New England Colonies Massachusetts In November of 1620 a group of 102 Puritans known as pilgrims arrived at Cape Cod. They were looking to distance themselves from the Anglican Church of England and create a place of religious freedom. William Bradford, who put strict Puritan rules on life in the colony, led them. Not long after the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, more Puritans came to Massachusetts and settled Salem. John Winthrop, carrying the Massachusetts Bay Charter, arrived in 1630 and founded Boston. The area known as Maine and the Plymouth Colony were eventually absorbed into the Massachusetts Colony as more and more settlers arrived. Poor soil in the area made large scale farming impossible. Most people opened small businesses and traded goods in Boston’s busy port. Shipbuilding was also important in the colony and proved pivotal in keeping Britain’s Navy a world power. Women also made garments, candles, and quilts. Massachusetts began as a Charter Colony but turned Royal after only a short period of time.

Rhode Island In. 1636, Roger Williams was driven from Salem, Massachusetts for advocating religious and political freedom. After spending the winter with the Indians, he finally bought land from the Narragansett Indians and settled in what is now called Providence. The new colony became a haven for those seeking religious freedom from Puritans. A New England Colony, Rhode Island was established as a Charter Colony in 1663. Among other unique guarantees, the Charter established complete religious freedom in Rhode Island which was unusual at the time. People of the colony couldn’t depend on their rocky soil for farming so they fished the waters and built furniture with the ample supply of lumber the region had to offer.

Connecticut Clergyman Thomas Hooker and his followers arrived in Hartford and declared freedom from Puritan authority. Although still largely Puritan, the people of the area were still deeply religious with English heritage. In 1639 the "Fundamental Orders" were enacted to govern the colony. In 1662 Connecticut became a Charter Colony. The people here had better farmland because Hooker purposely chose the site on a fertile river valley. Farms still remained small even though some were able to grow enough corn and wheat to sell. Mostly the colonists fished and created many home based crafts.

New Hampshire In 1638, John Wheelwright, banished from Boston for defending his sister-in-law Anne Hutchinson, founded a settlement called Exeter in New Hampshire. Previously, Puritans had gone there to fish the rivers. In 1639 the Wheelwright settlers established the land as a colony. One of the New England Colonies, New Hampshire started out as a Proprietary colony but it became a Royal colony in 1679. The people of New Hampshire used the abundant forest to provide lumber to nearby New England Colonies. Also, hunting and shipbuilding were important in the region.

Middle Colonies New York In 1626, Peter Minuit arrived on Manhattan Island and, with other Dutch settlers, bought the island from the local Indians for 60 gilders ($24 in today’s money) worth of goods. The settlement and fort on the island became known as New Amsterdam. In 1653 it became an official Dutch colony. In 1664, King Charles II decided to claim the territory between Virginia and New England. The Dutch quickly surrendered to English forces and New Amsterdam was given to the King's brother, the Duke of York, and renamed New York. One of the Middle Colonies, New York originally started out as a Proprietary colony but in 1685 became a Royal colony and stayed such until the end of the American Revolution. Although a large number of Dutch citizens remained, many English poured into the area when the control switched. Manufacturing, trade and commerce helped this colony thrive. Mining minerals and ores were also a way of life for settlers in the northern regions of the colony.

New Jersey In 1664, after obtaining control of the Dutch territory lying between Virginia and New England, the Duke of York allowed Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley, to control the land between the Hudson and the Delaware River. These men intended to profit from real estate sales. The new grant was named New Jersey for Carteret, who was governor of the Isle of Jersey. One of the Middle Colonies, New Jersey started out as a Proprietary colony, but in 1702 it was granted a Royal charter. Many English, Dutch, and German immigrants settled in the area and grew wheat, corn, and grains in the fertile soil.

Pennsylvania In 1681, Pennsylvania was granted to William Penn, a member of the Society of Friends known as Quakers, to offset a debt owed to Penn's father by the King. Penn wanted a colony for his fellow Quakers to practice religion freely. In 1682 the city plan for Philadelphia was laid out. The English Quakers arrived first, but in 1683 the first German settlers arrived in Pennsylvania and formed Germantown near Philadelphia. Scottish and Jewish immigrants also settled sporadically throughout the area. One of the Middle Colonies, Pennsylvania was a Proprietary colony given to the Penn family. The settlers used Philadelphia’s import port to make money off of trading. They also had small-scale manufacturing and grew corn and grain. The middle colonies’ nickname as the breadbasket originated in this colony due to the amount of wheat produced out the areas outside of the city.

Delaware In 1631, Dutch traders attempted the first settlement in Delaware, but they were killed early on in a dispute with the local natives. In 1638, a group of Swedish settlers arrived on the Delaware River area under a grant from the New Sweden Company. Their goal was to make money much like the English had in nearby Jamestown. It was these Swedish settlers that brought the log cabin design to America. In 1655 the Dutch gained control of the land from the Swedish. In 1664 the English obtained Delaware after defeating the Dutch. In 1682 Delaware was awarded to William Penn but his control didn't last and Delaware became independent in 1701 and elected its own assembly in 1704. One of the Middle Colonies, Delaware was a Proprietary colony. As a direct result of the colony switching hands many times, the people were a mix of Dutch, Swedes, English and even some Germans. Because of their proximity to the Southern colonies, some farmers had success with tobacco, but mostly they grew wheat and grain products.

Southern Colonies Maryland In 1632 Charles I granted a Maryland Charter to Lord Baltimore. Lord Baltimore wanted very much to see the colony established for English Catholics. He worked for the colony to become a reality and his son Cecil saw to it that the new Colony was settled. One of the Southern Colonies, Maryland was a Proprietary colony. The people of Maryland dabbled in wheat production, but tobacco became their biggest cash crop. Many of the farms were smaller than ones deeper in the south. The number of slaves was also lower.

Virginia In 1607, a group of Englishmen arrived in the area sent by the Virginia Company to make money. John Smith led them for a brief period, and after his departure the colony was on the verge of complete collapse. John Rolfe brought tobacco in 1613 and found a great success and therefore profit. Englishmen arrived in large numbers to get rich from the cash crop. In 1619 a group of 20 African slaves arrived to help cultivate the tobacco and the slave population rose from there throughout the next 230 years. The colony started as a Charter but by 1629 became a Royal Colony. Although not known as being a religious colony, most of its settlers were Anglican. Virginia became the English’s most productive colony and therefore its most valuable. The people of Virginia controlled economic and political life in the south. The tobacco plantations were large with more appearing every year and the population grew into one of the largest in all the colonies.

North Carolina Virginia colonists began to settle the Carolina region as early as 1653 mostly due to expanding plantations needing more farmland. The King gave eight English noblemen permission to settle and establish a colony there. In 1691 the northern Carolina region, was officially recognized by the English crown but only after the southern region wished to separate. This is the first time the "North Carolina" designation was used. The population was made up of English Anglicans who were very similar to those in Virginia. One of the Southern Colonies, North Carolina started out as a Proprietary colony but obtained a Royal charter in 1729 from King George II. Farmland was not a good as other southern colonies and therefore tobacco farming wasn’t easy. Colonists had success growing rice and small successes growing indigo, which was a bluish flower used for cloth dye.

South Carolina In 1663, King Charles II created the colony of Carolina (named for King Charles II) by granting the territory, of what is now roughly North Carolina and South Carolina, to loyal supporters known as the eight noblemen. While still one colony, Charleston (originally Charles Town after the King) was founded in 1670 by a group of 200 colonists who relocated from English Barbados. The leader of the colonists was Sir John Yeamans, a powerful plantation owner. He and his supporters wished to break away from the northern part of Carolina because they had better farmland and did not want the north to be an economic drag on the south. Eventually the King recognized the south (and therefore the north) in 1691. One of the Southern Colonies, South Carolina started out as a Proprietary colony. But like North Carolina, it became a Royal colony in 1719. Plantations were very large and spread out; therefore, city life was non-existent. They grew tobacco, rice, and indigo, all in great success. The slave population here was high and Charleston became a trading center in the Atlantic slave trade.

Georgia Hoping to provide a second chance for risk taking members of the English lower class, King George II granted Georgia to James Oglethorpe, an English general in 1732. The colony’s goals were twofold. One was to provide English debtors a chance to work off new lands and pay their debts to avoid prison. The other was to provide protection from French, Spanish, and Native American intrusions from the south and west for the colonies to the north. Oglethorpe established the city of Savannah to establish trade but it didn’t take off. Instead rice and indigo became the cash crops for the colony. One of the Southern Colonies, Georgia started out as a Proprietary colony but eventually became a Royal colony in 1752.