| 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. |
| 1764: Boston lawyer James Otis denounces taxation without representation, calling for the colonies to unite in opposition to Britain's new tax measures. |