What is now known as the United States of America began its formation between the 17th and the 18th century. Thirteen colonies were originally part of it, and they are also known as the original states of America. The very first Colony was Virginia (originally Jamestown), was founded in 1607 and the last of the 13 colonies to form was Georgia. Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Georgia, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island and Providence, and North Carolina are the thirteen colonies which united in order to be free from foreign rule.
Timeline of Original 13 Colonies of the United States
Virginia
was home to one of the first ever foreign settlers of America. Founded in 1607, it was originally named Jamestown, after King James I. It was home to the first representative government in all of America, when the House of Burgesses met for the first time in 1619.
New York
was founded in 1624. When the British claimed its territories in America, New York was part of the Province of York, along with Delaware, New Jersey and Vermont. The king reassigned these places after some time to become individual colonies, and New York was named after James, Duke of York.
New Hampshire
was founded in 1622, and it was named after Hampshire in England. When the American Revolution first broke out, New Hampshire became a divided state. There were several wealthy men who lived luxurious lives and there were also those who had the capital to start businesses, known as the merchants. New Hampshire was home to poor people; it had its share of laborers, slaves, servants and mariners. The main trades of New Hampshire back then were agriculture and manufacturing. People of New Hampshire were fishermen, shoemakers, cobblers and farmers. Even the first settlements in New Hampshire were those of fishermen, and they lived near modern-day Portsmouth.
Massachusetts
was founded in 1630. Settlers from Shawmuth and Trimoutaine changed its name to Boston, which is still named after a city in England. In 1635, the first public school in America was founded and was named Boston Latin School. It is still standing and is now the oldest school in the whole of America. The first public park was built in Boston, as did the first American newspaper. Massachusetts was home to two major causes of the American Revolution, namely the Boston Massacre in 1770 and the Boston Tea Party in 1773.
Maryland
was named after Queen Henrietta Maria and was founded in 1632. It became the first English colony to have dominant Catholic members, and it is home to one of the first religious laws in America.
Connecticut
was founded in 1635. The first settlers of Connecticut were originally Dutchmen who lived near modern-day Hartford. Puritans from the Massachusetts Bay were the first English settlers in the colony, and they founded several colonies within it, making Connecticut one of the most important centers of business and government.
It was home to one of the bloodiest wars in America which is known as the Pequot War. Hundreds of people died in this war, and hundreds more were taken captive and sold into slavery. Seven hundred Pequot residents died in the Mystic [River] Massacre; seven survived the massacre and were made slaves; while seven others escaped both of these unfortunate incidents.
Rhode Island
and Providence were the smallest colony of England in America, and was founded in 1636. It was the first colony of England that declared independence and separation from the English rule.
Delaware
was founded in 1638, and Dutchmen were its first settlers. It is home to the Battle of Delaware Bay during the American Revolutionary War. It was in this war when the 13-star colonial flag made its first appearance in a battle, and this kind of flag had then been used from 1777 to 1795. Delaware is America’s first state.
North Carolina
was founded in 1653 but it was the first places to be inhabited in the New World in 1587. It is home to the first English child born into the New World, but after three years, the first colonists mysteriously disappeared with no known trace up to this day.
South Carolina
was founded by the Lord Proprietors in 1663. Six years later, the Fundamental Constitution of Carolina was written by John Locke.
New Jersey
was founded in 1664 by the British crown, though Dutch
settlements were already there as early as in 1613. It was then called New Netherland, and the land area was known to include some parts of New York. New Jersey was given to Lord Berkeley of Stratton and Sir George Carteret by King Charles.
Pennsylvania
was founded in 1681, but a Swedish man named Peter Minuit had rightly claimed it in 1638. King Charles II gave William Penn the land grant for what is now known as Pennsylvania. It was named as such after William Penn’s father, Admiral Penn.
Georgia
was founded in 1733, and was named after King George II. It became subject to frequent invasions. It experienced the worst in 1716 when it became totally devoid of people.
Cause and Effect of the American Revolution
The American Revolution was caused by events that affected both the patriots of America and the loyalists of Britain. Before the American Revolution led to the independence of the 13 colonies of America in the latter half of the 18th century, small upheavals in individual states were seen throughout the country.
Among these were the French and Indian War. This war spanned nine years, but it was known in England as the Seven Years War. It was a clear picture of how the Frenchmen and the Englishmen both wanted supreme power over the lands of America and wanted to become masters of the trade that each represented.
France lost the war, and England imposed the Stamp Act on all written documents in America to be able to pay debts incurred during the war. They put taxes on virtually everything, including paper, tea, glass and paint. These tax issues then led to the American Revolution ten years later.
After the Declaration of Independence, the 13 colonies were formed what is now known as the United States of America. The 13 colonies were divided into three: New England colonies, middle colonies and southern colonies. These states had ultimately determined that the British rule would never again gain their allegiance, thus severing any ties to the English crown.