The Thirteen Original Colonies

The Thirteen Original Colonies

The New England Colonies

New England Colonies Notes pages 71-76 § New England= NE corner of U.S. § Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire § Massachusetts Bay Colony o Settled by Puritans to “purify” Church of England o Did not believe in religious toleration § Disagreements about religion led to the founding of other 
 colonies in New England:

o Roger Williams: left MA after criticizing colonists who stole 
 Native Americans’ lands  -founded Rhode Island - Anne Hutchinson:  - questioned some Puritan teachings,  - went to New York - Thomas Hooker:  - disagreed with Puritan leaders  - founded Connecticut - John Wheelright:  - agreed with Anne Hutchinson  - founded New Hampshire

- town meetings to decide local issues § Economy: § Government:  - town meetings to decide local issues § Economy:  - farming, leather goods, fishing, shipbuilding § By the 1670's, Puritan influence had declined  - strict religious rules of the original settlers had less  
  influence over the people living there Salem Witch Trials

The Middle Colonies

Middle Colonies Notes pages 77-81 § sometimes called the "bread colonies," "America's 
 Breadbasket" § Includes: New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware - Most diverse part of English North America - Had some of the largest cities and busiest ports in the 
 colonies § New York  - began as Dutch colony of New Netherland   - New Netherland was conquered by order of King 
  Charles II  - was renamed New York § New Jersey  - established in 1665 when part of southern NY was split off 
 to form a new colony

§ Pennsylvania  - Quakers: new religious group in  England in 1650’s 
 - believed all people had a direct link or “inner light” 
 with God  - all people equal in God’s eyes o William Penn (leader) wanted to find place for 
 Quakers to live free from persecution o Got large area of land from King Charles II- now PA o Called it Penn’s “holy experiment”- to create a place  in which people from different religion backgrounds 
 could live peacefully (freedom of religion) § Delaware  - originally part of PA  - Penn gave it its own representative assembly; 
 became a separate colony

The Southern Colonies

Southern Colonies Notes pages 84-89 § much less diverse than the other colonies - five colonies south of the Mason-Dixon Line § Mason-Dixon Line: boundary to settle dispute between 
 Maryland and Pennsylvania o After American Revolution, was the line between northern  states where slavery was abolished and southern states 
 where slavery persisted § Includes: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South 
 Carolina, Georgia § Two distinct ways of life in southern colonies: o plantations, large farms along coast o small, isolated family farms away from the coast Tobacco Plantations

o to set up colony where Catholics could live safely § Maryland  - 1632, King Charles I gave charter for new colony 
 to George Calvert, and English Catholic o to set up colony where Catholics could live safely o passed Acts of Toleration (welcomed all 
 Christians) - Virginia  - population grew gradually during the  1600’s  - new settlers from Europe; many were women 
 and children

§ Carolina  - 1663, King Charles II granted a charter to create 
 Carolina o northern part developed slowly o southern part developed quickly o later became two colonies, North and South Carolina § Georgia  - last of England’s 13 colonies, founded for two 
 reasons:  o English feared Spain was about to expand its 
  Florida colony upward  o Wanted colony where there would be protection for   English debtors