The 13 British colonies in America were established for different reasons and governed in different ways. Maryland, for instance, was founded as a religious sanctuary for English Catholics, but New Hampshire was established to generate wealth for England.
Here are some facts about the original colonies.
Massachusetts Was Named After an Indian Tribe
In 1620, English settlers arrived on the Mayflower in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, forming the second permanent settlement of British colonists in the New World, after Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. A larger group of English Puritans followed soon after and established the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Indigenous peoples had been living on the land for thousands of years, and the colony was named after the Massachutt tribe. The name “Massachusett” comes from the Algonquin word “Massa-adchu-es-et,” meaning “great-hill-small-place.”
Rhode Island’s Founder Was Kicked Out of Massachusetts
Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island, established the first Baptist church in colonial America. But his religious views caused him to be Banished from the Massachusetts colony. In 1636, Williams and his followers purchased land from the Narragansett people—Williams had disapproved of how land was being taken from the Indians—and settled on Narragansett Bay. Rhode Island was governed on the basis of religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
New York Was Established by the Dutch
When the Pilgrims left England in 1620, they were sailing for the Hudson River, discovered by explorer Henry Hudson’s Dutch-sponsored journey in 1609. Inclement weather led them to settle near Cape Cod instead. Their impending arrival in the New World spurred the Dutch traders to colonize Manhattan before the English could arrive.
The colony of New Netherland was established by the Dutch West India Company in 1624, containing parts of modern-day New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, and Dutch settlers established the settlement of New Amsterdam on the island of Manhattan. Forty years later, the English took control and renamed the area New York.
Pennsylvania Was Founded as Payment for a Debt
Some of the colonies were established under proprietary charters, with land grants given to individuals based on their relationship with England’s king. In 1681, English Quaker writer and intellectual William Penn secured a large grant of land from King Charles II as payment for a debt the king owed to Penn’s father. The king gave the younger Penn the territory between Maryland and New York, allowing Penn to establish the Province of Pennsylvania, named for his father. The colony was known for being a safe haven for Quakers, and open to all faiths.
Delaware Declared Independence From Pennsylvania
In 1682, the year after the Pennsylvania colony was established, the Duke of York sold William Penn the deed to three counties in lower Pennsylvania that make up modern-day Delaware. At first, the three counties were governed as part of Pennsylvania, but in 1704, they were allowed to form their own separate elected legislature.
Maryland’s First Documented Pirate Was a Leader of the Virginia Colony
The Delmarva Peninsula separates the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean, which made the bay very attractive to pirates and privateers in the early days of the colonial settlements. The first act of piracy in Maryland history was committed in 1635 by William Claiborne, a member of the Council of Virginia. Claiborne had established a settlement and trading post on Kent Island, which was a part of the Virginia colony at the time.
When King Charles I granted a royal charter to George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, the map was redrawn to include Kent Island in the Maryland territory. Refusing to relinquish his claim to the island, Claiborne ordered his men to raid a Maryland fur trading port on Palmer Island (modern-day Garrett Island) and went on to attack Maryland ships in Chesapeake Bay. Claiborne’s rebellion eventually led to the Maryland Assembly charging him with “grievous crimes and murthers.”
Virginia Had Witchcraft Trials, Too
About two dozen trials for witchcraft took place in Virginia between 1626 and 1730, the most famous of which was the trial of Grace Sherwood, who was convicted of witchcraft after enduring a trial by water method known as “ducking.” On July 10, 1706, Sherwood’s thumbs were tied to her toes, and she was “ducked” in the Lynnhaven River. The belief was that an innocent person would sink and drown, while a true witch would survive the ordeal. A damned if you are and damned if you aren’t. After being thrown from a boat, Sherwood was able to free herself and float, thus securing her conviction for witchcraft. She became known as the “Witch of Pungo” and spent several years in jail before eventually being released.
North Carolina’s “Lost Colony” of Roanoke Remains a Mystery
In 1587, two years after the first failed attempt to establish a settlement on North Carolina’s Roanoke Island, a group of more than 100 English colonists made a second attempt, forming the first English outpost in the New World. John White, the governor of the new colony, left his family to return to England for supplies, but when he finally made it back to Roanoke in 1590, everyone was gone, including his daughter and granddaughter, Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the Americas. But even today, there is no complete explanation about what’s become known as the “Lost Colony” of Roanoke.
In 2024, archaeologists have found evidence of pottery and other elements that suggest that the colony integrated with the indigenous tribes, creating a new community.
Georgia Was Founded as a Colony for Social Reform
In 1732, King George II signed a charter that established Georgia as the last of England’s North American colonies. Founded by prison reformer James Oglethorpe and a group of like-minded trustees, Georgia was envisioned as a charity colony for England’s “worthy poor.” The colony laws outlawed slavery and forbade large landholdings. Oglethorpe and the other trustees couldn’t hold office, earn a salary, or own land in the colony. The settlers in Georgia, many of whom arrived from other colonies, believed enslaved labor was the only way for the colony to achieve prosperity. Ultimately, the slavery ban, along with many of the other restrictions the trustees had placed, was lifted in 1751.
Do you have any interesting tidbits about the original colonies? Add your comments via my website where my blog is posted at https://www.FrankVictoriaAuthor.com/blog
Frank
Frank Victoria is an award-winning author and screenwriter. He’s been an Amazon bestseller with his recent book,The Founders’ Plot, a political thriller for our times. He donates proceeds of his books to Tunnels to Towers and Fisher House, helping military veterans and first responders. His novella,The Ultimate Bet is available on his website and Amazon. Check out his new website:Frank M. Victoria
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