European Contact in North America

5th Gradeβ€’50 minutes

Learning Objective

I can describe how European contact influenced the people and land of North America.

Key Concepts

In the early 1500s, Spain was the first country to colonize parts of America, establishing the first permanent European settlement in St. Augustine, Florida in 1565.

Sir Walter Raleigh established the first English colony in 1585, naming it Virginia after the Virgin Queen, but the colony failed due to lack of supplies.

In 1607, the English established the first permanent English colony, Jamestown, led by John Smith, who negotiated with Native Americans and started tobacco plantations.

Practice Questions

This lesson includes 12 practice questions to reinforce learning.

View questions preview

1. Which European country was the first to colonize parts of America?

2. What was the first permanent European settlement in the present-day United States?

3. Which areas of North America did the Spanish explore?

...and 9 more questions

Educational Video

U.S. History 2: The Colonization of the U.S. - US History for Kids!

Miacademy & MiaPrep Learning Channel

Create Your Own Lesson

Generate a custom lesson plan like this one in minutes with Insta~Lesson