Click to Continue The 13 Original Colonies

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Massachusetts Year Founded 1620 (Plymouth) 1630 (Mass Bay) Reason Religious Freedom Other Info Founders of Plymouth set out their government in the Mayflower Compact These were separatists Had town meetings – first democracy in the New World Economy based on fishing, shipbuikding, subsistence farming, lumnber Society governed by General Court in Mass. Bay Puritan church controlled all aspects of society but family units were importsnt

New Hampshire Year Founded 1620 ReasonTrade and Fishing Other Info Originally settled by a man banished from Mass. Bay Colony Allowed more freedom of religion and more men were allowed to vote. Economy same as Massachusette

Rhode Island Year Founded 1636 ReasonReligious Freedom Other Info Founded by Roger Williams when he was banished from Mass. Bay Colony Separation of church and state – landowners could vote, church membership not requires Economy same as that of other New England colonies

New York Year Founded 1624 Reason Trade – primarily food stuffs and furs along with fishing Other Info Open to anyone who wanted to buy land Did not depend on slavery Had more religious diversity and tolerance than New England

Pennsylvania Year Founded 1682 by William Penn ReasonReligious Freedom Other Info A haven for Quakers but had other religions Had friendly relationship with Native Americans More people allowed to vote Economy same as New York

Connecticut Year Founded 1635 ReasonTrade, Religious Freedom, and Political Freedom Other Info The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, the first written constitution in America – democracy demonstrated in egalitarian society Economy basically same as Mass. Bay Colony Society based on equality of all people but was influenced by the Puritan Church

New Jersey Year Founded 1638 Reason (Why?) Profit from selling land Other Info Religious diversity Large families Exported food stuffs and furs Did not depend on slavery

Delaware Year Founded 1638 ReasonTrade Other Info Same as Pennsylvania

Maryland Year Founded 1634 A proprietary colony of Lord Baltimore ReasonReligious Freedom for Catholics Other Info Though a haven for Catholics Maryland was tolerant of other religions Tobacco was its cash crop Depended on indentured servants and later slavery Society was a plantation society (hierarchical)

Virginia Year Founded Jamestown Reason Trade – originally a charter colony it became a royal colony- Depended on the cash Crop tobacco Other Info First successful British colony in North America First elected representative assembly – Virginia House of Burgesses 1619 Plantation society

North Carolina Year Founded 1660 A royal colony founded for economic gain ReasonTrade Economy based on pitch, tar, and other shipbuilding supplies as well as tobacco Other Info Was once part of Virginia and then became Carolina Split with South Carolina in the mid 1700s Plantation society that depended on slavery (A hierarchical society) Religious tolerance but the Church of England was the main religion

South Carolina Year Founded 1670 As a royal colony for economic gain ReasonTrade Original cash crops were rice and indigo Other Info Was once part of “Carolina” but split with North Carolina in the mid 1700s Plantation society that depended on slavery Religious tolerance but the Church of England was the main religion

Georgia Year Founded 1733 James Oglethorpe was proprietor Reason place for debtors buffer zone between Spain Other Info Did not originally allow slavery Grew same crops as SC Society – originally chartered as a penal colony but became a plantation society that depended on slave labor Practiced religious freedom

General Information All colonies developed their economies primarily because of geography The early colonists saw themselves as British They believed they had the same rights as all British people in England Congregational Church (Puritan) established educational institutions to train clergy All colonies had the right to elect a legislative assembly that had the power of the purse Trade developed because of the mercantalistic policies of England