| 1607: Captain Christopher Newport and 105 followers found the colony of Jamestown at the mouth of the James River on the coast of Virginia. |
| 1610: Sir Thomas Gates institutes laws divine moral and marshal, a harsh civil code for Jamestown. |
| 1624: After years of unprofitable operation, Virginia's charter is revoked and it becomes a royal colony. |
| 1689: English Parliament passes the Act of Toleration, protecting Protestants. Roman Catholics are specifically excluded from exemption. |
| 1738: The Methodist Church is established. |