13 Colonies

• The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America

• Colonies are often divided by Geographic areas

• New England Colonies– New Hampshire– Massachusetts– Rhode Island – Connecticut

• Middle Colonies– New York– New Jersey– Pennsylvania– Delaware

• Southern Colonies– Maryland– Virginia – North Carolina– South Carolina– Georgia

Virginia

• Founded in 1607 by the London Company

• Captain John Smith and Christopher Newport led an area called Jamestown

• The original colony was plagued by corruption, mismanagement, and attacks from Powhatan Indians

• 1614 John Rolfe introduced tobacco

• 1619 the House of Burgesses met for the first time in Jamestown– Was America’s first representative

government

Massachusetts • Founded in 1620 by the Puritans• Mayflower Compact- a local

government that established rules and regulations

• Local Native Americans taught them to plant crops

• 1620 celebrated the first Thanksgiving

• 1629 Boston became the economic and religious center of Massachusetts

• Puritans came for religious purification, and were intolerant to other religions

• Many religions were banned from Massachusetts

• Dissenters were exiled by the Puritans– Roger Williams– Joseph Hooker

New Hampshire

• Founded 1623 • First settlers were fishermen• Quickly built a fort and fish processing

buildings• 1641, Massachusetts claimed New

Hampshire– Remained part of Massachusetts until1679– Joined again with Massachusetts in 1698– 1741 New Hampshire gained independence

Maryland

• Found 1634 by Lord Baltimore

• 1633- 200 Catholic settlers left for Marie’s Land

• 1634- one of the predominately Catholic British Colonies

• 1649- Maryland passed the Toleration Act which guaranteed religious settlers- as long as it was a Christian religion

• 1688 Catholicism was outlawed in Maryland until after the Revolution

Connecticut

• Founded c. 1635 by Thomas Hooker• Puritans from Massachusetts began to spread

creating Connecticut• Land was purchases from Mohegan Indians, but

the Pequot tribe wanted the land– Violence erupted between settlers and Pequot Indians

in 1637– The Pequots were systematically massacred by

settlers and other Indians

• 1639 Thomas Hooker drafted the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut – Sometimes considered America’s first

Constitution

• John Haynes was Connecticut’s first governor

Rhode Island

• Founded 1636 by Roger Williams

• Williams was banished from Puritan Massachusetts for his religious views

• Rhode Island became a refuge for religious outcasts

• John Clarke was granted a royal charter from Parliament that guaranteed religious freedom in Rhode Island

Delaware

• Founded 1638 by Peter Minuit and New Sweden Company

• Land fought over between Dutch and the Swedes

• William Penn eventually wanted to land to connect Pennsylvania to the ocean.

North Carolina

• Founded 1653 by Virginians

• Nathaniel Batts was looking for farmable land just south of Virginia

South Carolina

• Founded 1663 by Eight Nobles with a Royal Charter from Charles II

• 1729 North and South Carolina became separate royal colonies

• Charles Town (Charleston) quickly became cultural and economic center of the southern colonies

• Plantations began to be built all over the area

New Jersey

• Founded 1664 by Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret

• Originally settled by the Dutch then in 1664 the British ran the Dutch out

• Attracted people to the area by offering land and religious freedom– In return for the land, settlers had to pay a

yearly tax

New York

• Founded 1664 by the Duke of New York

• Originally founded by the Dutch and called New Netherlands

• 1664 British naval fleet sailed into the harbor and pushed the Dutch out

• Renamed “New York”

Pennsylvania

• Founded 1682 by William Penn• Penn was given a land grant by King Charles II• Pennsylvania means “Penn’s Woods”• Government based on religious freedom for the

Quakers• Promoted peaceful relations with the Indians• Philadelphia became the most important city in

the colonies

Georgia

• Founded 1732 by James Edward Oglethorpe

• Named after King George I

• Used as a prison colony at first

• Soon became a major cent for the export of rice, indigo, beef, and pork