13 Colony Information Key Packet
Directions: With your group, fill in the 13 Colony Worksheet Graphic Organizer by
reading each colonies facts.
1. Connecticut Colony Facts
The Connecticut Colony was one of the 13 original colonies in America, which were divided into three regions including the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The Connecticut Colony was one of the four New England Colonies which also included the New Hampshire Colony, the Massachusetts Colony, and the Rhode Island Colony. The Connecticut Colony was founded in 1636 by a colonist named Thomas Hooker. The name Connecticut was derived from an Indian word meaning 'river whose water is driven by tides or winds'. The Connecticut Colony was an English colony until 1776 when it joined the rest of the colonies in the rebellion to gain independence from Great Britain.
Interesting Connecticut Colony Facts:
The Connecticut Colony was founded by Puritans and there was no tolerance for other religions.
In 1614 a Dutchman named Adriaen Block became the first explorer of the Connecticut Valley.
The first European settlement in the Connecticut Colony occurred in Windsor, and then in the Hartford and Wethersfield areas in 1633.
The settlers were Dutch, having arrived from New Netherlands (present day New York). These settlements combined to form the
Connecticut Colony in 1633, founded by Thomas Hooker.
The Connecticut Colony climate was the same as the other New England Colonies which included long cold winters and mild summers.
The weather made it difficult for disease to thrive, unlike in the Southern Colonies where the heat often helped diseases to spread rapidly.
The Connecticut Colony's landscape was hilly, mountainous, rocky, treed, with lots of rivers and soil unsuitable for farming for most
crops.
Natural resources in the Connecticut Colony included fish, whales, forests (timber), and some farming.
Despite the poor soil and farming conditions, colonists in the Connecticut Colony were able to grow some crops including beans, corn,
pumpkins, squash, and rye.
The Connecticut Colony, like other New England Colonies, was an exporter of rum.
The Connecticut Colony colonists prospered in several different sectors including shipbuilding, whaling, fishing, timber, fur trading,
livestock, and maple syrup.
Whaling was important to the colonists as it provided oil for lanterns.
Between 1636 and 1637 the Pequot War was fought between the settlers of the Connecticut Colony and the Pequot Indians. The war
resulted in decimation of the Indians.
In 1639 The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut were written, which are believed to have formed the U.S. Constitution's basis.
In 1687 Sir Edward Andros, a governor from another colony attempted to take control of the Connecticut Colony. He demanded the
charter, but the charter was hidden in an oak tree. It later became known as the 'Charter Oak'.
Connecticut's state song today is 'Yankee Doodle'.
The Hartford Courant is the oldest continually running U.S. newspaper, having been established in 1764 in Hartford, Connecticut.
Nicknames given to Connecticut over the years include the Constitution State, the Nutmeg State, the Land of Steady Habits, and the
Provisions State.
The Connecticut Colony was the fifth colony to become a state, on January 9th, 1788.
2. Delaware Colony Facts
The Delaware Colony was one of the 13 original colonies in America, which were divided into three regions including the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The Delaware Colony was one of the four Middle Colonies which also included the Pennsylvania Colony, the New York Colony, and the New Jersey Colony. The Delaware Colony was founded in 1638 by Peter Minuit. The Delaware Colony was named after its major river the Delaware River, which was named after Sir Thomas West, also known as Lord de la Warr, one of Virginia Colony's early governors.
Interesting Delaware Colony Facts:
Major religious groups in the Delaware Colony included Quakers, Catholics, Jews, and Lutherans. There was no dominating religion like
in the New England Colonies and religious tolerance made the area attractive to those who were not purists.
Major towns in the Delaware Colony included Georgetown and Wilmington.
The Delaware Colony was divided into three counties in 1682 including New Castle, Sussex, and Kent.
The major agricultural industries in the Delaware Colony included livestock, indigo (a dye), grain, wheat, and rice.
Manufacturing in the Delaware Colony included products derived from iron ore such as nails, locks, kettles, tools, and plows. A lot of
these products were exported to England.
Natural resources in the Delaware Colony included farmland, forest (timber), coal, furs, fish, and iron ore.
The Delaware Colony's landscape includes Atlantic coastal plains and flat lowland. Delaware`s southern region is made up of more than
30,000 swampy acres.
The Delaware Colony's mild climate made farming and agricultural pursuits feasible for the colonists.
The Delaware Colony was often referred to as the breadbasket colony. The colony grew a lot of wheat (which is used to make bread), and
after being ground into four it was exported to England.
A Delaware Colony farmer's property usually included between 50 and 150 acres with a house, yard, and barn.
In 1664 the British gained control of the Delaware Colony. William Penn was given the deed by the Duke of York, and from 1682 to
1701 it was governed under Pennsylvania.
In 1701 the Lower Counties, which included Delaware Colony petitioned for independent colonial legislature. Despite being granted its
request, the Delaware Colony continued to share Pennsylvania's governor until 1776.
In 1776 the Delaware Colony's assembly voted to break ties with Pennsylvania and with England as well, essentially declaring its
independence in a document signed by representatives from all 13 colonies. It joined in the rebellion against Great Britain, along with the
other 12 colonies, and laid the groundwork to becoming a U.S. state.
The Delaware Colony was the first of the original 13 colonies to ratify the federal Constitution.
The Delaware Colony became a state on December 7th, 1787.
Nicknames given to Delaware over the years include The First State, The Diamond State, the Blue Hen State, and Small Wonder.
Delaware's motto is 'Liberty and Independence'.
Today, Delaware's capital is Dover.
3. Georgia Colony Facts
The Georgia Colony was one of the 13 original colonies in America. The 13 original colonies were divided up into three regions including the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The Georgia Colony was one of the Southern Colonies which also included the Maryland Colony, the Virginia Colony, the North Carolina Colony and the South Carolina Colony. The Georgia Colony was the last of the 13 original colonies to be established. It was founded in 1732 by several colonists including James Oglethorpe. The Georgia Colony was named after King George II of England, as specified by the king himself in the charter granting the colony. Interesting Georgia Colony Facts:
The British government granted the charter to establish the Georgia Colony in an effort to help protect the South Carolina Colony from
invasion by the French in Louisiana and the Spanish in Florida.
The Georgia Colony was established 50 years after the other 12 colonies.
The Georgia Colony's original name was the Province of Georgia.
James Oglethorpe's desire to establish the Georgia Colony was based on a need for a refuge for Protestants being persecuted elsewhere
and as a place for the less wealthy Europeans and debtors wishing to establish themselves in the colonies.
The only religion not welcome in the Georgia Colony was the Roman Catholic religion.
James Oglethorpe served as the Georgia Colony's governor for 12 years. During which time slavery and alcohol were banned. When he
returned to England the alcohol ban was lifted immediately and in 1749 slavery was allowed.
James Oglethorpe did not believe in slavery and large landholdings. When he returned to England his vision for the Georgia Colony was
quickly dissolved and slavery became widespread as plantations grew in size.
The Georgia Colony's major city was Savannah.
Because of the warm climate in the Georgia Colony, and the good agricultural land, it was possible to grow crops all year and plantations
thrived.
The warm climate in the Georgia Colony made it much easier for diseases to spread, unlike in the New England Colonies where colder
winters made it more difficult to farm year round but made it more difficult for diseases to thrive.
Natural resources in the Georgia Colony included timber, agricultural land, and fish.
Residents of the Georgia Colony grew a variety of crops, including vegetables, grain, fruit, corn, cotton, tobacco, and livestock.
Plantation owners in the Georgia Colony often traded their crops for items they could not produce. These items included dishes, farming
tools, shoes, and thread.
The Georgia Colony, along with the other Southern Colonies, had the largest slave populations of all 13 colonies.
The Georgia Colony became a state on January 2nd, 1788.
Nicknames given to Georgia over the years include the Peach State, and the Empire State of the South.
Milledgeville, and Atlanta.
Some of the original territory of the Georgia Colony was later ceded to Congress. This land became the Mississippi Territory and later
became parts of Alabama and Mississippi.
4. Maryland Colony Facts
The Maryland Colony was one of America's first original 13 colonies. The 13 original colonies were divided into three regions which included the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The Maryland Colony was one of the Southern Colonies which also included the Virginia Colony, the North Colony, the South Carolina Colony, and the Georgia Colony. The Maryland Colony was founded by Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore and others in 1633 at Baltimore. The Maryland Colony was named after King Charles I's wife Queen Henrietta Maria.
Interesting Maryland Colony Facts:
The Maryland Colony's original name was the Province of Maryland.
The Maryland Colony was founded as a refuge for English Catholics. Although the charter had been originally issued to George Calvert,
1st Baron Baltimore, he died before it was formally executed and his son Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore was granted the charter.
George Calvert had been stripped of his title as Secretary of State in 1625 when he declared his Catholicism. George and Cecil were the
only Roman Catholics in the British Empire's history to be given a colony.
The original Maryland Colony encompassed a lot more land than it does today as the state of Maryland. It originally covered
approximately 12 million acres. It is approximately half that today.
Major cities in the Maryland Colony included Baltimore and Annapolis.
The early settlements in the Maryland Colony often clustered around its rivers and waterways, in particular those that emptied into
Chesapeake Bay.
Although the settlers in the Maryland Colony grew a variety of crops, the major export was tobacco.
The climate in the Maryland Colony was much warmer than in the New England and Middle Colonies. This made it easier to grow crops
year round but the warmer temperatures made it easier for disease to spread.
Plantations in the Maryland Colony were dominated by tobacco, and as prices dropped the plantation owners grew to rely heavily on
slaves to maximize profits.
Natural resources in the Maryland Colony included forests, fish, and good farming land.
Plantations grew tobacco, cotton, corn, vegetables, grains, and fruit. Livestock was also commonly raised in the Maryland Colony.
Plantations often included everything they required to be self-sufficient including the main house, slave quarters, a laundry house,
smokehouse, a dairy, a blacksmith's shop and several barns.
Major industry in the Maryland Colony included agriculture, iron works, shipbuilding and other manufacturing.
Parts of the original Maryland Colony eventually became other states as Maryland ceded land that became part of Pennsylvania, and the
District of Columbia. Maryland's northern border was established after a legal dispute which resulted in the Mason-Dixon Line in 1763.
In 1776 the Maryland Colony signed the Declaration of Independence. Maryland's signers included Samuel Chase, William Paca, Charles
The Maryland Colony was the last of the 13 colonies to ratify the Articles of Confederation, which it did in 1781.
The Maryland Colony became a state on April 28th, 1788 when it ratified the United States Constitution.
Nicknames given to Maryland over the years include the Free State, and the Old Line State.
5. Massachusetts Colony Facts
The Massachusetts Colony was one of the original 13 colonies in America. The 13 original colonies were divided into three areas including the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The Massachusetts Colony was one of four colonies that made up the New England Colonies, which also included the New Hampshire Colony, the Connecticut Colony, and the Rhode Island Colony. The Massachusetts Colony was founded in 1630, and existed until 1776 when it joined in the fight for independence against Great Britain. John Winthrop, a Puritan, founded the Massachusetts Colony, naming it as such after an Algonquin tribe. Massachusetts means 'at the great hill', or 'large hill place'.
Interesting Massachusetts Colony Facts:
Plymouth Colony was founded in 1620, at Plymouth, Massachusetts, by Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower, a ship carrying settlers.
The Massachusetts Bay Colony wasn't settled for another 10 years.
When the Pilgrims first arrived in 1620 it was the local Wamapanoag Indians who taught them how to plant crops. The Indians and the
Pilgrims went on to celebrate the first Thanksgiving in the New World together.
The Massachusetts Colony was an English Colony until it joined in the rebellion against Great Britain in 1776 (once the rebellion was
over it became the state of Massachusetts).
Major towns in the Massachusetts Colony included Boston, Plymouth, Quincy, Lexington, and Salem. When Massachusetts absorbed the
New Hampshire Colony for several decades, its major towns also included Concord.
Major industries in the Massachusetts Colony included fishing, livestock, farming, lumber, and shipbuilding.
As was common in the New England Colonies, the Massachusetts Colony was dominated by Puritans and there was no tolerance for other
religions.
Natural resources in the Massachusetts Colony included forests (timber), furs, fish, whales, and some farming.
Although it was difficult to farm because of the rocky terrain, colonists still farmed for beans, corn, squash, pumpkins, wheat, and rye.
The Massachusetts Colony's landscape included treed mountains, lots of hills, rocky soil and lots of rivers. Massachusetts's coast is
jagged.
The climate in the Massachusetts Colony included long, cold winters and mild summers. Like the other colonies in the New England
region, the cooler climate made it difficult for disease to thrive, unlike in the warmer Southern Colonies.
Salem, Massachusetts is the location where the Salem Witchcraft Trials were held in 1692. They lasted for three months and 19 people
were sentenced to hang, while one man who refused to be tried was crushed under heavy stones.
Well-known battles that took place in the Massachusetts Colony include the Battle of Lexington, and the Battle of Concord.
Nicknames for Massachusetts include the Bay State, Old Colony State, the Puritan State, and the Baked Bean State.
The Massachusetts state motto is 'By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty'.
United States presidents that were born in Massachusetts include John Adams, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and George Herbert Walker
Bush.
The Massachusetts Colony became the sixth U.S. state on February 6th, 1788 when it ratified the Constitution.
6. New Hampshire Colony Facts
The New Hampshire Colony was one of the 13 original colonies in America, and was classified as one of four New England Colonies which also included the Massachusetts Colony, the Rhode Island Colony, and the Connecticut Colony. The original 13 colonies were divided into the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. New Hampshire Colony was founded by Captain John Mason, John Wheelwright, and other colonists in 1622, and was named after the English county where Captain John Mason was raised - Hampshire County.
Interesting New Hampshire Colony Facts:
Captain John Mason was given a land grant from the Council for New England in 1622 which helped him to found the New Hampshire
Colony.
The New England Colonies, including the New Hampshire Colony, were dominated by the Puritans who refused to tolerate any religion
outside their own.
Major industry in the New Hampshire Colony included fishing, livestock farming, potato farming, manufacturing of textiles and building
ships.
The New Hampshire Colony, along with the other three New England Colonies, experienced long, cold winters, and mild summers. The
cold temperatures made it more difficult for diseases to thrive, unlike in the warmer climate of the Southern Colonies.
The geography of the New Hampshire Colony included plateaus, mountains, hilly terrain, and low coastal regions. The rocky land made it
difficult to plant crops.
Natural resources in the New Hampshire Colony included forests (timber), fur, fish, and whales.
Whales were important to the colonists because the oil could be used in lamps for light.
Despite the rocky terrain and poor soil conditions, people were still able to grow pumpkins, squash, beans, rye, corn, and wheat.
Rum was a common export from the New Hampshire and the other New England Colonies.
The New Hampshire Colony was the first of the original 13 colonies to declare independence from England. This took place six months
prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The major city in the New Hampshire Colony was Concord.
The oldest permanent settlement in New Hampshire is Dover, which was settled in 1623. This was the seventh settlement in the United
States.
New Hampshire Colony's second settlement was Portsmouth, in 1630.
In 1641 New Hampshire was claimed by the Massachusetts Colony. It then became known as the Upper Province, until 1679 when it
became a Royal Province. In 1688 it became part of Massachusetts again.
In 1741 New Hampshire Colony gained its independence from Massachusetts and was able to elect its own governor.
New Hampshire's motto is "Live Free or Die" in reference to its determination to declare independence from the Massachusetts Colony.
Over the years New Hampshire has been given several nicknames including the White Mountain State, the Mother of Rivers, the Granite
State, and Switzerland of America.
The New Hampshire Colony became a state June 21st, 1788, and it was the first state to have its own state constitution.
New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify and adapt the U.S. Constitution.
7. New Jersey Colony Facts
The New Jersey Colony was one of America's original 13 colonies. The original 13 colonies were divided into three regions including the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The New Jersey Colony was one of the Middle Colonies which also included the New York Colony, the Delaware Colony, and the Pennsylvania Colony. The New Jersey Colony was founded by Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley in 1664. The New Jersey Colony was originally named the Province of New Jersey, after the British island named Jersey. Prior to 1664 when it was surrendered to the English, the New Jersey Colony region had been ruled by Swedish and Dutch.
Interesting New Jersey Colony Facts:
From 1664 to 1702 the New Jersey Colony was divided into East Jersey and West Jersey. Each had their own constitution. The border
was never firmly established and often in dispute.
In 1702 East Jersey and West Jersey became one royal colony. Its first governor was Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury, who proved to be
corrupt.
After Lord Cornbury was sent back to England, the New Jersey Colony was ruled by New York's governor. It wasn't until 1738 that the
New Jersey Colony separated from New York's government and adopted its own governor Lewis Morris.
Major towns in the New Jersey Colony included Princeton and Trenton.
The Middle Colonies had a warmer climate than the New England Colonies and had land that made agriculture and farming much easier.
The New Jersey Colony was not dominated by the Puritans like in the New England Colonies and had religious tolerance and freedom for
its settlers. Settlers to the New Jersey Colony included Catholics, Jews, Lutherans, and Quakers.
Natural resources in the New Jersey Colony included agricultural land, forests (timber), iron ore, coal, and furs.
Major exports from the New Jersey Colony included livestock, rice, wheat, indigo, rice, grain and other agricultural products.
Iron ore was important to the New Jersey Colony. They used it to manufacture items to export to England such as tools, kettles, nails,
plows, and nails. They also exported large chunks of iron to be manufactured into iron products elsewhere.
The New Jersey Colony was one of the colonies referred to as a 'breadbasket' colony because it grew so much wheat, which was ground
into flour and exported to England.
A typical New Jersey Colony farm included a barn, house, fields, and between 50 and 150 acres of land.
The first state constitution in New Jersey was adopted on July 2nd, 1776, after the American Revolution had already begun. This
constitution gave women and blacks the right to vote if they met specific requirements, which helped avoid a complete collapse of its
government.
The New Jersey Colony was located in such a position that it saw a lot of action during the American Revolution.
New Jersey is also referred to as the Garden State.
It wasn't until 1804 that New Jersey passed a law to gradually abolish slavery.
8. New York Colony Facts
The New York Colony was one of the 13 original colonies in America. The original 13 colonies were divided into three regions which included the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The New York Colony was one of the four Middle Colonies which also included the Pennsylvania Colony, the New Jersey Colony, and the Delaware Colony. The New York Colony was originally a Dutch colony called New Amsterdam, founded by Peter Minuit in 1626 on Manhattan Island. In 1664 the Dutch surrendered the colony to the English and it was renamed New York, after the Duke of York.
Interesting New York Colony Facts:
The New York Colony was originally called the Province of New York (from 1664), and later New York.
The original boundaries of the New York Colony included present-day New York State, New Jersey, Delaware, and Vermont. The
boundaries also included parts of present-day Maine, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
The New York Colony was not dominated by a specific religion and residents were free to worship as they chose. There were Catholics,
Jews, Lutherans, and Quakers among others.
Natural resources in the New York Colony included agricultural land, coal, furs, forestry (timber), and iron ore.
The New York Colony was also referred to as a breadbasket colony because one of its major crops was wheat. The wheat was ground into
flour and exported to England.
Exports from the New York Colony included iron ore as a raw material and as manufactured goods such as tools, plows, nails and kitchen
items such as kettles.
The landscape of the New York Colony included lowlands, mountains, coastal plain, and farmland.
The mild climate of the New York Colony with cold winters and hot summers. This made the climate ideal for farming. The cold winters
made it more difficult for disease to thrive like it did in the Southern Colonies where it didn't get as cold in the winter.
A typical farm in the New York Colony included between 50 and 150 acres of land, a house, fields, and a barn.
The New York Colony eventually gained the nickname of Empire State.
The New York Colony declared its independence on July 9th, 1776.
On April 20th, 1777 the New York Colony adopted its constitution.
In June, 1777, the New York Colony elected its first governor, George Clinton.
The New York Colony became a U.S. state on July 26th, 1788.
On April 30th, 1789 George Washington was inaugurated as the President of the United States in New York City. New York City was the
new country's first capital city.
It is estimated that approximately one-third of the battles of the American Revolution were fought on New York Colony soil.
In January 1797 Albany became New York State's capital city.
It is estimated that as many as 40% of all Americans had at least one ancestor that came through New York's Ellis Island.
9. Rhode Island Colony Facts
The Rhode Island Colony was one of the 13 original colonies in America, which were divided into three regions including the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The Rhode Island Colony was one of four in the New England Colonies, which also included the New Hampshire Colonies, the Connecticut Colony, and the Massachusetts Colony. The Rhode Island Colony was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, and was an English colony until 1776 when it joined the other colonies in a rebellion against Great Britain for independence. Rhode Island was give its name by Adriaen Block, a Dutch explorer who named it 'Roodt Eylandt' because of the red clay lining the island's shore.
Interesting Rhode Island Colony Facts:
The Rhode Island Colony was founded by those who wanted to escape the lack of religious tolerance found in the other New England
colonies. Its founder Roger Williams was a former colonist and religious exile from the Massachusetts Colony, where religious tolerance
did not exist among the Puritans.
The Rhode Island Colony was home to the first Jewish synagogue and the first Baptist church in the New World.
Rhode Island Colony's founder Roger Williams paid the Indians for their land - as he and several others believed it was the right thing to
do.
Rhode Island's capital today is Providence, the same place where the original colony was founded.
Rhode Island's landscape was flat with rolling hills and lots of coastline, about 400 miles of coastline in total. Rhode Island is
approximately 48 miles in length and 37 miles wide. It is the smallest U.S. state today.
Nicknames given to Rhode Island over the years include the Ocean State, Little Rhody, the Plantation State, the Smallest State, the Land
of Roger Williams, and the Southern Gateway of New England.
Rhode Island's motto is 'Hope'.
Major industry in the Rhode Island Colony included fishing, whaling, manufacturing of ships, rum manufacture and export, and some
farming.
Rum manufacturing was so popular in the Rhode Island Colony that by 1761 it was home to three sugar refineries and 22 distilleries.
Rhode Island Colony had long cold winters and mild summers. Like the other New England Colonies, the cold winters made it difficult
for disease to thrive, unlike in the warm Southern Colonies where the climate made it possible for diseases to spread more easily.
The Rhode Island Colony prohibited the import of slaves in 1652, but it was not enforced until 1774. It had been a major port for the slave
trade and actively involved in the 'triangle trade' which involved trading slaves for molasses and rum.
The Rhode Island Colony was the first to declare independence from Great Britain formally, on May 4th, 1776.
The Rhode Island Colony became a state on May 29th, 1790. It was the final state to ratify the United States Constitution. It took so long
to sign because leaders in the colony were concerned about the government being too powerful. It signed only once the agreement was
made to add a Bill of Rights.
10. Virginia Colony Facts
New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The Virginia Colony was one of the Southern Colonies, which also included the Maryland Colony, the North Carolina Colony, the South Carolina Colony, and the Georgia Colony. The Virginia Colony was founded by John Smith and other colonists in 1607. The Virginia Colony's name was chosen in honor of Queen Elizabeth I, who was also often referred to as the 'Virgin Queen'.
Interesting Virginia Colony Facts:
The Virginia Colony was founded at Jamestown in 1607. It was the first English colony in the New World. Disease, conflicts with
Indians, and hunger almost destroyed Jamestown but new settlers arrived in 1610 with supplies and the colony began to thrive.
The Virginia Colony's first export was tobacco.
In 1624 the Virginia Colony was made a royal colony.
Major cities in the Virginia Colony included Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Richmond.
The Virginia Colony was not dominated by a specific religion like in the English Colonies. Several religions were practiced freely in the
Virginia Colony including Anglicans and Baptists, among others.
The Virginia Colony's landscape included coastal plains, valleys, and mountains.
The Virginia Colony was located in the Southern Colony, which was the warmest of the three colonies and due to its climate the spread of
disease was higher than in the colder colonies to its north.
The warmer climate and the land meant that it was possible to grow crops throughout the entire year.
The Virginia Colony had many natural resources including forests, fish, and agricultural land.
The Virginia Colony's trade and export included tobacco, cotton, livestock, fruit, grain, and vegetables.
Plantations were common in the Virginia Colony, where cotton and tobacco were often grown in large quantities.
The Virginia Colony was the home to many important political figures in America's history including four of America's first five
presidents. They were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe.
Nicknames given to the Virginia Colony over the years include Old Dominion, Mother of Presidents, Mother of States, the Cavalier State,
and Mother of Statesman.
The Southern Colonies had the largest slave populations of all of the colonies. The slaves worked on the plantations that grew cotton,
tobacco, sugar, rice, and indigo (a dye), among others.
Many of the crops on plantations were traded for items that could not be grown such as farming tools, shoes, and household goods such as
dishes and pots and pans.
The Virginia Colony declared its independence from Great Britain in 1775. It then became the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The Virginia Colony became a state on June 25th, 1788.
After the United States was formed, the Virginia Colony's territory would eventually be divided into several other states. States that once
existed within the Virginia Colony's territory include Kentucky, West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, and past of Western Pennsylvania and
Ohio.
Slavery was finally abolished in Virginia in 1865, at the end of the American Civil War.
The North Carolina Colony was one of the 13 original colonies in America. The 13 original colonies were divided into three regions including the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The North Carolina Colony was one of the five Southern Colonies that also included the Maryland Colony, the Virginia Colony, the South Carolina Colony, and the Georgia Colony. The Carolina Colony (later the North Carolina Colony) was founded in 1653, and in 1663 eight nobleman, referred to as the Lord Proprietors were granted the rights to the colony by King Charles II. The North Carolina Colony, also called the Province of North Carolina, was originally one colony - Carolina, which encompassed what would later become present-day North and South Carolina.
Interesting North Carolina Colony Facts:
Carolina is a word derived from the Latin name for Charles, 'Carolus'.
The first settlement in the North Carolina region occurred in 1587. One of these settler's named John White was the father of the first
English baby born in the New World. Her name was Virginia Dare. These colonists all disappeared by 1590 and the first permanent settler
would not arrive until more than 60 years later, in 1653.
The earliest known permanent settler in the North Carolina Colony was Nathaniel Batts, who settled there in 1653.
There was no dominating religion in the North Carolina Colony. Like most of the Southern Colonies settlers were free to worship as
Catholics, Anglicans, Jews, Baptists or whichever they chose to believe.
The North Carolina Colony landscape included coastal plains, mountain ranges and plateaus. Farming and agriculture were extremely
important to the settlers because of the warm climate and vast farmland.
The warm weather and lack of cold winters made it much easier for illness to spread and thrive.
Because of the warm climate in the Southern Colonies it was possible to farm most of the year. This made it possible for the North
Carolina Colony farmers to export agricultural products to the other colonies.
Natural resources in the North Carolina Colony included forests (timber), fish, and land, suitable for the development of large plantations.
Common crops grown on plantations and farms included cotton, fruit, grains, vegetables, tobacco, rice, sugar, indigo and livestock.
Slavery was common in the Southern Colonies, exploiting workers to work on large plantations.
The plantation owners often traded their crops for items they could not produce themselves such as tools, shoes, thread, lace, and
kitchenware such as iron kettles.
In 1712 the Carolina colony officially became the North Carolina Colony and the South Carolina Colony.
The North Carolina Colony's first governor was Edward Hyde.
In 1729 the North and South Carolina colonies became royal colonies, after the Lord Proprietors sold their holdings of the Carolinas to the
English.
Nicknames given to the North Carolina Colony over the years included the Old Northern State, and the Tar Heel State.
The North Carolina Colony became a state on November 21st, 1789.
North Carolina would secede from the United States in 1861, along with 10 other states. This signified the beginning of the Civil War.
12. Pennsylvania Colony Facts
William Penn and others in 1682. The Pennsylvania Colony was named by King Charles II after William Penn's father Admiral Sir William Penn, and the Latin word meaning woodland - Sylvania. Together Sylvania and Penn form the name Pennsylvania, which stood for Penn's Woods.
Interesting Pennsylvania Colony Facts:
The land that became the Pennsylvania Colony had been in dispute for many years by the English, Dutch, and the Swedes.
The Pennsylvania Colony was also called the Province of Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Colony was dominated by the Quaker religious beliefs and values. However there was still religious freedom for other
beliefs.
The reason for founding the Pennsylvania Colony was based on religious beliefs. The reason that King George II gave William Penn such
a large area in the New World was because he owed William's father a large amount of money.
The Pennsylvania Colony included immigrants from England, German, Scotch-Irish, and African Americans.
The Pennsylvania Colony was on good terms with the Native Americans. There was an unsworn treaty in place that was never broken.
The Quakers never helped the New Englanders during the Indian Wars.
The Pennsylvania Colony's landscape included mountains, coastal plains, and plateaus and land suitable for farming.
Natural resources in the Pennsylvania Colony included iron ore, coal, furs, forest, and farmland.
The Pennsylvania Colony exported iron ore and manufactured iron products to England, including tools, plows, kettles, nails and other
items.
Major agriculture in the Pennsylvania Colony included livestock, wheat, corn, and dairy.
Manufacturing in the Pennsylvania Colony included shipbuilding, textiles, and papermaking.
The Pennsylvania Colony grew hem, flax, rye, which were important for industry.
The Pennsylvania Colony's major cities included York, Lancaster, and Philadelphia.
Famous colonists who lived in Pennsylvania included Benjamin Franklin (Founding Father and U.S. President), Thomas McKean (signer
of Declaration of Independence and 2nd Governor of Pennsylvania), Robert Morris (Financier of the Revolution), Thomas Paine (invented
the phrase 'United States of America'), Arthur St. Clair (judge and general), James Wilson (lawyer and signer of Declaration of
Independence), and Peggy Shippen (Benedict Arnold's wife).
Slavery was legal in the Pennsylvania Colony. Free African-Americans were also controlled by law and treated differently than whites.
During the American Revolutionary War the Liberty Bell was hidden in the Zion's Reform Church in Allentown.
The Pennsylvania Colony was a proprietary colony until the American Revolution began. It then became the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, and one of America's first 13 states.
The Pennsylvania Colony became a U.S. state on December 12th, 1787.
The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia's Independence Hall.
Pennsylvania is famous for many places and things including Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Gettysburg, and Valley Forge.
The South Carolina Colony was one of the 13 original colonies in America. The 13 original colonies were divided into three regions including the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The South Carolina Colony was one of the five Southern Colonies which also included the North Carolina Colony, the Georgia Colony, the Virginia Colony, and the Maryland Colony. The South Carolina Colony was originally one colony along with the North Carolina, which was founded in 1633 under the Charter of Carolina. In 1712 the original colony was divided into North and South Carolina. In 1729 the South Carolina Colony became a royal colony. The name 'Carolina' originated from the Latin word for Charles - 'Carolus'.
Interesting South Carolina Colony Facts:
The original colony that encompassed both North and South Carolina was founded by the Lords Proprietors under a Royal Charter
granted by King Charles II.
The South Carolina Colony was originally named the Province of South Carolina before being referred to as the South Carolina Colony,
and eventually South Carolina.
The South Carolina Colony allowed for religious freedom, but relied heavily on slavery for its prosperity in plantation farming.
The South Carolina Colony's original settlers were English plantation owners who relied on slavery to keep their operations running and
profitable.
The South Carolina Colony plantation grew a variety of crops including cotton, tobacco, vegetables, fruit, and livestock.
The plantations in the South Carolina Colony were often massive. They included a main house, slave quarters, barns, a smokehouse,
blacksmith shop, and laundry, in addition to the farm and agricultural lands.
Items that could not be made on the plantations were acquired by trading for the agricultural products they grew. Items they had to acquire
through trade often included dishes, shoes, thread, and farming tools.
Natural resources in the South Carolina Colony included forests, fish, and land suitable for farming and large plantations.
The warm climate of the Southern Colonies made it suitable for farming and agricultural pursuits most of the year. The downside to the
warmer climate was that it was much easier for diseases to thrive and spread. Winters and cold climates could help to slow the spread of
disease.
The population of the South Carolina Colony was largely dominated by African-Americans in the late 1700s due to the prevalence of
slavery.
During the colonial period the South Carolina Colony region was hit by four major hurricanes.
South Carolina leaders on the road to independence included Christopher Gadsden, Arthur Middleton, and Henry Laurens.
In 1776 South Carolina set up their own independent government and John Rutledge was appointed president.
The South Carolina Colony ratified the United States Constitution in 1788, making it the eighth U.S. state.
In 1861 South Carolina seceded from the Union.
The first shots fired during the Civil War were fired in South Carolina's Fort Sumter.
South Carolina eventually rejoined the Union in 1868.
Because of war and destruction and the abolishment of slavery in South Carolina, the economy suffered. It had been dependent largely on
