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In 1607, Virginia was founded by John Smith at Jamestown. It was named after the "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I.
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In 1620, Pilgrims were going to the new world for religious freedom. They landed close to James Town, VA, but a storm hit and blew them off track. They traveled across Massachusetts Bay to a rocky harbor called Plymouth. They decided to stay there and establish their own rules. With the hard work of harvesting, they decided to have a celebration we now call Thanksgiving.
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In 1626, New York was founded by Peter Minuit on Manhattan Island.
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In 1628, Puritans led by John Winthrop formed the Massachusetts Bay Company. Many Puritans settled in the area around present day Boston. In 1630, Massachusetts was founded.
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Lord Baltimore founded Maryland in 1633. It was named after Queen Henrietta Maria of England.
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Connecticut was initially settled by Thomas Hooker and others who left the Massachusetts Bay colony due to anger and settled in the Connecticut River Valley.
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New Hampshire was founded by John Wheelwright and others. It is named for the county of Hampshire. Delaware was also founded in 1638 by Peter Minuit.
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Carolina was first settled from charters issued by King Charles II. North Carolina was founded in 1653, while South Carolina was founded in 1663.
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New Jersey was settled in 1664. The Duke of York granted some land to Sir George Cateret and Lord John Berkley who named their colony New Jersey.
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The Pennsylvania Colony was based on religious beliefs. The reason that King George II gave William Penn such a large area in the New World was because he owed William's father a large amount of money.
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Georgia was settled in 1732. James Oglethorpe received a charter to create a colony between South Carolina and present day Florida.
