Without the 13 colonies there would be no AP® United States History. Kind of obvious, right? But how much do you really know about these early European communities and the governments that they created? It can be a little daunting getting them all straight, especially since they each had their own identities, histories, places of origin, etc. But not to worry, we’ve created this APUSH review to get this info down for you just in time for the upcoming AP® US History exam.
This APUSH review on the 13 colonies has been organized to provide you with all the details you will need for your exam. We’ve got the nitty-gritty dates and names of when each colony was created, populated, etc., but we’ve also organized each colony’s history into easy to understand themes, including the analytical information you’ll need to know for the essay writing sections of the APUSH exam. Stick with this ultimate AP® US History guide to the 13 colonies and we’ll get you that much closer to earning a 5 on your exam!
The 13 Colonies
Let’s get the most obvious information out of the way first. The 13 colonies consisted of Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island (and the Providence Plantations). The colonies eventually spread over almost the entire eastern seaboard of what would become the United States as we know it today, giving each their own uniqueness in terms of geography, economy, and history. But they did share a number of similarities as well.
What follows is a thorough breakdown of both the similarities and differences that make up the history of the American 13 colonies. First, we are going to categorize the 13 by region: the New England colonies, the Middle colonies, and the southern colonies. Here we will highlight the ways that each colony held historical similarities similar to their region, but unique to the others.
Second, and this is key for the APUSH exam since it seems to pop up quite a bit, we will cover the ways that all 13 colonies maintained cultural, political, and ideological ties to one another. This discussion will be a perfect segue for you to start studying the Revolutionary War (another obvious common topic for the AP® US History exam!). And finally, we will tie all this info together by providing you with specific examples of how the lovely people at the College Board have asked about the 13 colonies in previous versions of the APUSH exam.
The 13 Colonies by Region
The New England Colonies
Massachusetts
Much like Virginia to the South, this is the most important colony in the northern region of England’s 13 colony experiment. Originally called the Massachusetts Bay colony, this site was founded in the Plymouth area by the Massachusetts Bay Company in 1623. However, unlike the Chesapeake region, money was not the number one concern of those living in the area, religion was.
This colony, right off the bat, was founded by a small group of Puritan separatists (who were also called Pilgrims) who were looking for a safe haven to practice their religion. Also unlike those to the south, the colonists who settled here were willing to listen to the native peoples, who ended up helping to teach them the best ways to hunt, fish, and farm the area.
The key things to remember about this colony for your upcoming AP® US History exam is that the people of Massachusetts (and much of the rest of New England) were concerned with raising healthy, Christian families more so than making profit. They too created a representative government, but you had to be a landowning male if you wanted to vote. These two things became a spring board for more of the other 13 colonies in New England to sprout from.
New Hampshire
As Massachusetts continued to grow and succeed as a colony, many wanted to expand the British territories. So, in 1629, an offshoot of colonists from the Massachusetts colony got permission from Plymouth and the crown to create a new colony in what is now New Hampshire and Maine.
Unlike many of the other 13 colonies, New Hampshire residents generally stayed to themselves and kept out of trouble. The most important thing to remember from this review of the New England colonies is that New Hampshire was evidence that the New England model was expanding its reach in North America. Although they were religiously tolerant, the colonists mirrored what was taking place in Massachusetts. Their government was tied to the one in Massachusetts; they created small communities of farmer families, and relied on agriculture and timber for profit.
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
The land that would come to be known as Rhode Island was originally settled by the Dutch and was part of the colony of New Netherlands. Much like New Hampshire, this colony was created as an offshoot of Massachusetts but with its own twist.
Whereas the colonists of New Hampshire were looking for new ventures and new horizons, those of Rhode Island were looking to escape religious persecution taking place in Massachusetts. Exiled preacher Roger Williams and Baptist leader Anne Hutchinson each laid claim to extensive plots of land in the area. They eventually appealed for and received an official charter in 1643.
Unlike the other New England colonies, Rhode Island only had an elected “president” as a government representative. But what you should ultimately take away from this APUSH review is that Rhode Island became a safe haven for those who were religiously persecuted. Quakers, Jews, Catholics, etc. who did not fit into the Puritan or Protestant models of living found safety here (for the most part). And the colonies began to look more diverse as time went on.
Connecticut
Much like New Hampshire this New England colony was created as an offshoot of Massachusetts. As successes in farming and family life led to growth in the Massachusetts colony, colonists moved north to the New Hampshire area, but also went south towards the Connecticut River. Finding excellent water supplies and fertile land for agriculture, these settlers founded the colony in 1636.
But there are two ideas that you really want to get down for your APUSH exam. First, unlike Rhode Island, founder Thomas Hooker was a Puritan minister and wanted to replicate the religious society that had been created by the founders of Massachusetts. Those who lived in Connecticut elevated religious purity to the highest level, similar to those in Massachusetts. And second, the representative government that formed in Connecticut created the first constitution of sorts. Called the Fundamental Order (1638), this document argued that the government’s job is to protect the rights of the individual. This would obviously become an important model for things to come…
The Middle Colonies
New York
New York was actually originally founded by Dutch colonists. Eventually, however, the area did fall into the hands of the British in 1664. After gaining the territory from the Dutch, the King of England gave the land to his brother, the Duke of York (thus, the name). The ties between England and Holland became so deep in fact that the Prince of Orange married the Duke of York’s daughter (they are better known as William and Mary).
Ultimately, what you want to remember about New York for your AP® US exam is that it was truly a middle colony. Being smack dab in the middle of the New England and Southern colonies, New York’s harbor acted as a perfect central trading epicenter for the New World. Because of this industry boomed in the big cities and agriculture thrived in the more rural areas. New York was also interesting because a lot like today, the people who lived there were from all over the place. This meant that unlike the other regions, not one religion dominated and there was no single economic powerhouse characterized the workforce.
New Jersey
Just like New York, New Jersey was originally a territory of the Dutch. And, as a result, their histories parallel New York’s almost perfectly. Just like the other Middle Colonies, New Jersey had a long history of population diversity, from the presence of the Dutch, to the French, and even the Swedes in the region. When England gained the territory from the Dutch in 1664, it was to be governed by the Duke of York as well. Ultimately, neither industry nor agriculture dominated the economy, the population was diverse, and there was no religious monopoly. Just remember for the APUSH exam, that New Jersey and New York or almost exactly the same.
Pennsylvania
Somewhat similar to New York and New Jersey, the land that was to be Pennsylvania was originally occupied by other Europeans. But instead of the Dutch, this time, it was the Swedes. But alas, the Dutch eventually took over anyways. When the British received the Dutch territories in 1664, the king of England used the land to pay off a debt. He owed the Penn family significant money and gave the land in the New World to William Penn in 1681 as repayment. Pennsylvania actually means “Penn’s woods.” Very fitting, right?
Almost accidentally Penn would help to create on one of the most religiously tolerant places in the 13 colonies. He himself was a Quaker, but did not intend on Pennsylvania to become a Quaker’s paradise. Instead, Quakers and other persecuted believers fled Europe and heard that Penn himself was a tolerant man. Plus the land was rich and fertile. This attracted quite a few families who could afford to leave their homeland without falling into servitude.
What is most important about Pennsylvania is that this combination of rich land and religious tolerance helped it to become the most egalitarian of the 13 colonies. But similar to the other Middle colonies, cities like Philadelphia emerged as industrial hubs, where outside the cities, farming dominated, which led to a diversified economy. Again, diverse populations, varied economic opportunities, and religious diversity characterized this middle colony.
Delaware
Delaware ultimately came as a result of an argument between Duke Baltimore and William Penn (remember them?). And like the other Middle Colonies, Delaware began as a Dutch territory, then went to the Swedes, back to the Danes, and then was eventually handed over to the British. Anyways, Penn wanted Pennsylvania access to the sea, so he tried to get his hands on the Delaware area, but Baltimore said no way. The battle went on for 100 years until 1750 when the border was finally defined. But what’s important to note for the APUSH exam is how similarly this history is to the rest of the Middle Colonies—in fact, most of the main actors are even the same!
The Southern Colonies
Virginia (Often Called a Chesapeake Colony)
This was the first successful British colony in North American and a topic you are simply going to have to know if you want to ace your APUSH exam. Whereas previous voyages were mostly military or intel related, the crown had sent John Smith (backed by the London Company) in 1607 with over 170 colonists with the idea of staying permanently.
This colony was created in the Jamestown area with profit in mind. Unfortunately this almost led to their demise. Men greatly outnumbered women (so families didn’t grow), they spent most of their time looking for gold rather than planting crops, and constantly fought with the indigenous peoples. After their first several years, nearly 80 percent of the population had perished from starvation or battle.
Two events took place in the early years of the Virginia colony’s history that would forever change the rest of the 13 colonies and the history of the United States forever. First, they began planting tobacco in 1612 which became a huge cash crop. And second, in 1619 the colonists created the House of Burgesses, which was the first representative form of government in the New World.
So, in brief, for your APUSH review, remember that Virginia was founded as a money maker. This also almost led to its downfall until tobacco started bringing in the dough. It became so essential to Virginia that the colonists began using indentured servitude to multiply the product and quickly turned to enslaved Africans (1619) because that would bring in even more money. Finally, Virginia is the birthplace of representative government in America. What they did would become a model for the other 13 colonies.
Maryland (Often Called a Chesapeake Colony)
Maryland became the fourth colony to be established in North American b the British. It started off as a proprietary (these were colonies that the king of queen gave to allies and were ruled by people in place of the British crown) colony granted by the king of England in 1632 to George Calvert, Lord Baltimore. If you remember anything from this APUSH review on Maryland, remember that it was a colony that was created for the idea of religious freedom.
When Lord Baltimore received this land, England was in religious turmoil. Catholics were commonly persecuted and being a Catholic himself, Lord Baltimore wanted his Maryland colony to be a safe haven for religious tolerance. But this didn’t last long and when Protestants outnumbered the Catholics, they overthrew the government and replaced it with one that mimicked that of Virginia—Protestant and profitable. These two things would come to define the 13 colonies.
What started out as an experiment in religious freedom ended up as a place of persecution for non-Protestants. But they had taxes to pay as well. With Virginia being so successful to the south, leaders decided to turn towards the plantation system and the cultivation of tobacco in order to gain economic profits. Also like Virginia, this led to the increase of labor needs and the eventual exploitation of enslaved Africans.
North Carolina and South Carolina
North and South Carolina were actually just Carolina until the British crown split them in two in 1729. The area had originally been fought over between the French, Spanish, and British. The Brits eventually beat them all out and built towns beginning in 1655.
Now, for the APUSH exam, you are going to want to think about the Southern economy. The area of the Carolinas was actually rather massive, stretching all the way to Florida. But there were no real cities except for Charleston, which became hugely successful because of how close it was to the Caribbean points of trade.
But remember that agriculture was king here. And eventually cotton would come to dominate. North Carolina was filled with smaller, struggling farms that ultimately aimed for survival. But South Carolina had some of the wealthiest colonists in all the 13 colonies. Massive plantations began to develop, with tobacco, indigo, and rice being main products. But cotton soon picked up in popularity and the plantation owners increasingly turned to slaves in order to make immense profits. Slavery was so central to South Carolina’s economy that in 1720, 65 percent of the population was enslaved.
Georgia
Georgia is sort of the odd man out here. The area rested in between Florida and the Carolina, and like we mentioned above, there was a constant struggle going on over the region. This was Georgia for you. It was a battleground and nobody wanted to live there until the British took over and made it a colony in 1732.
But still nobody really wanted to live there, so the British army built a fort and Georgia became sort of a buffer between Spanish Florida and the British 13 colonies. Eventually as the Spanish left North America, Georgia’s economy began to mimic that of North and South Carolina—plantations sprouted up as the system of slavery made farmers very wealthy.
The Lost Colony
Roanoke
Roanoke was one of the first colonization efforts by the British and if luck had been on its side, you probably would be studying the 14 colonies for your APUSH exam. Sir Walter Raleigh was granted a charter to set up a colony on Roanoke Island in North Carolina and after some fits and starts it was colonized in 1587. It has been called the “Lost Colony” because when resupply ships returned less than five years later, it had been entirely abandoned. To this day, no one is sure what happened.
This is ultimately a fascinating story and one you should be familiar with for you APUSH exam, but the mystery of this is not likely to pop up on test day. What you do want to remember, however, is how willing the British were to get a stronghold set up in the New World. True, this was the Age of Exploration, but Europeans were also looking for wealth. Failures like this (even Jamestown almost starved itself into nonexistence!) prevented neither the monarchy nor the explorers from returning with greater resolve.
The 13 Colonies and the Road to Revolution
Image Source:Wikimedia Commons
OK, so we have shown you in this APUSH review the ways that the three regions that made of the 13 colonies were geographically, culturally, and economically different from one another. But you should have also noticed that there were similarities not only within each region, but between the regions as well. These are the things that explain the origins of the American Revolution—which is pretty much the entire reason for the existence of the United States, and therefore, something you really should get to know for your APUSH exam.
First, religion played a key role. And in several of the 13 colonies, the idea of religious tolerance was seen as an important asset. Remember, this was a time when religious wars were taking place across Europe. The colonists wanted to escape this for sure.
Second, this was the age of mercantilism. In fact, the main reason for the colonies to have existed was to make profit. So, even though the South increasingly relied on slavery, when the New England colonies did not, profit was still a central goal.
And third, even though all the colonists were British, they were all starting to get real tired of the crown. The king and queen taxed their businesses, even though they received little in return. They couldn’t even vote in English elections, only their own. Which gave them a sense of independence from the crown—something that would keep getting stronger over time.
So, remember these three central themes about the 13 colonies for your upcoming APUSH exam. If you think about all 13 I these terms, you’ll get an idea of how different each region was, but also how similar. These are the foundations for both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.
What You Need to Know for the AP® US History Exam
Now that we’ve got a pretty solid sense of the histories and themes that are important for the 13 colonies, let’s take a look at the ways the College Board has looked at the topic in years past.
Here is an example multiple-choice question taken from the AP® US History Course and Exam Description put out by the College Board. Read the excerpt and then answer the question:
“Be it enacted … That after the five and twentieth day of March, 1698, no goods or merchandises whatsoever shall be imported into, or exported out of, any colony or plantation to his Majesty, in Asia, Africa, or America … in any ship or bottom, but what is or shall be of the built of England, Ireland, or the said colonies or plantations … and navigated with the masters and three fourths of the mariners of the said places only … under pain of forfeiture of ships and goods.” — English Parliament, Navigation Act, 1696
1. The excerpt most directly reflects which of the following goals for England’s North American colonies?
(A) Developing them as a producer of manufactured goods
(B) Aiding them in developing trade with other European nations
(C) Integrating them into a coherent imperial structure based on mercantilism
(D) Protecting them from American Indian attacks
The answer is C. Remember that this was an age of mercantilism and profit. All the 13 colonies—New England, the Middle, and the South—were concerned with this and this passage proves it.
“Analyze the origins and development of slavery in Britain’s North American colonies in the period 1607 to 1776.”
You now know that the Southern Colonies increasingly relied on cash crops like tobacco, rice, and eventually cotton in order to make profits. This was especially true after Virginia failed extraordinarily at searching for gold and other ways to make a quick buck. These crops were labor intensive, however. But that didn’t stop the South from importing numerous slaves from African and making themselves rich in the process.
Just remember everything that we have covered in this APUSH review of the 13 colonies and you’re sure to get questions like these down for your upcoming AP® US History exam!
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