The 13 British colonies founded in North America during the 17 th century are perhaps the most well-known colonies in the history of the United States. Each colony was granted a type of charter , or contract, from the King of England, which allowed its people to remain in the area. Royal, proprietary, and joint-stock were the three most common types of charters given to those looking to colonize the New World in the name of the mother country.
A royal charter was administered under leadership of the crown but occurred through indirect means. The colony was then often ruled by a royal governor with a council. A proprietary charter was granted to an individual as a direct result of their relationship with the king. This would result in the individual, or Lord Proprietor, governing the colony in their own way but still under the flag of the mother country. Finally, a joint-stock colony also known as a charter colony, or corporate colony was a combined venture between investors in the hope of obtaining a return on their investment of funds in the colony.
Investors were granted a charter to the colony by the crown, and as a result of that relationship, would establish rules of self-government. These colonies also entered into a financial agreement with a joint-stock company that invested funds in exchange for stock in the colony, with hopes of eventually obtaining profit. People within each of these colonies lived, worked, sourced for food, and developed a culture together as a community.
Colonies were a way for the mother country to engage in the practice of mercantilism, or increasing their power by creating a source for exports and raw materials. While Great Britain was not the only world power to engage in the practice, they were one of the most successful.
During the Age of Imperialism in the late 19 th century, many colonies existed as a result of competition between world powers. Present in Africa and Asia, European Powers, and later the United States, attempted to obtain economic power and military strength under the guise of humanitarian efforts. Today colonies are rare, but still exist as non-self-governing territories, as categorized by the United Nations.
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You cannot download interactives. The American Revolutionary War took place from , although the revolt against British Colonial rule began years before war was formally declared. The English Enlightenment influenced the thoughts of many of the colonial Founding Fathers as they pursued liberty, fought for their rights, and for freedom from King George III.
These ideals are reflected in the United States Constitution, which was written shortly after the Revolutionary War came to an end, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Most o the leaders were Protestant men that spoke English. Tensions began to rise between the British and the colonists during the French and Indian War. After the war was over, tensions only grew heavier. The British were left with a large amount of debt after the war, so leaders increased taxes and control over the colonies.
This led to new tax acts including the Sugar Act of and the Stamp Act of The British also wanted to maintain their relationship with American Indians, so the Royal Proclamation of was put into place to restrict colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.
Some settlements decided to ignore this and establish their farms in the area, creating further tension.
Discontentment continued among the colonies with the passage of the Tea Act, which led to the Boston Tea Part, and the Intolerable Acts that restricted self-government in Massachusetts. There were also tensions among the colonies themselves between the Patriots that were against British rule and the Loyalists who supported BritaWhen the British came to the New World, colonies were set up along the east coast.
As the colonies were established throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the population grew immensely, starting at just 2, people and rising to over 2 million. During this time, many American Indians were displaced. The colonies all had similar constitutions, legal systems, and political systems in place. Discontentment continued among the colonies with the passage of the Tea Act, which led to the Boston Tea Party, and the Intolerable Acts that limited self-government in Massachusetts.
There were also tensions among the colonies themselves between the Patriots that were against British rule and the Loyalists who supported Britain.
Following a boycott of British products and an attempted seizure of arsenals by force dispatched by Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage, an army was created during a Continental Congress convention in
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