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1607-Virginia
Virginia is founded under a patent for the London Company and becomes the first British colony in North America. -
1620-Massachusetts
The King of England grants a charter to a group of Puritans to allow them to form a colony along the Massachusetts Bay. -
1623-New Hampshire
New Hampshire is created as a fishing colony by Captain John Mason. It is named for Hampshire County in England. -
1636-Rhode Island
Rhode Island is founded by Roger Williams. He forms Providence, which will be the capital of Rhode Island. -
1653- Virginians Establish Carolina
A group of Virginians establishes Carolina. Acting on a charter from King Charles II, eight noblemen from Virginia create a settlement south of Virginia. They call it Carolina, although it is divided into North Carolina and South Carolina when the crown takes control of the colony in 1729. -
1664-New York
With the Duke of York in control of the former Dutch trading post, he renames it New York. The city the Dutch called the New Amsterdam becomes New York City. -
1682- Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is established by William Penn. By 1700, it grows to the third largest colony in the New World -
1732-Georgia
Georgia is created to act as a barrier between Spain, which owns Florida and the British Colonies. It is intended to provide a place for those recently released from debtors prison to have a fresh start. -
1776- Colonies Declare their Independence from England
With the signing of the Declaration of Independence, all of the colonies of America declare their independence from England. Independence is won through the Revolutionary War and the colonies become the US of America -
1777-The First American Flag
The second Continental Congress passes a resolution that states that American Flag shall have 13 stripes, alternately in red and white, to represent the 13 colonies.
