History:   The first people to settle Hawaii were Polynesians, who came as early as 300 CE from the Marquesas Islands.  These early Hawaiians had no written language, but passed down many rich myths and legends, and practical knowledge about animals, plants, and the ocean.  The first European to visit Hawaii was Captain James Cook, the […]

History:   Native Americans entered Florida from the north around 12,000 years ago. They continued arriving in small numbers after 500 BCE, with contacts with Cuba, the Bahamas, and possibly the Yucatan region of Mexico.  There was conflict between the Spanish, French, and English for the land and wealth of the region. Juan Ponce de Leon, […]

History:   The area which is now the state of Colorado was inhabited by Native Americans (Ancient Pueblo, Ute, Apache, and Comanche) for more than 13,000 years.  The Spanish Empire claimed western and southern Colorado as part of its New Mexico territory, becoming part of New Spain and later Mexico. The eastern and northern part, however, […]

History:  Wisconsin was home to several Native American tribes such as the Ojibwa, Sauk, Fox, Kickapoo, and Pottawatomie. The first European visitor was French explorer Jacques Marquette in 1673. The French, and later the British after 1763, were mainly interested in fur trading. When ceded to the U.S. after the Revolutionary War, Wisconsin became part […]

History:   The first inhabitants known to be in Delaware were the two tribes of Native Americans; the Lenape and the Nanticoke.  Both the Dutch and the Swedish laid claims to different parts of Delaware.  In 1664, the English forcibly removed the Dutch, laying claim to the area. It was one of the original Thirteen Colonies […]

History:   Before the Dutch explored Connecticut, the region was inhabited by multiple Native American tribes. Connecticut was later settled permanently by English Puritans from Massachussetts, beginning in 1633.   From its onset, Connecticut had a great deal of political independence based on a democratic principle of government based on the will of the people. Connecticut is […]

History:   California was first explored and settled by the Native Americans many thousands of years ago. European exploration started in 1542, with Cabrillo claiming the land for Spain. But settlement did not start until 1769, when the first mission were founded by Spanish priests in San Diego. California was part of New Spain until 1821, […]

History:  Wyoming was inhabited by several Native American tribes, such as the Crow, Lakota, Arapaho, and Shoshone, for thousands of years. The Spanish explored and claimed only the southwestern part of the state to become part of New Spain, and later Mexico in 1821. After the Mexican-American War in 1848, the area was ceded to […]