Thirteen Original Colonies

Founding of the 13 Original Colonies

Period: Mar 1, 1600 to Mar 1, 1740

The founding of the 13 Original Colonies marks the beginning of settlement in the United States of America.They are also called the 13 Original States, because they were the first states to ratify the Declaration of Independence of 1776.

Virginia

Mar 1, 1607

John Smith and the London Company found the Virginia Colony at Jamestown.

Massachusetts

Dec 1, 1620

English Puritans land the Mayflower at Plymouth and found the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

New Hampshire

Mar 1, 1623

John Mason and John Wheelwright found the city of Hover and the New Hampshire Colony.

Maryland

Mar 1, 1634

Cecil Calvert founds the Maryland Colony.

Rhode Island

Mar 1, 1636

The cities of Providence, founded by Roger Williams, and Portsmouth, founded by Anne Hutchinson, join together to form the Rhode Island Colony.

Connecticut

Sep 1, 1636

The Connecticut Colony is founded by Thomas Hooker and Massachusetts colonists.

Delaware

Mar 1, 1638

Dutch Peter Minuit and the New Sweden Company establish New Sweden, and King Charles II of England renames it to the Delaware Colony.

North Carolina

Mar 1, 1653

Virginians settle the North Carolina Colony.

South Carolina

Mar 1, 1663

King Charles II issues for settling the South Carolina Colony.

New Jersey

Mar 1, 1664

Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret establish the New Jersey Colony in New Netherland.

New York

Sep 1, 1664

The brother of King Charles II, James the Duke of York, founds the New York Colony.

Pennsylvania

Mar 1, 1682

Looking for freedom of religion, Quaker William Penn founds the Pennsylvania Colony.

Georgia

Mar 1, 1732

James Oglethorpe founds the Georgia Colony, named after King George II as protection against the expansion of Spain in the Latin Americas.