First Thirteen Colonies Of The United States
Every American child studies about the first thirteen colonies that went on to form the United States. However, for most people, who not Americans, they may know next to nothing about these colonies. When trying to understand the American culture, values and beliefs, knowing and understanding America's historical past is extremely essential. This starts with the first thirteen colonies of the United States. |
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The first English colony to have been successfully established was Jamestown. This occurred in the year 1607 and the town was established in Virginia. In the initial few years, the town faced a lot of hardships. However, once the settlers got their own land and they began concentrating on growing tobacco, Jamestown became a successful colony. Thereafter, other colonies followed suit. All the thirteen colonies were established on the east coast of the United States, and they were clubbed together in three different geographic regions, namely New England, Middle and Southern. All the thirteen colonies were self-reliant, independent and with their own legislations.
The New England colonies comprised of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. These were situated in green forest lands, and hence, the colonists used to indulge in fur trapping. Furthermore, the colonies also built harbors, so that ships could come and go to England. The region did not have fertile land, and hence, there were just small farms that provided food for the individual farmer and his family. However, other trades, such as lumbering, shipbuilding, fur trading and fishing were the prime source of income for the colonists. They also did a lot of trade with Europe. New England colonies were the ones to sell slaves in the West Indies in lieu of molasses, which was made into rum and then the rum was traded in Africa for slaves. This trade was known as Triangle Trade.
The Middle colonies comprised of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. This region was not only known for its fertile soil, it also had natural harbors. Hence, the fertile soil allowed the colonists to grow grain and keep livestock. Furthermore, the colonies traded raw materials with Europe in lieu of manufactured goods.
The Southern colonies included Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia. These colonies were self-sufficient where food was concerned, as they cultivated their own food. In addition, they also cultivated cash crops, namely tobacco, rice and indigo. These cash crops were grown in plantations and all the work in these plantations was performed by slaves and indentured laborers. The Southern colonies used to do majority of their trade with England. As the plantations were far apart from one another, it stopped the people of a region from coming together and forming small townships.
These first thirteen colonies were instrumental in the formation of the United States after they began demanding for independence from the United Kingdom. It is surprising that this move shocked England. Considering that the colonies were self-governing themselves, economically independent, and with freedoms that were unheard of in England, it is but natural that the colonies would sooner or later ask for independence. Perhaps, the British government did not anticipate this move, as they were busy fighting the French and trying to be the supreme colonial power in other parts of the world. Nonetheless, the demand for independence gained momentum when England started being unreasonable and levying unfair taxes on the colonies. The colonists were not going to part with their hard-earned money when England was not helping them and they were just English subjects in name. How different the world would have been if these first thirteen colonies had not joined hands together and fight for their independence from England? It is a concept that is hard to imagine in modern times.
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The original colonies that went on to form the United States included Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. They came together as states on 4 July 1776 and paved way for the formation of the United States. While the colonies did not fight each other, there is some military history associated with them that makes an interesting reading. 