13 American colonies

Colonial America-The Thirteen Colonies

• The United States were formed from thirteen British colonies in 1776.
• Many of these colonies had been around for well over 100 years including the first colony of Virginia which was founded in 1607.
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• Pie de imagen: Map of the thirteen original colonies.

What is a colony?

• A colony is...
• a region of land that is under the political control of another country.
• Usually the controlling country is physically far away from the colony (as was the case with England and the American colonies).
• Colonies are typically founded and settled by people from the home country, however, there may also be settlers from other countries. This was especially true of the American colonies which had settlers from all over Europe.

Why were the colonies established?

• Queen Elizabeth I wanted to establish colonies in the Americas in order to grow the British Empire and to counter the Spanish.
• The English hoped to find wealth, create new jobs, and establish trade ports along the coast of the Americas.
• Each colony, however, has its own unique history on how it was founded. Many of the colonies were founded by religious leaders or groups looking for religious freedom. These colonies included Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
• Other colonies were founded purely in hopes of creating new trade opportunities and profits for investors.

The Thirteen Colonies

• Virginia (1607) - John Smith and the London Company.
• New York (1626) - Originally founded by the Dutch. Became a British colony in 1664.
• New Hampshire (1623)
• Massachusetts Bay (1630) - Puritans looking for religious freedom.
• Maryland (1633) - George and Cecil Calvert as a safe heaven for Catholics.
• Connecticut (1636)
• Rhode Island (1636) - Roger Williams to have a place of religious freedom for all.
• Delaware (1638) - Peter Minuit and the New Sweden Company. British took over in 1664.
• North Carolina (1663) - Originally part of the Province of Carolina. Split off from South Carolina in 1712.
• South Carolina (1663) - Originally part of the Province of Carolina. Split off from North Carolina in 1712.
• New Jersey (1664) - First settled by the Dutch, the English took over in 1664.
• Pennsylvania (1681) - William Penn and the Quakers.
• Georgia (1732) - James Oglethorpe as a settlement for debtors.

Interesting Facts about the 13 Colonies

• Other American British colonies that never became states include the Lost Colony of Roanoke and Plymouth Colony (which became part of Massachusetts Bay Colony)
• Life was difficult for the early colonists. Less than half of the first settlers survived the first winter at both Jamestown (Virginia) and at the Plymouth Colony
• Many of the colonies were named after the rulers of England including the Carolinas (for King Charles I), Virginia (for the Virgin Queen Elizabeth), and Georgia (for King George II)
• Massachusetts was named after a local tribe of Native Americans
• New York City was originally called New Amsterdam and was part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland

Roanoke colony

• Roanoke Colony was the first attempt by the English to establish a colony in the Americas.
• Unfortunately, the colony failed when the settlers disappeared under mysterious circumstances giving the colony the nickname the "Lost Colony."

Roanoke and Jamestown colonies

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• The Roanoke Colony was located on Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina.
• The land was considered part of Virginia at the time.
• Pie de imagen: Jamestown Colony and Roanoke Colony.

Towards the starting of a colony...

• In 1584, the land of Virginia in North America was granted to Sir Walter Raleigh by Queen Elizabeth I.
• The British hoped to establish a foothold (appoggio) in the Americas to expand their empire.
• Raleigh sent out 2 captains to explore the area. They discovered Roanoke Island and met the local natives. Raleigh decided this would be a good place to establish a colony.
• The first expedition to Roanoke arrived at Roanoke in 1585. Greenville left 107 settlers, all men, and returned to England for additional supplies for the settlement.
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• Pie de imagen: Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603).

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• The settlers built a fort at Roanoke, but struggled to survive. They were constantly fighting with the local Native Americans.
• When English explorer Sir Francis Drake passed by the settlement and offered to take them back to England, the colonists agreed.
• A 2nd attempt at starting a colony at Roanoke occurred in 1587. This time 115 colonists travelled to Roanoke led by John White. They didn’t found anybody. Despite that, the colonists began to build their settlement on Roanoke.
• Unfortunately, the colonists continued to have disputes with the local tribes. John White decided to return to England in order to gain supplies and reinforcements for the colony.

The Colony has Disappeared ...

• After returning to England, White could find little help for the colony...
• England was in the middle of a large battle with Spain and the Spanish Armada.
• Three years later in 1590. When White arrived he found the colony completely abandoned.

Jamestown Settlement

• Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America. It was founded in 1607 and served as the capital of the Virginia colony for over 80 years.
• In 1606, King James I of England gave the Virginia Company of London the charter (documento di autorizzazione) to establish a new colony in North America.
• They financed an expedition of 144 men. The first order of business was to select a site to build a fort. They named the new settlement Jamestown after King James I.
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• Pie de imagen: James I (1603-1625).

Adverse weather conditions...

• Unfortunately, the site they chose was not ideal:
• In the summer, the site turned into a swamp filled with mosquitoes and poisonous water.
• In the winter, it was unprotected from the harsh winter storms and became bitterly cold.

Difficult living conditions...

• The first settlers of Jamestown were all men. Most of them were gentlemen looking for gold. They hoped to get rich quick and then return to England. They didn't know how to fish, hunt, or farm.
• More than half of the original settlers died during the first winter, most of them from diseases and starvation.
• A few were also killed in disputes with the local Native American peoples called the Powhatan.
• The settlers that did survive only survived with the help of the Powhatan and a resupply ship that arrived in January.

The Powhatan

• The local Native Americans were part of a large confederacy of tribes called the Powhatan. At first the settlers did not get along with the Powhatan. Some settlers were killed or kidnapped by the Powhatan.
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• Pie de imagen: The chief of the Powhatan (picture from the Walt Disney movie "POcahontas")

Relationship with the Powhatan

• When Captain John Smith took over the leadership of the colony the relationship improved. At first he was taken captive, but he was saved thanks to the chief's daughter, Pocahontas.
• In 1608 Captain John Smith became the president of the colony. Unlike the other leaders, Smith was not a "gentleman", but an experienced seaman and soldier.
• Smith's leadership gave the colony a chance to survive. Unfortunately, Smith was injured and had to sail back to England to recover.
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• Pie de imagen: Pocahontas, the Powhatan chief's daughter (picture from the Walt Disney movie "Pocahantas").

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• After the harsh winter, the few settlers left were determined to abandon the colony. However, when fresh supplies and colonists arrived from England in the spring, they decided to stay and make the colony work.
• For the next few years, the colony failed to be a success. Things began to change, however, when John Rolfe introduced tobacco. Tobacco became a cash crop for Virginia and helped the colony to grow.
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• Pie de imagen: Tobacco crops.

The Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony

• The Pilgrims were a group of English settlers who left Europe in search of religious freedom in the Americas.
• They established the Plymouth Colony in 1620.
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The Mayflower

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• The Pilgrims, set sail aboard the Mayflower for America.
• There were 102 total passengers on the Mayflower.
• Pie de imagen: Mayflower boat.

Why did the Pilgrims travel to America?

• The Pilgrims travelled to America in search of a new way of life.
• Many of the Pilgrims were part of a religious group called Separatists. They were called this because they wanted to "separate" from the Church of England and worship (adorare) God in their own way.
• They were not allowed to do this in England where they were persecuted and sometimes put in jail. Other Pilgrims were hoping to find adventure or a better life in the New World.
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• Pie de imagen: Pilgrims' persecution.

The Mayflower compact

• When the Pilgrims arrived in New England, they decided they needed to make an agreement on how issues would be settled and the colony would be run.
• They signed a document , the Mayflower Compact. The compact declared that the colonists were loyal to the King of England, that they were Christians who served God, that they would make fair and just laws, and that they would each work for the good of the colony. The Mayflower Compact was signed by 41 of the Pilgrim men (the women were not allowed to sign).

Plymouth Colony

• After arriving in America, they eventually found a location called Plymouth. It had a calm harbor for their ship, a river for fresh water, and flat lands where they could plant crops.
• The Pilgrims were happy to finally be in America, but they were not prepared for the cold winter. They quickly built a main common house and then began to build small houses for each of the families. Many people got sick and died over the first winter.

Squanto and the Wampanoag

• The Native Americans that lived in the same area as Plymouth Colony were the Wampanoag peoples. The chief of the Wampanoag made contact with the Pilgrims.
• They established a peace treaty and agreed to trade for animal furs. One Wampanoag man, Squanto, had travelled to Europe and could speak some English. He agreed to stay with the Pilgrims and teach them how to survive. He taught them how to plant corn, where to hunt and fish, and how to survive through the winter.
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• Pie de imagen: Corn crops.

Thanksgiving

• The Pilgrims held a feast after their first harvest in 1621.
• They invited some of the local Wampanoag people to join them.
• This feast is sometimes called the first Thanksgiving. They continued this tradition and they began to call the feast "Thanksgiving."
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• Pie de imagen: Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving today

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• Pie de imagen: Thanksgiving Day meal.
• Thanksgiving Day is an annual national holiday in the United States and Canada celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year.
• It is held on the fourth Thursday in November.
• Americans generally believe that their Thanksgiving is modeled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanog people.
• The American holiday is particularly rich in legend and symbolism, and the traditional fare of the Thanksgiving meal typically includes turkey, bread stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, and pumpkin pie.