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Kids learn about the history of the thirteen British American Colonies that formed the United States including when they were each founded, the colonial regions, and fun facts.

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Religion and Church in the 13 American Colonies

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This article describes the differences between religion and churches in the 13 American Colonies.

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The Thirteen American Colonies

Part 1: Coming to America

The first colonies in North America were along the eastern coast. from Spain, France, Sweden, Holland, and England claimed land beginning in the 17th century. The struggle for control of this land would continue for more than a hundred years.

The first permanent settlement in North America was the English colony at Jamestown , in 1607, in what is now Virginia. John Smith and company had come to stay. The Pilgrims followed, in 1620, and set up a colony at Plymouth , in what is now Massachusetts.

Other English colonies sprang up all along the Atlantic coast, from Maine in the north to Georgia in the south. Swedish and Dutch colonies took shape in and around what is now New York.

As more and more people arrived in the New World, more and more disputes arose over territory. Many wars were fought in the 1600s and 1700s. Soon, the two countries with the largest presence were England and France.

The two nations fought for control of North America in what Americans call the French and Indian War (1754-1763). England won the war and got control of Canada, as well as keeping control of all the English colonies.

By this time, the English colonies numbered 13. They were Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

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The Thirteen American Colonies Part 1: Coming to America The first colonies in North America were along the eastern coast. from Spain, France, Sweden, Holland, and England claimed land beginning in the 17th century. The struggle for control of this land would continue for more than a hundred years.

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Pilgrims

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The Pilgrims: Voyage to Freedom

Part 1: The Need for Freedom

Above all, the Pilgrims wanted to be free.

They disagreed with the religious teachings of the Church of England. In fact, the Pilgrims were members of a group of people called Separatists. These people had different beliefs than the rest of the English people. In 1606, they formed their own church in a small village called Scrooby.

At this time, the Church of England was the same as the Government of England. In other words, King James I was the head of both the country and the church. Not belonging to the church meant not obeying the king. This was treason.

So the Pilgrims left England, in search of a safe place to practice their religion. They chose to go to Holland and found a home in Leiden. For 12 years, they worshipped under their pastor, John Robinson.

But the Pilgrims were also poor. Many of them were forced to work difficult jobs all day long, for little money. They had found religious peace in Holland, but they were making barely enough money to survive.

They finally decided to sail to North America. They didn't want to join the colony, founded in 1607, because they feared that the English people there would treat them badly because of their religious beliefs. So the Pilgrims settled on the northern part of the Virginia Territory, at the mouth of the Hudson River (near what is now New York).

Happily, the Pilgrims found businesspeople who were willing to give them money in exchange for a share of the profits made in America. The Pilgrims bought a small ship called the Speedwell and sailed back to England. They stayed long enough to get more colonists and a larger ship, theMayflower . They set sail from Southampton on August 5, 1620.

The Speedwell wasn't in shape to make the journey, and the Pilgrims returned to Plymouth, England. They crowded all 102 people onboard the Mayflower and set sail again, on September 16. This time, they kept going.

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The Pilgrims: Voyage to Freedom Part 1: The Need for Freedom

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The Pilgrims came to America from England in search of religious freedom. They founded a settlement at Plymouth and made friends with Native Americans. Both of these people later celebrated the first Thanksgiving.