Bacon’s rebellion in Virginia in 1676 and Leisler’s Rebellion in New York in 1689, were short-lived. The Wars between France and England were recurrent. By 1760, France was defeated, and all colonies were seized by the Brits.
New England, the Middle Colonies, the Chesapeake Bay Colonies, and the Southern Colonies were the four distinct English regions on the eastern seaboard. An impressive percentage of the native Americans living in the eastern region had been ravaged by disease before 1620. It is thought that the disease was introduced to them by European explorers, sailors, and settlers decades before.
Tomahawk
± 1700 to ± 1750
A tomahawk is a North American battle ax originally used by Native Americans. The name comes from Powhatan 'tamahaac' (= ‘to cut with a tool’). Originally the native ax head was made of stone or horn. It could be an ax or a club.
The Algonquian created the tomahawk. The hatchet quickly spread to other tribes of the south. The French and English settlers brought metal tools, including axes. These iron axes were a coveted object for the native population. A barter trade soon developed. In the beginning, “trade axes” were produced in France and England especially for barter. The Native Americans modified the axes themselves into the typical tomahawk shape. The typical decorations, such as copper and/or iron rivets and colored glass beads, were objects of exchange that the “white man” imported. These ax heads were later locally made from iron, copper, and bronze.
Our copy is marked by the manufacturer. The mark is illegible to identify. The dimensions, shape and the material used confirm the origin of the object. We have an authentic tomahawk on display here. The quality of these later weapons did deteriorate. The white people didn't want to supply decent weapons. Since the tomahawk was used against its own white population, the supply of iron weapons was banned.
During the Revolutionary War of the 18th century, the Continental Congress required the military to carry a sword or a tomahawk. Firearms were slow, and thereafter the tomahawk served as a throwing and melee weapon.
Independence Hall
± 1753
The historic civic building, Independence Hall, is located in Philadelphia. Both the US Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Constitution of the United States in 1787 were discussed in the building and approved by the Founding Fathers of America. The convention decided to propose a rewritten constitution, instead of amending the statutes of the confederation. Meanwhile, the building is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Completed in 1753, the building was called the Pennsylvania State House and served as the county's capitol until 1799 when the capitol moved to Lancaster. Independence Hall was the main meeting place of the Second Continental Congress, a body of representatives from each of the thirteen British North American colonies, from 1775 to 1781. It was also the site of the Constitutional Convention in 1787. U.S. President William Howard Taft presided over a convention in 1915. It marked the formal announcement of the creation of the League to Enforce Peace, which led to the League of Nations and later the United Nations.
In 1729 the proposal came to build a state house in Philadelphia. There was much disagreement about the location and architecture of the building. An arbitration was needed to reach an agreement. Construction started shortly afterwards. Independence hall has a Georgian style red brick facade. The central building has a bell tower and spire, connected to two smaller wings. It measures 51,39 m in height. The construction works lasted from 1732 to 1753. A gigantic clock was placed in that last year, which was replaced around 1830. The wooden tower from the main building was removed in 1781 due to rot and then replaced. In 1898, the original wings were demolished and replaced with reconstructions. The building was also renovated several times in the 20th century.