American Revolutionary War > Thirteen Colonies

Thirteen Colonies

Background

The Thirteen Colonies were a group of British colonies on the eastern coast of North America that declared independence from Great Britain in 1776 and formed the United States of America. Each colony had its own unique characteristics, governance, and economy, contributing to a diverse yet unified revolutionary effort. Here is an overview of each of the Thirteen Colonies:

New England Colonies

Massachusetts:
- Founding: Founded by the Pilgrims in 1620 at Plymouth and later by the Puritans in 1630 at Massachusetts Bay.
- Economy: Based on fishing, shipbuilding, and trade. Also known for its early educational institutions like Harvard College.
- Significance: Played a central role in early resistance to British policies, including the Boston Tea Party and the first battles at Lexington and Concord.
New Hampshire:
- Founding: Established in 1623 by John Mason and others as a fishing and trading colony.
- Economy: Based on fishing, timber, and trade.
- Significance: Participated in the broader New England resistance to British rule and contributed troops to the Continental Army.
Rhode Island:
- Founding: Founded by Roger Williams in 1636 as a haven for religious dissenters.
- Economy: Based on maritime trade, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing.
- Significance: Known for its early stance on religious freedom and separation of church and state.
Connecticut:
- Founding: Settled by Thomas Hooker and others in 1636, initially as part of the Massachusetts colony.
- Economy: Based on agriculture, fishing, and trade.
- Significance: Played a key role in developing the fundamental principles of American democracy, such as the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut.

Middle Colonies

New York:
- Founding: Originally settled by the Dutch as New Netherland in 1624, it was taken over by the English in 1664.
- Economy: Based on trade, agriculture, and fur trapping.
- Significance: A major commercial center with a diverse population, New York played a vital role in both economic and military aspects of the Revolution.
New Jersey:
- Founding: Established by the English in 1664 after taking control from the Dutch, originally divided into East and West Jersey.
- Economy: Based on agriculture and trade.
- Significance: Known for significant battles such as Trenton and Princeton, which were pivotal in boosting American morale.
Pennsylvania:
- Founding: Founded by William Penn in 1681 as a Quaker colony promoting religious tolerance and democratic principles.
- Economy: Based on agriculture, manufacturing, and trade.
- Significance: Home to Philadelphia, the site of the Continental Congress and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Delaware:
- Founding: Originally settled by the Swedish in 1638, later controlled by the Dutch and English.
- Economy: Based on agriculture and trade.
- Significance: Though small, Delaware was the first colony to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

Southern Colonies

Maryland:
- Founding: Established by Lord Baltimore in 1634 as a haven for English Catholics.
- Economy: Based on tobacco farming and trade.
- Significance: Known for its Act of Toleration in 1649, granting religious freedom to all Christians.
Virginia:
- Founding: The first permanent English colony, founded at Jamestown in 1607.
- Economy: Dominated by tobacco plantations and trade.
- Significance: Played a central role in colonial leadership, home to influential figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry.
North Carolina:
- Founding: Established as a separate colony in 1712, originally part of the Province of Carolina.
- Economy: Based on tobacco, rice, and indigo plantations, as well as timber and naval stores.
- Significance: Contributed to the revolutionary effort with significant battles and strong support for independence.
South Carolina:
- Founding: Also part of the Province of Carolina, separated from North Carolina in 1712.
- Economy: Based on rice, indigo, and later cotton plantations.
- Significance: Known for major battles such as Charleston and Camden, and for producing key revolutionary leaders.
Georgia:
- Founding: The last of the Thirteen Colonies, founded by James Oglethorpe in 1732 as a debtor’s colony and buffer against Spanish Florida.
- Economy: Initially based on silk and wine production, later shifted to rice and indigo plantations.
- Significance: Played a strategic role in the southern theater of the war, particularly in battles such as the Siege of Savannah.

Conclusion

The Thirteen Colonies were diverse in their economies, cultures, and founding principles, but they were united in their desire for independence and self-governance. Each colony contributed to the revolutionary effort in unique ways, from providing military leadership and troops to serving as sites for pivotal battles and political developments. Their collective struggle and eventual success in gaining independence laid the foundation for the United States of America.

American Colonies Population

The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies or the Thirteen American Colonies, were a group of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America founded in the 17th and 18th centuries. They declared independence in 1776 and formed the United States of America. The Thirteen Colonies had very similar political, constitutional, and legal systems and were dominated by Protestant English-speakers. They were part of Britain's possessions in the New World, which also included colonies in Canada, the Caribbean, and the Floridas.

Between 1625 and 1775, the colonial population grew from roughly 2,000 to over 2.5 million, displacing American Indians. This population included people subject to a system of slavery, which was legal in all of the colonies prior to the American Revolutionary War. In the 18th century, the British government operated its colonies under a policy of mercantilism, in which the central government administered its possessions for the economic benefit of the mother country.

The Thirteen Colonies had a high degree of self-governance and active local elections, and they resisted London's demands for more control. The French and Indian War (1754–63) against France and its Indian allies led to growing tensions between Britain and the Thirteen Colonies. In the 1750s, the colonies began collaborating with one another instead of dealing directly with Britain.

These inter-colonial activities cultivated a sense of shared American identity and led to calls for protection of the colonists' "Rights as Englishmen", especially the principle of "no taxation without representation". Grievances with the British government led to the American Revolution, in which the colonies collaborated in forming the Continental Congress. The colonists fought the American Revolutionary War (1775–83) with the aid of France and, to a significantly smaller degree, the Dutch Republic and Spain.

Thirteen Colonies Map - Cooper Collections of US History (1876)

Year	Population	Years	Slaves Imported
1625	1,980	1620–1700	21,000
1641	50,000
1688	200,000
1702	270,000	1701–1760	189,000
1715	435,000
1749	1,000,000
1754	1,500,000	1761–1770	63,000
1765	2,200,000	1771–1780	15,000
1775	2,400,000	Total	287,000

By the outbreak of American Revolutionary War in 1776 there was an 85% white population in the Thirteen Colonies that was composed mostly of British, English, Irish, Scottish or Welsh origin. There was also a German population of 9% and a Dutch population of 4%. The population of the United States would continue to rise exponentially over the following 18th century due to low infant mortality, high immigrant rates and low death rates.