New England Colonies
Massachusetts
In November of 1620 a group of 102 Puritans known as pilgrims arrived at Cape Cod.
They were looking to distance themselves from the Anglican Church of England and
create a place of religious freedom. William Bradford, who put strict Puritan rules on life
in the colony, led them. Not long after the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, more Puritans
came to Massachusetts and settled Salem. John Winthrop, carrying the Massachusetts
Bay Charter, arrived in 1630 and founded Boston. The area known as Maine and the
Plymouth Colony were eventually absorbed into the Massachusetts Colony as more and
more settlers arrived. Poor soil in the area made large scale farming impossible. Most
people opened small businesses and traded goods in Boston’s busy port. Shipbuilding
was also important in the colony and proved pivotal in keeping Britain’s Navy a world
power. Women also made garments, candles, and quilts. Massachusetts began as a
Charter Colony but turned Royal after only a short period of time.
Rhode Island
In. 1636, Roger Williams was driven from Salem, Massachusetts for advocating religious
and political freedom. After spending the winter with the Indians, he finally bought land
from the Narragansett Indians and settled in what is now called Providence. The new
colony became a haven for those seeking religious freedom from Puritans. A New
England Colony, Rhode Island was established as a Charter Colony in 1663. Among
other unique guarantees, the Charter established complete religious freedom in Rhode
Island which was unusual at the time. People of the colony couldn’t depend on their
rocky soil for farming so they fished the waters and built furniture with the ample supply
of lumber the region had to offer.
Connecticut
Clergyman Thomas Hooker and his followers arrived in Hartford and declared freedom
from Puritan authority. Although still largely Puritan, the people of the area were still
deeply religious with English heritage. In 1639 the "Fundamental Orders" were enacted
to govern the colony. In 1662 Connecticut became a Charter Colony. The people here
had better farmland because Hooker purposely chose the site on a fertile river valley.
Farms still remained small even though some were able to grow enough corn and wheat
to sell. Mostly the colonists fished and created many home based crafts.
New Hampshire
In 1638, John Wheelwright, banished from Boston for defending his sister-in-law Anne
Hutchinson, founded a settlement called Exeter in New Hampshire. Previously, Puritans
had gone there to fish the rivers. In 1639 the Wheelwright settlers established the land
as a colony. One of the New England Colonies, New Hampshire started out as a
Proprietary colony but it became a Royal colony in 1679. The people of New Hampshire
used the abundant forest to provide lumber to nearby New England Colonies. Also,
hunting and shipbuilding were important in the region.
Middle Colonies
New York
In 1626, Peter Minuit arrived on Manhattan Island and, with other Dutch settlers, bought
the island from the local Indians for 60 gilders ($24 in today’s money) worth of goods.
The settlement and fort on the island became known as New Amsterdam. In 1653 it
became an official Dutch colony. In 1664, King Charles II decided to claim the territory
between Virginia and New England. The Dutch quickly surrendered to English forces and
New Amsterdam was given to the King's brother, the Duke of York, and renamed New
York. One of the Middle Colonies, New York originally started out as a Proprietary colony
but in 1685 became a Royal colony and stayed such until the end of the American
Revolution. Although a large number of Dutch citizens remained, many English poured
into the area when the control switched. Manufacturing, trade and commerce helped this
colony thrive. Mining minerals and ores were also a way of life for settlers in the
northern regions of the colony.
New Jersey
In 1664, after obtaining control of the Dutch territory lying between Virginia and New
England, the Duke of York allowed Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley, to control the
land between the Hudson and the Delaware River. These men intended to profit from
real estate sales. The new grant was named New Jersey for Carteret, who was governor
of the Isle of Jersey. One of the Middle Colonies, New Jersey started out as a Proprietary
colony, but in 1702 it was granted a Royal charter. Many English, Dutch, and German
immigrants settled in the area and grew wheat, corn, and grains in the fertile soil.
Pennsylvania
In 1681, Pennsylvania was granted to William Penn, a member of the Society of Friends
known as Quakers, to offset a debt owed to Penn's father by the King. Penn wanted a
colony for his fellow Quakers to practice religion freely. In 1682 the city plan for
Philadelphia was laid out. The English Quakers arrived first, but in 1683 the first German
settlers arrived in Pennsylvania and formed Germantown near Philadelphia. Scottish and
Jewish immigrants also settled sporadically throughout the area. One of the Middle
Colonies, Pennsylvania was a Proprietary colony given to the Penn family. The settlers
used Philadelphia’s import port to make money off of trading. They also had small-scale
manufacturing and grew corn and grain. The middle colonies’ nickname as the
breadbasket originated in this colony due to the amount of wheat produced out the
areas outside of the city.
Delaware
In 1631, Dutch traders attempted the first settlement in Delaware, but they were killed
early on in a dispute with the local natives. In 1638, a group of Swedish settlers arrived
on the Delaware River area under a grant from the New Sweden Company. Their goal
was to make money much like the English had in nearby Jamestown. It was these
Swedish settlers that brought the log cabin design to America. In 1655 the Dutch gained
control of the land from the Swedish. In 1664 the English obtained Delaware after
defeating the Dutch. In 1682 Delaware was awarded to William Penn but his control
didn't last and Delaware became independent in 1701 and elected its own assembly in
1704. One of the Middle Colonies, Delaware was a Proprietary colony. As a direct result
of the colony switching hands many times, the people were a mix of Dutch, Swedes,
English and even some Germans. Because of their proximity to the Southern colonies,
some farmers had success with tobacco, but mostly they grew wheat and grain
products.
Southern Colonies
Maryland
In 1632 Charles I granted a Maryland Charter to Lord Baltimore. Lord Baltimore wanted very
much to see the colony established for English Catholics. He worked for the colony to become a
reality and his son Cecil saw to it that the new Colony was settled. One of the Southern Colonies,
Maryland was a Proprietary colony. The people of Maryland dabbled in wheat production, but
tobacco became their biggest cash crop. Many of the farms were smaller than ones deeper in
the south. The number of slaves was also lower.
Virginia
In 1607, a group of Englishmen arrived in the area sent by the Virginia Company to make
money. John Smith led them for a brief period, and after his departure the colony was on the
verge of complete collapse. John Rolfe brought tobacco in 1613 and found a great success and
therefore profit. Englishmen arrived in large numbers to get rich from the cash crop. In 1619 a
group of 20 African slaves arrived to help cultivate the tobacco and the slave population rose
from there throughout the next 230 years. The colony started as a Charter but by 1629 became
a Royal Colony. Although not known as being a religious colony, most of its settlers were
Anglican. Virginia became the English’s most productive colony and therefore its most valuable.
The people of Virginia controlled economic and political life in the south. The tobacco plantations
were large with more appearing every year and the population grew into one of the largest in all
the colonies.
North Carolina
Virginia colonists began to settle the Carolina region as early as 1653 mostly due to expanding
plantations needing more farmland. The King gave eight English noblemen permission to settle
and establish a colony there. In 1691 the northern Carolina region, was officially recognized by
the English crown but only after the southern region wished to separate. This is the first time the
"North Carolina" designation was used. The population was made up of English Anglicans who
were very similar to those in Virginia. One of the Southern Colonies, North Carolina started out
as a Proprietary colony but obtained a Royal charter in 1729 from King George II. Farmland was
not a good as other southern colonies and therefore tobacco farming wasn’t easy. Colonists had
success growing rice and small successes growing indigo, which was a bluish flower used for
cloth dye.
South Carolina
In 1663, King Charles II created the colony of Carolina (named for King Charles II) by
granting the territory, of what is now roughly North Carolina and South Carolina, to loyal
supporters known as the eight noblemen. While still one colony, Charleston (originally
Charles Town after the King) was founded in 1670 by a group of 200 colonists who
relocated from English Barbados. The leader of the colonists was Sir John Yeamans, a
powerful plantation owner. He and his supporters wished to break away from the
northern part of Carolina because they had better farmland and did not want the north
to be an economic drag on the south. Eventually the King recognized the south (and
therefore the north) in 1691. One of the Southern Colonies, South Carolina started out
as a Proprietary colony. But like North Carolina, it became a Royal colony in 1719.
Plantations were very large and spread out; therefore, city life was non-existent. They
grew tobacco, rice, and indigo, all in great success. The slave population here was high
and Charleston became a trading center in the Atlantic slave trade.
Georgia
Hoping to provide a second chance for risk taking members of the English lower class,
King George II granted Georgia to James Oglethorpe, an English general in 1732. The
colony’s goals were twofold. One was to provide English debtors a chance to work off
new lands and pay their debts to avoid prison. The other was to provide protection from
French, Spanish, and Native American intrusions from the south and west for the
colonies to the north. Oglethorpe established the city of Savannah to establish trade but
it didn’t take off. Instead rice and indigo became the cash crops for the colony. One of
the Southern Colonies, Georgia started out as a Proprietary colony but eventually
became a Royal colony in 1752.