Facts about the Thirteen American Colonies

In 1585, Walter Raleigh founded the first English colony at Roanoke in North America. He named this colony as Virginia after Queen Elizabeth I. However, this colony was a failure. Modern America came into existence in the 17th century. In 1607, John Smith established the first colony in Virginia. In the same year, a few months after John Smith, George Popham also established a colony in Maine. Here are some facts about the thirteen American colonies.

Virginia
John Smith, and a number of rich Englishmen, sailed through the Chesapeake Bay to reach the Powhatan's river. They settled along the banks of this river and named it as 'James river' after King James I. Although the territory was named Virginia, this settlement was known as the Jamestown. The English government lured and sent many English men with the promises that they will get gold and land in Virginia. Unfortunately, no gold was found in Virginia. These Englishmen did not know farming and so had no means to make a living. They also did not get any land, as promised by the Company of Virginia. Many Englishmen died in Indian attacks and others died due to starvation or epidemic. The year 1610 was known as 'Starving Time' in which 90% of the population of Virginia died.
Nine ships were sent to Virginia from England, but they were caught in an hurricane. One of the survivors of this voyage was John Rolfe. He started the cultivation of tobacco in Virginia in 1612. Tobacco brought wealth which in turn brought Englishmen to Virginia.

New York
Dutch refugees from France and Holland purchased the island of Manhattan. In 1626, Peter Minuit, the Governor of this colony named it as New Amsterdam. Though the harbor of New Amsterdam was suitable for trade, Dutch colonists made money through piracy. New Amsterdam colony was surrounded by English colonies. This well-situated harbor tempted the British. They attacked New Amsterdam in 1664 and it was renamed as New York after the Duke of York.

Massachusetts Bay
In 1608, English separatists left England and settled in Holland. Later, they decided to settle in America in 1620. Separatists, also called Pilgrims, came to America in the ship 'Mayflower'. 102 pilgrims sailed through the sea in Mayflower to a place called Cape Cod bay. They settled in a harbor which was to the west of Cape Cod bay and named it as Plymouth harbor. John Alden, William Bradford, William Brewster, John Carver, Myles Standish were some of the famous men who sailed to America in Mayflower. The separatists started the tradition of Thanksgiving Day. Mayflower Compact signed by 41 men laid the foundation of the governing law in America. It states that one should have:

1. Faith and belief in God
2. Loyalty towards the King of England
3. Equality amongst each other
4. Ability to establish democratic laws

Englishmen who wanted to reform the ideologies of Church and Christianity were called Puritans. They came to the New World, ten years after the Pilgrims. At the beginning, the Puritan group was granted the permission to trade with America. Their company was called Massachusetts Bay Company. John Winthrop was the Governor of Massachusetts Company which had 1000 Puritans. They initially decided to stop at Salem, but then settled in Shawmut Peninsula of Massachusetts Bay. Later, this colony was known as New Boston.

New Hampshire
In 1623, John Mason formed a fishing company in Massachusetts. He sent some fish merchants and a number of other people to a place near the mouth of Piscataqua river. They named this place as Little Harbor which is now known as Town of Rye. Fishing business flourished in this province. This colony was under the British reign and was previously known as North Virginia. Later, the King James I changed this name to New England. This colony came under the legal power of Massachusetts in 1698. Scottish and Irish people formed a part of the population of this colony. Chief magistrate Benning Wentworth named it New Hampshire in the 18th century.

Maryland
King Charles I sent Cecil Calvert to America to form the colony named Maryland. Cecil Calvert was the second Lord Baltimore. Maryland was named after the king's wife, Queen Mary. People who adopted Maryland as a new home wanted to get away with the ill-treatment of the Church in England. Annapolis was declared as the capital of Maryland in 1694.

Connecticut
In 1636, many people from Roxbury settled down in a place on the banks of the Connecticut river. They named this place Woodstock after Oxford. The Dutch used this place as a trading post. Later, in 1749, a separate colony of Connecticut was formed.

Rhode Island
In 1636, Roger Williams and a number of other people left the Massachusetts Bay colony. They wanted to get rid of the religious restrictions in Massachusetts Bay and desired to have the freedom to worship in their own way. In 1663, Rhodes Island became a separate colony with the consent of King Charles II. People from various religious sects settled in Rhodes Island due to its religious freedom. However, this later led to fights amongst these sects.

Delaware
In 1609, Henry Hudson, along with many Spaniards and Portuguese, explored the coastline of Delaware. Later, in 1631, a Dutch trading company was established on this coastline. However, Indians set their buildings on fire and no one survived this attack. Finally, in 1638, the Swedes formed the first permanent settlement of Delaware. Delaware was a Swedish colony until the Dutch governor, Peter Stuyvesant, quashed the Swedish rule in 1655, and it became a Dutch colony.

North Carolina
Englishmen explored North Carolina in the 16th century. Walter Rayleigh was the first Englishman who came to this tribal place. Three tribes Iroquoian, Siouan and Algonquian lived in this territory before the English people arrived and the colonization of North Carolina started in 1650. People from southeastern Virginia shifted to North Carolina.

New Jersey
In the 16th century, Giovanni De Verrazano first came to New Jersey where trading posts were set up. Dutch came to New Jersey when they lost New Amsterdam. This territory was divided into two halves: one under the supervision of Sir George Carteret and the other under Lord John Berkley.

South Carolina
King Charles II appointed eight Lords Proprietors to control South Carolina. The colonists revolted against the Proprietors and South Carolina became an individual province in 1719. The plantation in South Carolina had a close resemblance to the plantation in West Indies.

Pennsylvania
People of Mongolian ancestry inhabited Pennsylvania. King Charles II gave William Penn, a part of the land between Maryland and New York because he owed a debt to William Penn's father. Penn utilized this inherited wealth for the betterment of a prosecuted sect called Quaker. In 1681, William Markham, cousin of William Penn, became the Governor of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania became the land of the Quakers.

Georgia
The last British colony in America was Georgia which was chosen so that it could act as a defensive support to South Carolina. James Oglethorpe was the founder of this colony and wanted to help the poor and needy people in England. He was granted permission from King Charles II in 1730. The first step he took, to make Georgia a better place, was to sign a treaty with the Indians living there as Indians were greatly influential in Georgia.

Colonies were then classified, according to the geographical location as new England, middle colonies and southern colonies. These colonies formed the cornerstones of a big nation, now known as the United States of America.