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Written Expressly for Rapid Reference: Mississippi
Leaving Havanna May 12, 1539, he reached Espiritu Santo Florida on the 25th, and formally took possession of the country in behalf of the Spanish crown. For many weary months he continued his march through the territory now embracing Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, fording rivers and penetrating the wilderness, incessantly harassed by the Indians. After three years wandering he fought a disastrous battle with the Indians on the present site of Mobile, and on April 1, 1541, he sighted the Mississippi river which he crossed. After another year of wandering, amid untold hardships, he returned to the great river he had discovered and succumbed to an attack of fever. His followers, under the darkness of night, sank his body in the Mississippi, lest the savages should devour or desecrate it. "He had crossed," says Bancroft, "a large part of the continent, and found nothing so remarkable as his grave." After the death of their heroic leader, the remnant of his brave followers only thought of reaching home; and having built boats they descended the Mississippi, which their chief had discovered, only about one-half of them reaching Mexico.
1542-Cabillo went on the first voyage made along the Pacific coast, sailing as far north as the present boundary of Oregon.
1531-Admiral Coligny, a leader of the Huguenots, as the French Protestants were then termed, undertook the task of founding a colony in America that would at once afford a refuge for his co-religionists, and advance the colonial interests of France. The expedition was led by John Ribault, and landed at Port Royal, South Carolina. They erected a fort, which they named Carolina, in honor of the French king, Charles IX. The little colony numbered only thirty. When the fleet departed they were the only white men between the Arctic ocean and Mexico. Having found it difficult to procure food and tiring of their solitude, they constructed a rude vessel and put to sea, and famine overtaking them even there, they were finally rescued and carried to England. It is said that it was after conversing with some of the survivors that Queen Elizabeth thought of colonizing America.
Two years later, 1564, Coligni fitted out three other vessels, under the command of Laudonnière, who had accompanied Ribault, and the second expedition erected a new fort on the St John's river, which they also called Carolina. This expedition was also a failure. After suffering indescribably from famine, the colonists were about to leave, but were reinforced by Ribault. The Spaniards, however, who had made settlements in Florida, and claimed the country, attacked them, under Melendez, and massacred almost every one of them.
1565-Melendez founded the first permanent settlement within the present confines of the United States that of St. Augustine, Florida.
1576-7-Frobisher sought to carry out Cabot's scheme of going to Asia by a northwest route. With admirable skill and intrepidity he picked his way through unexplored waters, through icebergs and other Arctic dangers, until he entered Baffin's Bay. Having taken possession of the country in the name of the British crown, he returned home. He tried twice the unsuccessful experiment to found an English colony in Labrador.
1578-Sir Francis Drake sailed through the Straits of Magellan and along the Pacific coast as far north as the coast of Oregon. He refitted his vessel in the harbor of San Francisco, and returned by the Cape of Good Hope. He was the second European who circumnavigated the globe.
1582-Espejo explored New Mexico and founded the town of Santa Fé, the second oldest city in the United States.
1584-In April of that year Sir Walter Raleigh, who possessed much influence at the court of Queen Elizabeth, obtained from her a patent to a large extent of territory, and fitted out two vessels, fully equipped and provisioned, under the command of Captain Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlow. The settlers landed on Roanoke Island. Instead of cultivating the soil they spent the time in hunting for gold and pearls. They were on the point of perishing from hunger when they were rescued by Drake, and taken back to England. The country they attempted to settle they named Virginia, in honor of Queen Elizabeth, the virgin queen. These settlers introduced tobacco into England and the potato into Ireland.
Sir Walter soon afterward endeavored to plant another colony, and the second time he sent out families instead of single men. John White, governor of the colony, which was situated on Chesapeake Bay, returned to England for supplies, and owing to the public disturbance caused by the Spanish Armada, was unable to return before three years. When he arrived he found that the entire colony had perished; how, history does not tell.
1605-De Monts, a Frenchman, received a grant of all the land lying between the fortieth and forty-sixth paralells of latitude, which extended from Philadelphia to Montreal. This territory was named Acadia. With Champlain he founded, Port Royal N. S., which was the first French settlement in America.
1602-Goswold, master of an English bark, discovered Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and adjacent places. This voyage was important as it brought America 3,000 miles nearer to England. British vessels, previous to that time, followed the route of Columbus to the West Indies, and thence sailed up along the North American coast.
1606-James I. of England, granted the territory of Virginia to the London and Plymouth Companies. In the following year the London Company sent out a colony under Captain Newport. The expedition ascended the James river and chose the present site of Jamestown as their place of permanent settlement. This was the first permanent English settlement in America.