William Penn established the Pennsylvania Colony in 1681 as one of the thirteen original British colonies in America. It was named after Penn’s father, Admiral William Penn, as a “holy experiment” for religious freedom. Philadelphia, which means “City of Brotherly Love” in Greek, was the colony’s capital. Pennsylvania had a diversified population that included Quakers, … Read more
Roger Williams founded the Rhode Island Colony , in 1636, one of America’s original thirteen colonies. The colony was famed for its religious tolerance, as Williams, a Puritan dissenter, built a shelter for those fleeing religious persecution. Rhode Island also had a strong political independence heritage, with a government that prioritized individual rights and local … Read more
The Virginia Colony was the first English settlement to be established as a permanent settlement in the Americas. The London Company founded the colony in 1607 on the coast of what is now the state of Virginia in the United States. The colony’s original location is unknown. The early years of the colony were distinguished … Read more
The Plymouth Colony was a British colony in present-day Massachusetts that was founded in 1620 by a group of English Puritans known as the Pilgrims. A group of religious dissenters formed the colony in order to build a community in which they could freely practice their beliefs. The Pilgrims and Wampanoags struggled to coexist in … Read more
Colonial South Carolina existed from 1663 until 1783 as a British province in North America. The colony was named after King Charles II and was founded by eight “Lord Proprietors.” The colony was a large producer of rice, indigo, and other crops through the use of African slave labor. With Charleston as its primary port, … Read more
The New Jersey Colony was created in 1664 as one of the Middle Colonies of British North America. The Dutch were the first to settle in the province, establishing many modest trading posts along the Hudson and Delaware rivers. However, the English took control of the territory in 1664 and formed the colony of New … Read more
Captain John Mason founded the New Hampshire colony, one of America’s first 13 colonies, in 1623. The colony was situated along the Atlantic coast in what is now New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Fishermen, hunters, and traders first established in the settlement, but it gradually became recognized for its shipbuilding and lumber businesses. Before becoming a … Read more
The colony of North Carolina was one of the thirteen British colonies in America that took part in the American Revolution. The colony was established in the late 17th century as part of the Province of Carolina, which also encompassed what is now South Carolina. North Carolina’s economy was predominantly agrarian, with settlers cultivating crops … Read more
The Delaware Colony, sometimes known as the Lower Counties on the Delaware, was one of the thirteen founding colonies of the United States. The Dutch established the colony in 1638, but the English took possession in 1664. The capital of the colony was New Amstel (later renamed New Castle), and it comprised sections of modern-day … Read more
The Connecticut Colony was one of America’s 13 founding colonies, founded by English settlers in the early 17th century. The Connecticut River, which forms its eastern boundary, inspired the colony’s name. Thomas Hooker and a group of followers who had fled the Massachusetts Bay Colony in search of more religious freedom established the first permanent … Read more