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13 Colonies
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Boston Hill
In 1630, John Winthrop led a group of Puritans to settle the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Winthrop hoped their settlement would be an example of Christian Living. -
First Colonists
In 1633, the first colonists arrived in Maryland. They were mostly indentured servants. Near the mouth of the Potomac River, the colonists built Maryland's first Settlement, now called St. Mary's City. -
Governor of New Netherland
In 1647, Peter Stuyvesant became governor of New Netherland. The dutch still controlled New Netherland, but the colony grew as people from other countries began settling there. -
Toleration Act
In 1649, Maryland passed the Toleration Act. This act gave religious freedom to all Christians. Over time, many members of the churches settled in Maryland. -
A New Colony
In 1663, England's new king, Charles II, gave land for a new colony south of Virginia. This new colony was called Carolina. -
English Warships
In 1664, English warships arrived in what is now New York Harbor. Stuyvesant urged settlers to fight, but they would not. They knew that they were outnumbered. Stuyvesant surrendered and England took over the colony. -
The Frame of Government of Pennsylvania
In 1682, William Penn wrote The Frame of Government of Pennsylvania. It set up a legislature for the colony. It gave people freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to a trial by jury. -
North and South Carolina
In 1712, the Lord Proprietors split Carolina into two colonies, North Carolina and South Carolina. In North Carolina, farmers grew mostly tobacco and corn. In South Carolina, the climate was wetter. Farmers there grew rice. They learned how to grow rice from enslaved Africans who were brought to the colony to work. -
Religious Movement
In the 1720's, a new religious movement began in the Middle Colonies. This movement was called the Great Awaking because it "awakened'', or renewed, many peoples interests in religion. It quickly spread throughout the English Colonies. -
Georgia Colony
In 1727, another English king decided to start a colony south of South Carolina. James Oglethorpe had an idea for the colony. He wanted debtors, or people that had been put in prison for owing money, to settle the lands. The king liked Oglethorpe's idea and gave him a charter for the Georgia Colony. The first settlers arrived in 1733 and founded Savannah.
