what are the 4 major regions of british colonial settlement

The thirteen colonies of British North America that eventually formed the United States of America can be loosely grouped into four regions: New England, the Middle Colonies

, the Chesapeake, and the Lower South.

Full Answer

What are the three regions of the British colonies?

Once established, the 13 British colonies could be divided into three geographic areas: New England, Middle, and Southern. Each of these had specific economic, social, and political developments that were unique to the regions. The New England Colonies

What are the 13 colonies in America?

Thirteen Colonies, British North America. The thirteen colonies of British North America that eventually formed the United States of America can be loosely grouped into four regions: New England, the Middle Colonies, the Chesapeake, and the Lower South. Each of these regions started differently, and they followed divergent paths...

What are the four regions of the United States?

The thirteen colonies of British North America that eventually formed the United States of America can be loosely grouped into four regions: New England, the Middle Colonies, the Chesapeake, and the Lower South.

What were the British colonies in North America?

British colonies in North America. The Kingdom of Great Britain acquired the French colony of Acadia in 1713 and then Canada and the Spanish colony of Florida in 1763.

What are the 4 regions of colonies?

The thirteen colonies of British North America that eventually formed the United States of America can be loosely grouped into four regions: New England, the Middle Colonies, the Chesapeake, and the Lower South.

What are the 3 major regions of British colonial settlement?

The geography and climate of the thirteen colonies separated them into three different regions: New England, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies.

What were the names of the colonial regions in the British colonies?

Regions of English colonies Map of the eastern seaboard, showing New England colonies (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut), Middle colonies (New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware), Chesapeake colonies (Virginia, Maryland), and Southern colonies (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia).

What are the 3 regions of colonial settlement in what is today the United States?

By the 1700's, the American colonies grew into three distinct regions. The New England, Middle, and Southern regions each had different geographical and cultural characteristics that determined the development of their economy, society, and relationship to each other.

What were the four different colonial regions in the 1700s?

To explore the governance, economy, and social structure created during the 17th Century within each of four colonial regions: the Chesapeake, Southern Colonies, the New England Colonies, and Middle Colonies.

What are the names of the four Middle Colonies?

The middle colonies included Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware.

How many British colonies were there?

At its most extensive, the British Empire comprised 57 colonies, dominions, territories or protectorates from Australia, Canada and India to Fiji, Western Samoa and Tonga.

How many colonies did the British establish?

13 coloniesIn the 1600s and 1700s, Europeans came to North America looking for religious freedom, economic opportunities, and political liberty. They created 13 colonies on the East Coast of the continent. Later, when the colonists won independence, these colonies became the 13 original states.

How many colonies are there?

Thirteen ColoniesThirteen ColoniesThe Thirteen Colonies• Independence declared1776• Treaty of Paris1783Population• 16251,98030 more rows

What were the names of the 13 colonies?

The 13 original states were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The 13 original states were the first 13 British colonies. British colonists traveled across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe.

Where did the British colonists settle?

Within a century and a half the British had 13 flourishing colonies on the Atlantic coast: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

What was the first British colony?

Jamestown, VirginiaThe first colony was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. Many of the people who settled in the New World came to escape religious persecution.

Which African countries were British colonies?

Britain's colonies in West Africa included Nigeria (1884), Gold Coast (now Ghana, 1874), Sierra Leone (1808), and Gambia (1888).

Where is British Colonial America?

The term Colonial America is often mistaken as referring only to the British colonies of North America. In fact Colonial America is a general term for all the colonies that were located in the North, Central, and South Americas; as well as, the land in the Caribbean.

What were the four waves of early American colonization?

Early British settlement of the American colonies came in four distinct waves, from different places. Puritans, Cavaliers, Quakers, and Borderers had their own ideas of what America should be. Some of the cultural fault lines in today's America can be traced back to those differences.

What was the impact of the British on early American society?

The imprint of the British on early American society was overwhelming, diverse and long-lasting: the regional and cultural differences between the settler groups created distinct regional and cultural identities in America.

How many Puritans were there in the Exodus?

The Exodus (1629-41) About 21,000 Puritans, migrating from East Anglia to New England. These religious fundamentalists believed in 'ordered liberty': everybody had the right to live by their own rules, and the duty to live according to God's law.

How many Americans were British in 1980?

Perhaps the correct answer is: a bit of both. In the 1980 Census, 61.3 million Americans (32 percent) self-reported British ancestry; most claimed English descent (26 percent), followed by Scottish (4 percent), and tiny amounts of Welsh (<1 percent) and Northern Irish.

Where did Borderers migrate from?

Some 250,000 ‘Borderers’, migrating from the Anglo-Scottish borderlands and Ulster to the Backcountry of Appalachia.

Is America a death match between Puritan-Quaker culture and Cavalier-Borderer?

But thinking of America as a “death match between Puritan-Quaker culture and Cavalier-Borderer culture”, as one commentator put it, is perhaps a bit too easy. There may be plenty of overlap within either pair, there is also much to distinguish each from the other. And then there are other and subsequent migrations contributing to and complicating the picture.

When did the British colonize the North?

Colonization efforts began in the 17th century with failed attempts by England to establish permanent colonies in the North. The first permanent British colony was established in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Approximately 30,000 Algonquian Indians lived in the region at the time.

Which colony did the English conquer?

The English also established or conquered several colonies in the Caribbean, including Barbados and Jamaica . England captured the Dutch colony of New Netherland in the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the mid-17th century, leaving North America divided amongst the English, Spanish, and French empires.

What colony was established in 1607?

The 1607 settlement of the Jamestown colony grew into the Colony of Virginia and Virgineola (settled unintentionally by the shipwreck of the Virginia Company's Sea Venture in 1609) quickly renamed The Somers Isles (though the older Spanish name of Bermuda has resisted replacement).

How many colonies were there in the United States?

The Thirteen Colonies, which became the original states of the United States following the 1781 ratification of the Articles of Confederation :

What was the second British Empire?

Historians refer to the British Empire after 1783 as the "Second British Empire"; this period saw Britain increasingly focus on Asia and Africa instead of the Americas, and increasingly focus on the expansion of trade rather than territorial possessions.

How did the colonial population grow?

Between immigration, the importation of slaves, and natural population growth, the colonial population in British North America grew immensely in the 18th century. According to historian Alan Taylor, the population of the Thirteen Colonies (the British North American colonies which would eventually form the United States) stood at 1.5 million in 1750. More than ninety percent of the colonists lived as farmers, though cities like Philadelphia, New York, and Boston flourished. With the defeat of the Dutch and the imposition of the Navigation Acts, the British colonies in North America became part of the global British trading network. The colonists traded foodstuffs, wood, tobacco, and various other resources for Asian tea, West Indian coffee, and West Indian sugar, among other items. Native Americans far from the Atlantic coast supplied the Atlantic market with beaver fur and deerskins, and sought to preserve their independence by maintaining a balance of power between the French and English. By 1770, the economic output of the Thirteen Colonies made up forty percent of the gross domestic product of the British Empire.

What was the first colony in the Americas?

The first permanent British colony was established in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Over the next several centuries more colonies were established in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Though most British colonies in the Americas eventually gained independence, some colonies have opted to remain under Britain's jurisdiction as British Overseas Territories .

What were the three areas of the British colonies?

Once established, the 13 British colonies could be divided into three geographic areas: New England, Middle, and Southern. Each of these had specific economic, social, and political developments that were unique to the regions.

Where did the English colonies spread?

English colonies in America would soon spread from New Hampshire to Georgia. From the foundation of the colonies beginning with the founding of Jamestown until the beginning of the Revolutionary War, different regions of the eastern coast had different characteristics. Once established, the 13 British colonies could be divided into three geographic ...

What happened in the Middle Colonies during the colonial period?

One important event that happened in the Middle Colonies during the colonial period was the Zenger Trial in 1735. John Peter Zenger was arrested for writing against the royal governor of New York. Zenger was defended by Andrew Hamilton and found not guilty helping to establish the idea of freedom of the press.

Why were the farms in New England small?

The area was not known for good farmland. Therefore, the farms were small, mainly to provide food for individual families . New England flourished instead of fishing, shipbuilding, lumbering, and fur trading along with trading goods with Europe.

What were the major battles of the American Revolution?

Several major battles and events of the American Revolution took place in the New England Colonies, including The Ride of Paul Revere, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the capture of Fort Ticonderoga .

Where did the Triangle Trade occur?

The famous Triangle Trade occurred in the New England colonies where enslaved people were bartered in the West Indies for molasses. This was sent to New England to make rum, which was then sent to Africa to trade for enslaved people. In New England, small towns were the centers of local government.

When did the 13 colonies become the first states?

The history of the 13 American colonies that would become the first 13 states of the United States dates to 1492 when Christopher Columbus discovered what he thought was a New World, but was really North America, which along with its Indigenous population and culture had been there all along.

What were the three regions of the colonies?

The New England region included the colonies of Maine‚ New Hampshire‚ Massachusetts‚ Connecticut‚ and Rhode Island. The Middle Region included the colonies of New York‚ Pennsylvania‚ New Jersey and Delaware. The Southern Region ‚ also known as the Chesapeake Colonies ‚ included the Maryland‚ Virginia‚ North Carolina‚ South Carolina‚ and Georgia

What were the differences between the Northern and Southern British colonies?

Northern and Southern British Colonies of North America The views of Northern and Southern British Colonies of North America developed different culturally factors including economically and political views‚ education‚ and religious instruction. Colonies in the north and south developed their own characteristics making them significant for the main land‚ and later becomes the new nation itself. Economic wise‚ the colonies had more differences than similarities. The North had small farms while

How did slavery affect the British North American colonies?

Slavery was a very important institution in the British North American Colonies within the years 1607 and 1750. It wormed it way into every aspect of the British North American Colonies ‚ into the social structure‚ into the economy‚ it even found its way into the politics of the time. Slavery was like a disease to the colonies ‚ infecting every single cell in the body of the culture. The social structure of the thirteen colonies was altered by an addition to the existing divide between the rich landowners

How were the colonies shaped by the Old World?

The colonies that Britain and Spain founded were shaped by the Old World ways. To survive the colonies had to master new situations and learn new techniques. The colonies also had raw resources that the Old World lacked. Though different ‚ the colonies had one purpose‚ to make their countries rich. All the colonies were different but their goals remained the same. British and Spanish colonies both had the goal of bringing wealth to their respective countries. Spanish colonies were mainly focused

Why were the 13 colonies founded?

The main reason was the opportunity to make money to bring together valuable natural resources and selling them to England in exchange for goods that were difficult to get in the New World. Other colonies were set up by the Protestants who wanted to avoid the religious they experienced in Britain‚ and also

When did the Spanish colonize North America?

Compare and contrast Spanish and British colonization efforts in North America prior to 1763. Prior to 1763‚ both Spanish and British colonization efforts expanded into various regions of North America. In less than a century‚ from 1625 to 1700‚ the movements of peoples and goods from Europe to North America transformed the continent. Native Americans either resisted or accommodated the newcomers depending on the region of the colony. Though the English colonies were by far the most populous

Did the British have religious freedom?

The extent to which religious freedom existed in the British North American colonies prior to 1700’s‚ was different from region to region. The colonies in New England‚ Middle‚ and south region treated freedoms differently. In the New England colonies extent to religious freedoms was not great‚ Middle Colonies had good toleration to religion‚ and The Southern Colonies had a bit of tolerance to

How many colonies did the British have?

The thirteen colonies of British North America that eventually formed the United States of America can be loosely grouped into four regions: New England, the Middle Colonies, the Chesapeake, and the Lower South. Each of these regions started differently, and they followed divergent paths of development over the course of more than a century of British settlement; yet they shared enough in common to join together against British rule in 1776.

What were the Lower South Colonies?

The Lower South colonies consisted of the Carolinas, first settled in 1670, and Georgia, not settled until 1733. Since the climate of the Carolinas was known to be conducive to plantation-style agriculture and many of the proprietors were also directors of the Royal African Company, slaves followed hard on the heels of the first white settlers. Finding large numbers of white settlers proved difficult, and the earliest migrants to Carolina were English and Scottish dissenters and a large group of Barbadian Anglicans who brought their slaves with them. The tidal waters around Charles-Town were ideally suited to rice cultivation, the techniques of which were most likely taught to planters by Africans, and large plantations growing the staple quickly became the norm. The numbers of workers required for rice cultivation were large, and as early as 1708 the coastal regions of Carolina had a black majority population.

Why did the Pilgrims and Puritans leave New England?

While religiously distinct from each other, the Pilgrims and Puritans had each left England because of religious persecution from conservative Anglicans, and each hoped to find a safe haven where they could worship without restrictions. The strictly moral societies founded in New England were intended to shine as beacons to the rest of the world, showing how life should be lived. The everyday lives of settlers revolved around religious worship and moral behavior, and while normal economic activities were understood to be necessary they were not intended to be the main focus of settlers' lives.

Why did the English settle in the Chesapeake Bay?

From the initial settlement at Jamestown the English spread very slowly around the tidewater of Chesapeake Bay, partly because of hostile local Native-American tribes, but also because the young men who constituted most of the settlers in Virginia before 1618 were not interested in forming stable communities. Instead, from 1612 onward they grew tobacco, which they knew would bring riches, but which also brought instability. The tobacco plant exhausted the soil and therefore virgin land was constantly needed to continue production. The quest for more land to bring under cultivation brought the English into further conflict with local tribes, and it was partly responsible for provoking the devastating Indian attacks of 1622 and 1644.

Why were the Middle Colonies called the Restoration Colonies?

The Middle Colonies of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania were all "Restoration Colonies," so-called because they came under English control after the Restoration of Charles II (1630–1685). New York was conquered from the Dutch in 1664, and although many Dutch settlers remained, large numbers of English and Scottish migrants arrived to alter the ethnic makeup of the colony. Pennsylvania probably bore more resemblance to the New England colonies than the rest of the Middle Colonies because it was founded by Quaker William Penn (1644–1718) as a religious haven. However, in contrast to most New England colonies, Penn adopted a policy of religious toleration, and his colony quickly attracted migrants from all over western Europe, particularly from Germany. The climate of Pennsylvania made it ideal farming country, and corn became its main staple product.

Why did the trustees of Georgia want to colonize South Carolina?

The trustees of Georgia initially intended their colony to be both a buffer between South Carolina and Spanish Florida and a haven for persecuted European Protestants, and believing that slavery would not be conducive to either of these aims, they prohibited it in 1735. However, the colony languished economically, failing to keep settlers who could see the wealth on offer in neighboring South Carolina, and eventually the trustees were forced to back down and permit slavery from 1750. Georgia quickly became a plantation colony like South Carolina.

What were the common beliefs of the colonists?

While it is difficult to speak of a common colonial culture, given the diverse experiences of Boston merchants, Pennsylvanian farmers, and Georgian planters, most shared a belief in traditional English freedoms, such as the rule of law and constitutional government . When these freedoms were thought to be threatened by actions of the British Parliament in the 1760s and 1770s, most colonists were quick to find common cause as Americans against British tyranny, though significant loyalist sentiment lingered in New York, South Carolina, and Georgia.

What are the 13 colonies?

That story is incomplete–by the time Englishmen had begun to establish colonies in earnest, there were plenty of French, Spanish, Dutch and even Russian colonial outposts on the American continent–but the story of those 13 colonies (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia ) is an important one. It was those colonies that came together to form the United States.

Who were the first English settlers to the New England colonies?

The first English emigrants to what would become the New England colonies were a small group of Puritan separatists, later called the Pilgrims , who arrived in Plymouth in 1620 to found Plymouth Colony.

What colony did Puritans form?

As the Massachusetts settlements expanded, they generated new colonies in New England. Puritans who thought that Massachusetts was not pious enough formed the colonies of Connecticut and New Haven (the two combined in 1665). Meanwhile, Puritans who thought that Massachusetts was too restrictive formed the colony of Rhode Island, where everyone–including Jewish people–enjoyed complete “liberty in religious concernments.” To the north of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, a handful of adventurous settlers formed the colony of New Hampshire.

What did the Jamestown colonists learn?

It was not until 1616, when Virginia’s settlers learned how to grow tobacco, that it seemed the colony might survive. The first enslaved African arrived in Virginia in 1619.

How many ships did the London Company send to Virginia?

Mysteriously, by 1590 the Roanoke colony had vanished entirely. Historians still do not know what became of its inhabitants. In 1606, just a few months after James I issued its charter, the London Company sent 144 men to Virginia on three ships: the Godspeed, the Discovery and the Susan Constant.

What was the name of the colony that was named after William Penn?

Penn’s North American holdings became the colony of “Penn’s Woods,” or Pennsylvania.

Why did England have a food shortage?

Sixteenth-century England was a tumultuous place. Because they could make more money from selling wool than from selling food, many of the nation’s landowners were converting farmers’ fields into pastures for sheep. This led to a food shortage; at the same time, many agricultural workers lost their jobs.

What were the three regions of the American colonies?

By the 1700’s, the American colonies grew into three distinct regions. The New England, Middle, and Southern regions each had different geographical and cultural characteristics that determined the development of their economy, society, and relationship to each other.

What were the New England regions?

The New Englandregion included Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. The geography consisted of forests and hills. Combined with the hard rocky land, cold climate and long winters, New England’s land was poor for large farming. Those who had small family owned farms were called Yeoman farmers. Colonists relied on fishing and whaling. They became craftsmen and merchants, building and selling boats and lumber. New England settlers were Puritans, hard working, and very religious. Close families and strong communities were very important to them.

What were the Middle Colonies?

The Middle Coloniesincluded Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, and New Jersey. The geography of the middle region had a warmer climate with fertile soil, flat land, swift rivers, and wide valleys making it perfect for farming and growing crops. Wealthy farmers grew cash crops and raised livestock. Mining and trading were also important aspects of their economy. Urban merchants would sell and trade their goods to the other colonies. The people of the middle colonies supported religious freedom and tolerance and had a diverse population with different ethnicities.

What were the Southern colonies?

The Southern Coloniesincluded the first English colony of Virginia, and grew to include Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The geography had rich fertile soil with broad coastal plains that made it possible for plantations to grow tobacco, rice, and indigo. Many large plantations were owned by wealthy planters. Smaller farms were owned by subsistence farmers who farmed land and raised stocks to support themselves and their families and had very little left over to sell or trade.

What are the three regions of early America?

A brief comparison of the similarities and differences between the three regions in early America: the New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies.

Overview

Background: early exploration and colonization of the Americas

Early colonization, 1607–1630

Growth, 1630–1689

Expansion and conflict, 1689–1763

The Americans break away, 1763–1783

Second British Empire, 1783–1945

Decolonization and overseas territories, 1945-present