The Thirteen Colonies

The Thirteen Colonies

America is one of the largest and most powerful nations in the world. When you think of America what usually comes to mind is the fifty united states. It has not always been this way though. Over the last few hundred years America has grown tremendously but it all started with a very humble beginning as several European colonies. Although the different colonies were founded at similar times they were very different in every way.

The British were the most significant group to start colonizing the Americas. "Religious persecution in England led to the foundation of the New England colonies" (America 3). Their first successful attempt at creating a permanent settlement in America was done by the London Company in 1607 named Jamestown. It was created on a small island off the coast of what's now Virginia. Shortly after one of the most notable colonies, Plymouth was founded. It is very unique in that it was not created as a business venture but instead for the right to practice religion freely. Slowly within the next few hundred years the British colonies grew to thirteen, spanning from present day Georgia to Maine.

All early colonies were run under "three different types of government proprietary colonies, charter colonies and provincial colonies" (America 9). The most common were the provincial colonies including New Hampshire, New York, Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. They were created by the monarch each given an appointed governor and a council of representatives. Next were the proprietary colonies consisting of Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. These were very similar except in that the lords who founded the colony appointed the governor which usually caused them to have greater religious and civil liberties. Last were the three charter colonies Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. They were created when groups of settlers petitioned the king to grant a charter giving loose rules on the governing of the colony while protecting their land from other English colonies. Usually these colonies had the most freedoms.

Each of the colonies also followed different religious beliefs and laws governing the practices of its citizens. "London did not force theocracy onto the new colonies so their religious practices became very diverse" (Colonial). The puritan community in Massachusetts and several others were deeply religious and religiously intolerant even known for charging people with the penalty of death. Other colonies such as Rhode Island had religious freedom and separation of church and state causing America to become a religious refuge

The Economies of the original thirteen colonies were always changing. Virginia was founded in an effort to find gold but by the late 1600's their economy was centered on tobacco exports while labor demands were being met with indentured servants which were later