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the 13 british colonies
the 13 british colonies
Between 1607 and 1733, Great Britain established 13 colonies on the banks of the Atlantic Ocean. Each colony can be grouped into one of three regions based on its geography and economics. Those three regions are New England Colonies, Middle (Mid-Atlantic) Colonies, and Southern Colonies.
Southern Colonies
Southern Colonies
Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
Virginia
Virginia
Virginia was successfully settled in 1607 with the town of Jamestown, Virginia. Please see more information about it under Jamestown.
George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, was a Catholic living in England. Unfortunately, Catholics were treated with violence (even death) if they were found to practice their religion openly. Being a high ranking member of society, and a wealthy man, he requested land in America from King Charles I of England in 1632. He hoped to make the colony a haven for Catholics.
When George Calvert died, his son, Cecil Calvert (the new Lord Baltimore) inherited the colony. He named it Maryland.
To help the colony grow, Calvert eventually opened Maryland up to Protestants as well. But before too long, there were conflicts between the two groups.
In 1649, Lord Baltimore issued the Act of Toleration, which made it illegal to persecute any Christian for his religious views.
Maryland
Maryland
When Charles II took the thrown in 1660, he wanted to reward his supporters. To do so, he gave them a colony south of Virginia, which they named Carolina (the feminized version of his name).
Most of the people who lived in the northern part of Carolina were settlers who were orignially from Virginia. The southern half of the colony was made up of wealthy people from England.
Eventually it became too difficult to rule the entire colony and it was separated into North Carolina and South Carolina in 1729.
The Carolinas
The Carolinas
Georgia was the last colony established of the 13 original colonies that were founded in North America.
In 1732, James Oglethorpe got a charter from King George II so that he could establish a colony for debtors and the poor. He wanted these people to be allowed to make a new, fresh start.
King George II, being a very astute man, realized he could kill two birds with one stone. He decided to place the colony between the wealthy landowners of South Carolina and Spanish Florida. The Spanish and native populations had been raiding north into South Carolina. To his way of thinking, the Spanish could raid north and fight with the poor debtors, leaving the wealthy to carry on in peace.
Georgia
Georgia
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