by Robert Longley
Updated September 06, 2017
The first 13 states of the United States of America were comprised of the original British colonies established between 17th and 18th centuries . While the first English settlement in North America was the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, established 1607, the permanent 13 colonies were established as follows:
The New England Colonies
New Hampshire Province, chartered as British colony in 1679
Massachusetts Bay Province, chartered as a British colony in1692
Rhode Island Colony, chartered as a British colony in 1663
Connecticut Colony, chartered as a British colony in 1662
The Middle Colonies
New York Province, chartered as a British colony in 1686
New Jersey Province, chartered as a British colony in 1702
Pennsylvania Province, a proprietary colony established in 1681
Delaware Colony (before 1776, the Lower Counties on the Delaware River), a proprietary colony established in 1664
The Southern Colonies
Maryland Province, a proprietary colony established in 1632
Virginia Dominion and Colony, a British colony established in 1607
Carolina Province, a proprietary colony established 1663
Divided Provinces of North and South Carolina, each chartered as British colonies in 1729
Georgia Province, a British colony established in 1732
Establishment of the 13 States
The 13 states were officially established by the Articles of Confederation, ratified on March 1, 1781.
The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states operating alongside a weak central government. Unlike the current power-sharing system of “federalism,” the Articles of Confederation bestowed most governmental powers to the states. The need for a stronger national government soon became apparent and eventually led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
The United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789.
The original 13 states recognized by the Articles of Confederation were (in chronological order):
Delaware (ratified the Constitution on December 7, 1787)
Pennsylvania (ratified the Constitution on December 12, 1787)
New Jersey (ratified the Constitution on December 18, 1787)
Georgia (ratified the Constitution on January 2, 1788)
Connecticut (ratified the Constitution on January 9, 1788)
Massachusetts (ratified the Constitution on February 6, 1788)
Maryland (ratified the Constitution on April 28, 1788)
South Carolina (ratified the Constitution on May 23, 1788)
New Hampshire (ratified the Constitution on June 21, 1788)
Virginia (ratified the Constitution on June 25, 1788)
New York (ratified the Constitution on July 26, 1788)
North Carolina (ratified the Constitution on November 21, 1789)
Rhode Island (ratified the Constitution on May 29, 1790)
Along with the 13 North American colonies, Great Britain also controlled New World colonies in present-day Canada, the Caribbean, as well as East and West Florida by 1790.
Brief History of the US Colonies
While the Spanish were among the first Europeans to settle in the “New World,” England had by the 1600s established itself as the dominant governing presence along the Atlantic coast of what would become the United States.
The first English colony in America was founded in 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia. Many of the settlers had come to the New World to escape religious persecution or in hopes of economic gains.
In 1620, the Pilgrims, a group of religious dissidents from England, established a settlement at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
After surviving great initial hardships in adjusting to their new homes, colonists in both Virginia and Massachusetts thrived with the well-publicized assistance of nearby Native American tribes. While increasingly large crops of corn fed them, tobacco in Virginia provided them with a lucrative source of income.
By the early 1700s a growing share of the colonies’ population was comprised of African slaves.
By 1770, the population of Britain’s 13 North American colonies had grown to more than 2 million people.
By the early 1700s enslaved Africans made up a growing percentage of the colonial population. By 1770, more than 2 million people lived and worked in Great Britain's 13 North American colonies.
Government in the Colonies
While the 13 colonies were allowed a high degree of self-government, the British system of mercantilism ensured that the colonies existed purely to benefit the economy of the mother country.
Each colony was allowed to develop its own limited government, which operated under a colonial governor appointed by and answerable to the British Crown. With the exception of the British-appointed governor, the colonists freely elected their own government representatives who were required to administer the English system of “common law.” Significantly, most decisions of the local colonial governments had to be reviewed and approved by both the colonial governor and the British Crown. A system which would become more cumbersome and contentious as the colonies grew and prospered.
By the 1750s, the colonies had started dealing with each other in matters concerning their economic interests, often without consulting the British Crown. This led to a growing feeling of American identity among the colonists who began to demand the Crown protect their “Rights as Englishmen,” particularly the right of “no taxation without representation.”
The colonists’ continued and growing grievances with the British government under the rule of King George III would lead to the colonists’ issuance of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the American Revolution, and eventually, the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
Today, the American flag prominently displays thirteen horizontal red and white stripes representing the original thirteen colonies.
Longley, Robert. "The Original 13 US States." ThoughtCo, Sep. 6, 2017, thoughtco.com/the-original-13-us-states-3322392.
Why were the colonies established?
Queen Elizabeth wanted to establish colonies in the Americas in order to grow the British Empire and to counter the Spanish. The English hoped to find wealth, create new jobs, and establish trade ports along the coast of the Americas.
Each colony, however, has its own unique history on how it was founded. Many of the colonies were founded by religious leaders or groups looking for religious freedom. These colonies included Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Other colonies were founded purely in hopes of creating new trade opportunities and profits for investors.
Colonial Regions
The colonies are often divided up into three regions including the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies.
New England Colonies
Connecticut
Massachusetts Bay
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Middle Colonies
Delaware
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
Southern Colonies
Georgia
Maryland
North Carolina
South Carolina
Virginia
Interesting Facts about the Thirteen Colonies
- Other American British colonies that never became states include the Lost Colony of Roanoke and Plymouth Colony (which became part of Massachusetts Bay Colony).
- Life was difficult for the early colonists. Less than half of the first settlers survived the first winter at both Jamestown (Virginia) and at the Plymouth Colony.
- Many of the colonies were named after the rulers of England including the Carolinas (for King Charles I), Virginia (for the Virgin Queen Elizabeth), and Georgia (for King George II).
- Massachusetts was named after a local tribe of Native Americans.
- England also had colonies north of the Thirteen Colonies including Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
- New York City was originally called New Amsterdam and was part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland.
Virginia 1 December 16, 1777
South Carolina 2 February 5, 1778
New York 3 February 6, 1778
Rhode Island 4 February 9, 1778
Connecticut 5 February 12, 1778
Georgia 6 February 26, 1778
New Hampshire 7 March 4, 1778
Pennsylvania 8 March 5, 1778
Massachusetts 9 March 10, 1778
North Carolina 10 April 5, 1778
New Jersey 11 November 19, 1778
Delaware 12 February 1, 1779.svg.png){kind=small}
Maryland 13 February 2, 1781
The United States was formed from thirteen British colonies in 1776.
Many of these colonies had been around for well over 100 years including the first colony
of Virginia which was founded in 1607. See below for a map of the thirteen original colonies.
What is a colony?
A colony is a region of land that is under the political control of another country. Usually the
controlling country is physically far away from the colony, as was the case with England and the
American colonies. Colonies are typically founded and settled by people from the home country,
however, there may also be settlers from other countries. This was especially true of the American
colonies which had settlers from all over Europe.
Here is a list of the thirteen colonies with the year they were founded in and a note on how
they were founded.
Virginia (1607) - John Smith and the London Company.
New York (1626) - Originally founded by the Dutch. Became a British colony in 1664.
New Hampshire (1623) - John Mason was the first land holder. Later John Wheelwright.
Massachusetts Bay (1630) - Puritans looking for religious freedom.
Maryland (1633) - George and Cecil Calvert as a safe haven for Catholics.
Connecticut (1636) - Thomas Hooker after he was told to leave Massachusetts.
Rhode Island (1636) - Roger Williams to have a place of religious freedom for all.
Delaware (1638) - Peter Minuit and the New Sweden Company. British took over in 1664.
North Carolina (1663) - Originally part of the Province of Carolina. Split off from
South Carolina in 1712.
South Carolina (1663) - Originally part of the Province of Carolina. Split off from
North Carolina in 1712.
New Jersey (1664) - First settled by the Dutch, the English took over in 1664.
Pennsylvania (1681) - William Penn and the Quakers.
Georgia (1732) - James Oglethorpe as a settlement for debtors.
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