Thirteen British colonies in North America

The thirteen colonies British of North America or Thirteen colonies , resulting from the British Empire, are the colony S founders of the the United States of America. They are located between the Nova Scotia and the Florida and between the Atlantique and the the Appalachian Mountains.

Linked in 1775, they sign the Déclaration of independence of the United States of America in 1776 and separate from the Great Britain. This event involves the Guerre of Independence of the United States of America and leads to the Indépendance of the United States of America.

The history of the Thirteen colonies left dependant with that the European colonies and more particularly British the Atlantic coast. Differentiated as for their statute and their political origin, it are marked by large a heterogeneity.

Foundation of the English colonies of America (XVIIe century)

At the end of XVIe and the beginning of the XVIIe century, the England launches out in a policy of colonial conquests. The competitions with the France and the Spain, the will to become a maritime power and to discover the Passage of the North-West towards the Pacific Ocean encourage London to explore then to colonize the North America.

Virginia

Massachusetts

Starting from 1605, Of Gua and Samuel de Champlain explore the coast in the south of Canada until the Cape Cod. In 1620, a hundred Puritain S unload Mayflower and found Plymouth (Massachusetts). The mode of organization of the colony is discussed on board the boat: it is the Mayflower Compact . The Fathers pilgrims relations between distant vicinity and the natives tie, who allow them to survive, in their giving corn, pumpkins and turkeys: in 1621 the first Thanksgiving is celebrated. The religious quarrels in England reinforce the arrival of new puritans in this area. But there are also many German Protestants who flee religious misery and persecutions (one counts 10 thus; 000 Germans before independence). The puritans of Boston and Providence launch out in the triangular Commerce. They buy slaves in Africa and resell them in Virginia in Maryland or on the West-Indian markets. In the middle of the 17th century, Boston became with its 3000 inhabitants, the center of New England. Missionaries try évangéliser the Indians. New groups of Protestants arrive in New England: Anabaptists and Quakers which is persecuted in Massachusetts and which is established in close colonies.

New York and colonies of the center

Pennsylvania

Removal of the charters

Starting from 1686, England changes colonial policy and removes the Charte S granted the colonists of America. The New England becomes Dominion crown, managed by a governor named and revocable by the king. The glorious revolution in England causes risings among the American colonists who do not recognize the new dynasty in England. Connecticut keeps its royal charter until 1818.

In 1700, twelve of the thirteen colonies were founded. Georgia joined the British possessions in 1733.

Colonies at the XVIIIe century

Description

According to the use and by convenience, one counts North in the South, three pennies - units among these colonies and provinces. We indicate them in fat, with the colonies which compose them, followed name of current or current corresponding States (on the denominations to see here):

the New England ( New-England ), under which one indicated already at the time modern:

the province of New-Hampshire (New Hampshire)
the province or Colony of Bay-of-Massachusetts (Massachusetts, Maine)
colonies of plantations or Plantations of Rhode-Island and Providence (Rhode Island)
the colony of Connecticut (Connecticut)

the median colonies or of the Center ( Middle Colonies ):

the province of New York (New York, Vermont).
the province of the New Jersey (New Jersey)
the province of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania)

colonies of the South ( Southern colonies ):

the province of News-Holland (under domination Dutchwoman), then Three counties of Delaware, under the jurisdiction of the province of Pennsylvania, and finally province of Delaware (Delaware)
the colony and dominion of Virginia (Virginia-Western Virginia, and Kentucky).
the province of Maryland (Maryland)
the province of North Carolina (North Carolina and Tennessee).
the province of South Carolina (South Carolina)
the province of Georgia (Georgia)

Certain works evoke a fourth unit, the colonies known as of the Baie of Chesapeake ( Cheasapeake Colonies ) to indicate the provinces of Maryland and Virginia.

Political organization

Political reports/ratios

The reports/ratios are deeply different from those which prevail of the Spanish colonial Empire with its metropolis. Not Viceroy but an authority which remains anchored to London in the person even of the sovereign, beyond the King-in-sound-Council ( King-in-Parliament or Crown-in-Parliament ). This last perhaps represented by a Governor, a “owner”, with the head or not of Assembled representative. Each colony has a clean statute which depends on its history but beyond the institutional differences one can distinguish three categories:

the Colonies with Charters : whose statute depends on Charte S granted by the sovereign private Maritime companies. The charter defines the political rules of the colony. In the years 1770, only the colonies of the Rhode Island and Connecticut profit from this statute. These two colonies are undoubtedly those which enjoy greatest autonomy because of existence of constitutional body. The governor and the principal administrators (as the lieutenant-governor) are elected by a colonial Assemblée. With the eyes of the contemporaries, as for Filippo Mazzei, these colonies are properly democratic.

the Colonies of Owners : their political statutes were defined at the time of the recognition by London of the foundation of the colony. They thus rest on the initiative of a large character, whom one names the “owner” ( Lord Porprietor ). The most known example is that of Pennsylvania, when, in 1681, Charles II yields to William PEN, the territory which correspond to the provinces of Pennsylvania and of Delaware and grants to him in 1683, a Frame off Government . In the beginning the founder acted as governor. With time, the governor is appointed by the heirs to the founder of the colony and their choice must be ratified by London. In 1776, John PEN (1729 - 1795), small son of the owner, exerted the functions of Lieutenant-governor of Pennsylvania. The provinces ranging between New England and Maryland originally had as an owner the duke of York. Georgia, Carolines and the New Jersey profited from a similar statute but the day before Independence, the colonies with Charte were three: the Pennsylvania , the Maryland and the Delaware .

the Colonies of the Crown or royal: the New-Hampshire , the Massachusetts , the province of New York , the New Jersey , the Virginia , both Carolines and the Georgia . They profit from a “Constitution” written by the crown. One understands by “constitution”, a sum of the texts founders, successive instructions given to the governors, moderated by the experiment and the tradition. For as much, the idea of Constitution to the “modern” direction makes its way. They are the Colonies where the control of the metropolis is by nature narrowest: the governor names the administrators and has a Right to veto on the local discussions of the assembly. A right to veto reinforced by that of the the Council Private which can reject the decisions of the governor. This last can finally dissolve or defer the colonial Parliament. An exception, that of the province of Bay of Massachusetts, which although holder of a charter (1691) is a colony of the Crown.

All in all, the provinces and colonies enjoy organizations deeply various characteristics of the administrative bursting of Ancien Mode. The existence of many “privileges” impose their mark on the colonial institutional system. The presence and the influence of colonial assemblies, the distance of the metropolis involved in fact a broad legal autonomy and even policy within the colonies. The historian Gordon S. Wood characterizes this system like a “conglomerate of local privileges and freedoms”.

Demography

With Independence day before, the Thirteen colonies are still slightly populated. But in spite of a low and unequal density, they know a formidable population growth. The fact is particularly striking for the colonies of the South which represent about half of the total colonial population. These last have a strong percentage of populations servile, black or mongrel, which border the 40% in the years 1770 when the percentages for New England and the Colonies of the Center are respectively of 3 and 6% at the same date. About 1775, the 13 colonies count: 400000 Blacks.

Some figures

Population by colony, about 1775: Maryland: 200.000 North Carolina: 200.000 South Carolina: 130.000 Georgia: 35.000 Massachusetts: 250.000 Connecticut: 190.000 New Hampshire: 70.000 Rhode Island: 60.000 New York: 175.000 New Jersey: 125.000 Pennsylvania: 300.000

The urban fact

The colonies do not know in 1770 qu ' a weak urbanization, mainly concentrated in New England and in the median colonies. In 1770, Philadelphia - which with its: 28000 inhabitants perhaps described as medium-sized city in comparison with the metropolis - New York (: 21000 hab.) and Boston (: 15000 hab.) are the greatest agglomerations.

Source of the colonists

At the 17th century, the settlement is mainly the fact of English populations but as of the end of the century one notes the arrival of black servile populations and European migrants, mainly of the Irishmen presbytériens, the Welsh, the Scot and the German-speaking populations. The day before Independence, 30% of the population were not-English.

The religious question

The conversion of the Amerindians

In North America, John Eliot, Pasteur Presbytérien with the Massachusetts undertakes évangéliser the Amerindian starting from 1641. He learns their dialect and starts to preach. He gathers the converts in villages of prayer and translated the Bible into Mohican and algonquin; he founds schools, among which an Indian college within Harvard, it trains indigenous teachers. But its efforts are quickly ruined by the fights between colonists and Indiens, and of living even of Eliot, there does not remain only one any more Mohican to read the translated Bible.

A Société for the Propagation of the Gospel , founded in 1701 is concerned with evangelization of the Indians of the Six Nations, in addition to the chaplaincy of the colonists. David Brainberd, born in 1718, is particularly known because its newspaper, published after its death was a great success. After studies with Yale to be Pasteur, David Brainberd decides to devote his life (which will be short) to the evangelization. He attends until in 1747 various groups of Indians, in Massachusetts, the Pennsylvania and the New Jersey.

The relationship with the Amerindians

Pocahontas wife the English John Rolfe in 1613. The delicatessens of Carolines married with the Amerindian ones. At the 18th century, to sir William Johnson, superintendent of the Indian businesses of the colony of New York, got dressed like an Indian and had taken for partner a Iroquois E of which it had eight children. The Mountain Men and other adventurers are established in the Indian communities. The relations between Amerindians and colonists are not always conflict: in 1621, the colonists of the Mayflower are saved famine by the chief Massasoit. It is the origin of Thanksgiving. The Quaker S and William PEN in Pennsylvania had friendly relations with the Indians, according to the principles of equality and peace, until the middle of the 18th century. In the Massachusetts, John Eliot seeks with évangéliser and to educate the local populations. Thomas Paine share food in a community of Iroquois and learns their language. Certain puritans try to limit the diffusion of alcohol among natives.

Economy

In 1770, the mode governing the relationship between the metropolis and the colonies hardly evolved/moved since the 17th century. The Acts of Navigation of 1651 and 1660 founded the mode of the exclusive - in a context Mercantiliste - which perdure at the 18th century century. The colonies sell their agricultural produce, the tobacco in particular, with the Metropolis, and its manufactured goods buy to him. One can thus speak about a true economic subjection of the colonies for the benefit of the Metropolis. This report must however be moderate: smuggling largely contributes to scramble a reality far too monolithic.

Colonial problems: towards the American Revolution

At the 17th century, the main part of the decisions concern the consultation the Private Council ( Privy Council ). Its role tends to decrease at the 18th century with the profit of the Cabinet but it preserves one certain preeminence in the colonial businesses. Its decisions bear the name of “order in council” ( Order in Council ). Since 1690, the Board off Trade and Plantations is the most qualified organization in colonial matter. It depends on the private Council of which it is an emanation. London wants to reinforce its authority. This will is expressed in particular in its policy of reduction of the number of colonies with charter: an example, Virginia, which becomes at the XVIIIe century a colony of Couronne.
However, after unfruitful experiments at the previous century, of 1715 to 1748, during one period qualified in 1775 by Edmund Burke of “salutary negligence” ( Salutary Neglect ), the Metropolis is involved the least possible in the businesses of the colonies. London neglects its colonies and the conflicts of interests are done rare.
Starting from 1748, the government changes course. After the War of succession of Austria the policy of the Board off trade is done more muscular. The count d' Halifax, administrator steady and energetic, decides to put to a term at a policy judged too laxist. Its concern grows when it becomes aware that the colonies are adapted perfectly to this “negligence” and tend to forget their subjection to Crown. Lastly, smuggling, in particular of molasses, spread.

“a successful resistance is a revolution and not a rebellion”. John Wilkes with the House of Commons, 1775.

“ We hold for completely obvious the following truths: all the men are created equal; they are endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights; among these rights are the life, the freedom and the search of happiness. ” Unanimous declaration of the thirteen United States of America assembled in Congress on July 4th, 1776.

Remarks

the colonies loyal supporters

British colonies of North America remained honest with the Crown (one speaks about colonies loyal supporters):

four colonies of current the Canada

Nova Scotia
Newfoundland
the island of the prince Edouard
the province of Quebec

as well as Eastern Florida and Western Florida (Florida) which was to join the Spanish Empire at the time of the Treaty of Paris of 1783, then Union of the United States of America in 1819 (where they became an American state unified in 1845).

the question of name When one wants to speak about their alliance vis-a-vis the British forces, one also employs the term of United Provinces of America. A chart established about 1776 by the cartographer Matthieu Albert Lotter (1741-1810) of Augsburg, gives us an idea of the denomination of the whole of the Thirteen Colonies in French-speaking Europe the shortly after Independence. It has as a title:

" New chart/of America angloise/container/all that the English have on the continent/of septentrional America/to know/Canada, the Plain News Scotland or Acadie/the thirteen Provinces/which are/the four colonies/News England/1 New Hampshire, 2 Massachusetsbay, 3 Rhode-Island, 4 Conecticut,/5 the York News, 6 Nouvelle Jersey, 7 Pensilvanie,/8 Counties of Newcastle, Kent and Sussex on Delaware,/9 Mariland, 10 Virginia,/11 the Caroline Septentrionale,/12 the Caroline Meridionale/and 13 Georgia/with Florida. "

The expression the United States of America appears in the sources only on September 9th, 1776; indeed, at the time of the declaration of Independence, on July 4th, name is that of Colony-Plain of America.

See too

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