13 colonies cover photo

The 13 Colonies

  • Virginia

    Virginia
    The Virginia Colony was founded at Jamestown and it was the first English colony in the new world. It had many natural resources including forests, fish, and agricultural land. It was founded by John Smith and it is part of the Southern colonies. The Virginia colonies name was chosen in honor of Queen Elizabeth I, who was often referred to as the Virgin Queen.
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    The 13 Colonies

  • Massachusetts

    Massachusetts
    The Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded by the Puritans. It is part of the New England Colonies. It is known as the landing place for the Mayflower and the Pilgrims. The landscape included mountains, lots hills, rocky soil, and lots of rivers.
  • New Hampshire

    New Hampshire
    The New Hampshire Colony was granted to John Mason by England. It is part of the the New England Colonies. Despite the rocky terrain and pore soil conditions, people were still able to grow pumpkins, squash, beans, rye, corn, and wheat. The colony was the first of the original 13 colonies to declare independence from England.
  • Maryland

    Maryland
    The Maryland Colony was founded by Lord Baltimore. It was established as a safe haven for English Catholics fleeing Anti-catholic persecution in Europe. It is part of the Southern Colonies. It feature numerous waterways and a stunning Atlantic Coastline.
  • Connecticut

    Connecticut
    The Connecticut Colony was founded under the leadership of Thomas Hooker, a prominent Puritan minister. It is part of the New England Colonies. The colony was a producer of wheat and livestock
  • Rhode Island

    Rhode Island
    The Rhode Island Colony was founded by Roger Williams. It is part of the New England Colonies. It was the site of one of the bloodiest battles. Farming and sea-trading became profitable businesses.
  • Delaware

    Delaware
    The Delaware Colony was founded by Peter Minuit and New Sweden Company. It is part of the Middle Colonies. It played a pivotal role in the ratification of the Declaration of Independence. The colony was often referred to as the bread basket colony because it grew a lot of wheat.
  • North Carolina

    North Carolina
    The North Carolina Colony was founded by the Virginia colonists. It is part of the Southern Colonies. The economy was based mainly on the growing of tobacco. The landscape included costal planes, mountain ranges, and plateaus.
  • South Carolina

    South Carolina
    The South Carolina Colony was founded by Eight Nobles with a Royal Charter from Charles II. It's part of the Southern colonies. It quickly became one of the wealthiest colonies because of exports of cotton, rice, tobacco, and indigo dye.
  • New Jersey

    New Jersey
    The New Jersey Colony was founded by Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. Its is one of the Middle Colonies. This colony was also called the Bread Basket because it grew so many crops especially wheat. The settlers to the colony included Catholics, Jews, Lutherans, and Quakers. The land was excellent for farming because of the soil.
  • New York

    New York
    The New York Colony was founded by the Duke of York. It was a Middle Colony. The landscape of the colony included lowlands, mountains, costal plains, and farmland. Most of the settlers earned a living by fur and timber trading.
  • Pennsylvania

    Pennsylvania
    The Pennsylvania Colony was founded by William Penn as a haven for his fellow Quakers. It is a part of the Middle Colonies. They established a society of religious freedom. They exported iron ore and manufactured iron products to England.
  • Georgia

    Georgia
    The Georgia Colony was the last of the British colonies on the mainland North America founded by James Edward Oglethorpe. It was part of the Southern Colonies. They joined the other 12 colonies in rebellion against Great Britain. The colony had lush fertile lands which make it perfect for farming, growing, and producing rice.