Thirteen Colonies
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The thirteen colonies were the original colonies of the United States. They included: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
New England Colonies
| Colony | Year Founded | Founded By | Chief Crops or Trade | Government | Religion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 1620 | Pilgrims led by William Bradford | Fish, lumber, shipbuilding | Governor appointed by king | Puritan |
| Rhode Island | 1636 | Roger Williams, who left Massachusetts for religious reasons. | Fish, lumber. | Elected by colonists. | Complete religious freedom for all- Baptist, Anglican (Episcopalian), and others |
| Connecticut | 1636 | Thomas Hooker, who led a group from Massachusetts who wanted less government | Fish, lumber, shipbuilding | Elected by colonists | Several religions, mostly Protestant |
| New Hampshire | 1623 | Colonists who left Massachusetts for religious and political reasons | Fish, molasses | Governor appointed by king | Several religions, mostly Protestant |
Middle Colonies
| Colony | Year Founded | Founded By | Chief Crops or Trade | Government | Religion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 1626 | Dutch; English in 1664 | Shipbuilding and trade | Governor appointed by king | Dutch Reformed, others |
| New Jersey | 1664 | Dutch and Swedish; Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret were given the land in 1664 by the English Duke of York | Wheat, rye, oats | Governor appointed by king | Quaker, Dutch Reformed, others |
| Pennsylvania | 1681 | William Penn as a safe place for Quakers | Shipbuilding and trade | Proprietor selected the governor | Quaker |
| Delaware | 1682 | William Penn | Tobacco | Proprietor selected the governor | Quaker |
Southern Colonies
| Colony | Year Founded | Founded By | Chief Crops or Trade | Government | Religion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 1607 | Settlers led by John Smith from Virginia Company of London | Tobacco | Governor appointed by king | Anglican |
| Maryland | 1634 | Lord Baltimore as a safe place for Catholics | Tobacco | Proprietor selected by governor | Catholic, Protestant |
| North Carolina | 1654 | Settlers from Virginia | Rice, tobacco, and pitch, tar from pine trees | Governor appointed by king | Several religions, mostly Protestant |
| South Carolina | 1663 | English and other Europeans | Rice, tobacco, pitch, and tar from pine trees | Governor appointed by king | Several religions, mostly Protestant |
| Georgia | 1732 | James Oglethorpe, who brought English debtors to protect Georgia from the Spanish | Tobacco, indigo | Governor appointed by king | Baptist and other Protestant |