Thirteen Colonies

Thirteen Colonies

The Thirteen Colonies were a group of colonies of Great Britain on the Atlantic coast of North America. They declared independence in 1776 and formed the United States of America. The colonies had very similar political, constitutional, and legal systems, and were dominated by Protestant English-speakers. All thirteen were part of Britain’s possessions in the New World.

About Thirteen Colonies in brief

Summary Thirteen ColoniesThe Thirteen Colonies were a group of colonies of Great Britain on the Atlantic coast of North America. They declared independence in 1776 and formed the United States of America. The colonies had very similar political, constitutional, and legal systems, and were dominated by Protestant English-speakers. All thirteen were part of Britain’s possessions in the New World, which also included colonies in Canada, Florida, and the Caribbean. The colonial population grew from about 2,000 to 2. 4 million between 1625 and 1775, displacing Native Americans. The colonists fought the American Revolutionary War with the aid of the Kingdom of France and, to a much smaller degree, the Dutch Republic and the kingdom of Spain. The Thirteen Colonies were complete with the establishment of the Province of Georgia in 1732, although the term \”Thirteen Colonists\” became current only in the context of the American Revolution. The first successful English colony was Plymouth Colony, established in 1620 which was settled by English Puritan separatists, known today as the Pilgrims. The Dutch, Swedish, and French also established successful American colonies at roughly the same time as the English, but they eventually came under the English crown. In London beginning in 1660, all colonies were governed through a state department known as the Southern Department, and a committee of the Privy Council called the Board of Trade and Plantations. In 1768, a specific state department was created for America, but it was disbanded in 1782 when the Home Office took responsibility.

The New England colonies, as well as the colonies of Maryland and Pennsylvania, were founded primarily for religious beliefs, while the other colonies were founded for business and economic expansion. In the 18th century, the British government operated its colonies under a policy of mercantilism, in which the central government administered its possessions for the economic benefit of the mother country. In the 1750s, the colonies began collaborating with one another instead of dealing directly with Britain. These inter-colonial activities cultivated a sense of shared American identity and led to calls for protection of the colonists’ \”Rights as Englishmen\”, especially the principle of \”no taxation without representation\”. The colonies worked together to form the Continental Congress, which was formed in 1775. The colony of Georgia was the first successful American colony from 1732 to 1752. The Colony of Virginia was established in 1752 and was voided by Charles II in 1763. The Province of New Jersey was established as proprietary colony in 1664; chartered as royal colony in 17028. The Province of New York included New York in the Dominion of New England; included New York in the Dominion of New England in 1686; and New Jersey in the Dominion of New England in 1688. The province of Pennsylvania was established in 1681 and was re-chartered in 1693; it was later called the Pennsylvania Colony; it became the Pennsylvania State Colony.