The Spanish, French, Dutch, Portuguese and English are attributed to have “attempted” to establish some early colonies in the US. Here is a list of some Early attempts and successes of colonizing America:

  • In 1526, Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón founded the colony San Miguel de Guadalupe in present day Georgia or South Carolina (it only lasted a short while before disintegrating). It was also notable for perhaps being the first instance of African slave labor within the present boundaries of the United States.
  • Pánfilo de Narváez attempted to start a colony in Florida in 1528 (which ended in disaster).
  • In 1559, the Spanish establish the colony of Pensacola in West Florida (it was destroyed by a hurricane in 1561).
  • A small group of French troops were left on Parris Island, South Carolina in 1562 to build Charlesfort, but left after a year when they were not resupplied from France.
  • Fort Caroline established in present-day Jacksonville, Florida in 1564 by the French, lasted only a year before being destroyed by the Spanish from St. Augustine.
  • The Ajacan Mission (Spanish), founded in 1570, failed the next year, very near the site of the later English colony of Jamestown (actually, it was about 1 ½ - 2 miles from the Jamestown).
  • "Lost Colony of Roanoke" (North Carolina) was the first attempt of establishing a permanent English colony, which failed. Between 1585 and 1587, groups of colonists were left to make the attempt, all of whom either abandoned the colony or disappeared. There are a few theories that exist. Some of the more agreeable ones are:
    1. one theory is, the colony was destroyed by the Spanish.
    2. another theory is, archaeological research has shown that, between 1587 and 1589, the Region suffered the worst drought in an 800 year span (the drought is said to have lasted for 3 years). Which the colonists may have decided to move their colony (accounts show that, Natives told Captain John Smith that, there were people that lived about 50 miles from Jamestown that, dressed, lived, and spoke as the English. It is said that, Chief Powhatan produced several English-made iron implements to back his claim).
    3. another theory is, the colonists somehow intermarried into Native culture.
    4. another theory is, the colonists gave up and, attempted to return to England, starving on the way.

  • In 1604, Saint Croix Island, Maine was the site of a short-lived French colony, much plagued by illness, perhaps scurvy.
  • Popham Colony (also known as the Sagadahoc Colony), considered the first English colony in New England. It was planted at the mouth of the Kennebec River in the summer of 1607 and lasted for little over a year until it was abandoned in the fall of 1608. There are a few attributes to its demise. One, is the distention between the colonists, another was the uneasy relations with Native Americans, among a couple of other difficulties.
  • On May 14, 1607, the Virginia Company explorers landed on Jamestown Island, to establish the Virginia English colony on the banks of the James River 60 miles from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. By one account, they landed there because the deep water channel let their ships ride close to shore; close enough, to moor them to the trees. Recent discovery of the exact location of the first settlement and its fort indicates that the actual settlement site was in a more secure place, away from the channel, where Spanish ships, could not fire point blank into the Fort. Almost immediately after landing, the colonists were under attack from what amounted to the on-again off-again enemy, the Algonquian natives. As a result, in a little over a months' time, the newcomers managed to "beare and plant palisadoes" enough to build a wooden fort.
  • Plymouth Colony (sometimes New Plymouth or The Old Colony) was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 until 1691.
  • Fort Saint Louis was established in Texas in 1685, but was gone by 1688.