Evolution of the 13 colonies
...y named Plymouth. Nearly half of the colonists died from illnesses their first winter as they struggled to establish a settlement. The Pilgrims were introduced to a Native American by the name of Squanto who taught them many valuable skills that helped them to survive in the New World. To meet financial obligations the pilgrims shipped fish and furs back to England. The colony survived and became known as the Plymouth Colony In 1630, John Winthrop and the Puritans arrived in Massachusetts with the Massachusetts Bay Charter and settled the area, which is now known as Boston. The Puritans were escaping religious prosecution, but they wanted to stop the corruption of the Church of England. Church and state leaders harassed them so they started their own colony as a model for other people. The Puritans were prepared for life in the new world and they survived. They had their own hardships, but when more Puritans arrived they brought at least an 18-month supply of food. They were able to grow crops and find or make anything that they needed to survive. The settlement was known as the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Massachusetts was a New England colony, which started out as a Corporate colony but became a Royal colony in 1691 The Dutch West India Co. explored and began to settle the New York area as early as 1614, but it wasn’t until later that the area was permantly settled. Peter Minuit settled on the Manhattan Island with other Dutch settlers and bought the island from the local Indians for about 24 dollars worth of goods. He named his settlement on the island New Amsterdam. All the Dutch holdings in the area were collectively called New Netherlands. The New Netherlands colony started a fur trade with the local Indians and was able to grow crops for themselves. The colony was used as a port for illegal Dutch trade with England. In 1629, land estates were made available to anyone who could transport at least 50 families to the colony. King Charles II decided to reclaim the territory between Virginia and New England because it was an easy target based on the weak governing force. In 1664, Peter Stuyvesant surrendered to English forces and New Amsterdam was given to the King's brother, the Duke of York, and renamed New York. New York originally started out as a Proprietary colony, but in 1685 became a Royal colony. In 1632, Charles I granted a Maryland Charter to Lord Baltimore. His son Cecil saw to it that the new Colony was settled. In 1633, the first group of settlers set sail for Maryland to establish a colony of freemen led by Leonard Calvert. The colony was started as a refuge for the oppressed Roman Catholics, as well as the Puritans, who were objects of persecution in England. The colony became a place for people who wanted religious tolerance. The colony wasn’t an easy place to live because of the climate people got diseases easier and the life expectancy was younger than people who lived in the northern colonies. The colony was named after the Queen at the time, Queen Mary. Maryland was a Proprietary colony. Roger Williams who was driven from Massachusetts for espousing religious and political freedom established the Rhode Island colony. He spent the winter with the Indians and he bought land from them in what is now called Providence. The colony also became a haven for those seeking religious freedom. This colony did many of the same activities as the Puritans and Pilgrims to ensure that the colony survived. Dutch traders settled the colony of Connecticut as early as 1633. English settlers began to arrive in the area from Massachusetts. In 1636, after being driven from Massachusetts, Clergyman Thomas Hooker and his followers arrived in Hartford and declared freedom from all save Divine Authority. In 1639 the "Fundamental Orders" were enacted to govern the colony. In 1662 Connecticut finally obtained a Royal Charter under John Winthrop Jr. In 1631, Dutch traders led by Captain David Pietersen de Vries attempted the first settlement in Delaware. In 1638, Peter Minuet led a group of Swedish settlers to the Delaware River area under a grant from the New Sweden Company. In 1655 the Dutch gained control of the land from the Swedish. In 1664 the English obtained Delaware after defeating the Dutch. The Dutch briefly recaptured Delaware in 1673 but in 1674 the English finally took control. 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. Delaware was a Proprietary colony. John Wheelwright was banished from Boston and founded the colony of New Hampshire. In 1639, the settlers signed the "Exeter Compact." New Hampshire started out as a Proprietary colony but it became a Royal colony in 1679. Virginia colonists began to settle the North Carolina region in 1653 to provide a buffer for the southern frontier. In 1691 Albemarle, the English crown officially recognized the northern Carolina region. This is the first time the "North Carolina" designation was used. North Carolina started out as a...