American Colonies Worksheets

What Were Original 13 American Colonies?

Before America became the United States, it was just a group of 13 colonies. The English tried to start a North American colony in the 1580s on Roanoke Island off North Carolina. Settlers stayed over there for a year and returned to their homes. Another group arrived in 1587, but they somehow mysteriously disappeared. Later, a third group settled in Jamestown, Virginia. The colony faced great difficulties but was successful. Over the next century, the English established 13 colonies. Virginia, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Georgia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland. By 1750 almost 2 million Europeans live in American colonies. Still, some came from Africa. Most of whom were transported to the U.S. as slaves.

The Jamestown Settlement

The Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the new World. It was named after King James the first. It was founded on May 13, 1607 in the state of Virginia. In 1696, English entrepreneurs set sail with a charted from the Virginia Company of London to establish a colony in the new World. The voyage lasted a total of five months on three ships named The Discovery, the Godspeed, and Susan Constant with Captain Christopher Newport in charge of all three.



Puritans

In the 16th and 17th century many people were seeking "purity" from religious control in England. These people were known as puritans or separatists because they left England to separate themselves from the Church of England which was under control of King James I. Most of the Puritans who left England to come to the New World settled in The New England states located on the Northern east coast of the United States. Between 1630 and 1640 0ver 13,000 men, women, and children sailed to Massachusetts.


Rhode Island in the Revolutionary War

In July, 1778, the first all African-American unit of soldiers in the Revolutionary War was formed in the state of Rhode Island. This group of soldiers was called the 1st Rhode Island Regiment. These AfricanAmerican soldiers fought in the Battle of Rhode Island later in 1778 and also fought at the Battle of Yorktown. The Battle of Yorktown, won by George Washington and his army, was the last battle of the Revolutionary War and gave the colonies their freedom.


Georgia - Yesterday and Today

Georgia, the last colony to be settled, was formed in 1732. Use history or geography books, the encyclopedia or the Internet to research information about Georgia.


Colonial Delaware

The area known today as Delaware was originally settled by three groups. Fill in the blanks about the early history of Delaware with the following names and places.


New Hampshire - Yesterday and Today

In the map in Figure 1 the colony of New Hampshire is shown in bright green and the colony of New York is in aqua. New Hampshire originally claimed the aqua area to the west shown as part of New York. But in 1765 the English king gave this land to New York.


New Jersey and the Revolutionary War

New Jersey was located between the Continental Congress in Philadelphia and the British headquarters in New York.


Map the Original 13 Colonies

Put the name of the colony in the right place on the map. The original 13 colonies were: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia.


Maryland History Timeline

The capital of the United States is Washington, D.C. What state did the land for Washington, D.C. come from?


State Capitals of the Original 13 Colonies

Write the name of the capital next to each of the names of the 13 original colonies.


Virginia - Yesterday and Today

The colony of Virginia was larger than the state of Virginia is today. When Virginia seceded from the United States at the time of the Civil War, people in the western part of the state did not agree and formed their own state of West Virginia.


Massachusetts and Liberty

Boston has been the main city in Massachusetts since colonial days. Boston is still called "The Cradle of Liberty" and the nearby town of Lexington is called the "Birthplace of American Liberty".


Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

Colonial Williamsburg is a park in Virginia where buildings from the colonial days have been moved and restored. The park is open to visitors and park staff dress in clothing of the 1700's.


South Carolina in the Revolutionary War

South Carolina was a wealthy colony that sent raw materials back to England. In 1775, Charleston, South Carolina was the fourth largest city in the colonies.


Loyalists and Patriots

The American colonies were originally owned and governed by Great Britain. But people in Massachusetts rebelled at "taxation without representation" meaning they paid taxes without any say in how the government was run. Patrick Henry gave his famous speech saying, "Give me liberty or give me death!" and Thomas Paine wrote in a pamphlet called Common Sense that it didn't make sense to be ruled by king who lived nearly 5,000 miles away.


Massachusetts - Yesterday and Today

The colony of Massachusetts also included land that became the state of Maine. Use history or geography books, the encyclopedia or the Internet to research information about Maine.


New York - Yesterday and Today

The state of New York today has a different shape than it did when it was a colony. Today New York State reaches to Lake Ontario to the west and Lake Champlain to the east. The area west of New Hampshire and east of Lake Champlain that was a part of colonial New York is now the state of Vermont.


Map the Original 13 Colonies

This is the black and white version for you.


Trail of Tears

Native Americans are the people who were here in America before the explorers and settlers arrived in the late 1400’s. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which still endure as political communities. In the nineteenth century, the incessant westward expansion of the United States incrementally compelled large numbers of Native Americans to resettle further west, often by force, almost always reluctantly. Under President Andrew Jackson, the United States Congress passed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which authorized the President to conduct treaties to exchange Native American land east of the Mississippi River for lands west of the river.


Triangular Trade

Triangular Trade was a trade exchange route that formed between The Americas, Europe and Africa. The trade route was a key for survival between many people. The trade between these nations proved to be very risky often involving slavery, raw materials, and/or goods.