Editing Thirteen Colonies (section)

== British colonies ==
[[File:Thirteencolonies politics cropped.jpg|thumb|The Thirteen Colonies of [[British America]]:{{legend|#AF4523| (dark red): [[New England Colonies]]}} {{legend|#E7774F| (red-brown): [[Middle Colonies]]}} {{legend|#C8673C| (brown): [[Southern Colonies]]}}]]
In 1606, King [[James VI and I|James I of England]] granted charters to both the [[Plymouth Company]] and the [[London Company]] for the purpose of establishing permanent settlements in America. The London Company established the [[Colony of Virginia]] in 1607, the first permanently settled English colony on the continent. The Plymouth Company founded the [[Popham Colony]] on the [[Kennebec River]], but it was short-lived. The [[Plymouth Council for New England]] sponsored several colonization projects, culminating with [[Plymouth Colony]] in 1620 which was settled by English Puritan separatists, known today as the [[Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrims]].{{Sfnp|Richter|2011|pages=152–153}} The Dutch, Swedish, and French also established successful American colonies at roughly the same time as the English, but they eventually came under the English crown. The Thirteen Colonies were complete with the establishment of the [[Province of Georgia]] in 1732, although the term "Thirteen Colonies" became current only in the context of the [[American Revolution]].{{Efn|The number 13 is mentioned as early as 1720.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Boyer |first=Abel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M31YAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA376 |title=The Political State of Great Britain |year=1720 |volume=19 |publication-place=London |page=376 |quote=so in this Country we have Thirteen Colonies at least severally govern'd by their respective Commanders in Chief, according to their peculiar Laws and Constitutions |author-link=Abel Boyer}}</ref> This includes Carolina as a single colony and does not include Georgia, but instead counts Nova Scotia and [[Newfoundland Colony|Newfoundland]] as British colonies.<ref>Also see {{Cite book |last=Roebuck |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lqdbAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA21 |title=An Enquiry, Whether the Guilt of the Present Civil War in America, Ought to be Imputed to Great Britain Or America |date=1779 |volume=48 |publication-place=London |page=21 |quote=though the colonies be thus absolutely subject to the parliament of England, the individuals of which the colony consist, may enjoy security, and freedom; there is not a single inhabitant, of the thirteen colonies, now in arms, but who may be conscious of the truth of this assertion". ''The critical review, or annals of literature'' |author-link=John Roebuck}} and "during the last war, no part of his majesty's dominions contained a greater proportion of faithful subjects than the Thirteen Colonies." (p. 136)</ref>}}

In London, beginning in 1660, all colonies were governed through a state department known as the [[Southern Department (Great Britain)|Southern Department]], and a committee of the Privy Council called the [[Lords of Trade and Plantations|Board of Trade and Plantations]]. In 1768, a [[Colonial Office|specific state department]] was created for America, but it was disbanded in 1782 when the [[Home Office]] took responsibility.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |last=Foulds |first=Nancy Brown |title=Colonial Office |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/colonial-office |access-date=July 7, 2018 |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia |language=en}}</ref>

=== New England colonies ===
{{main|New England Colonies}}
[[File:Roanoke map 1584.JPG|thumb|A 1584 map of the [[East Coast of the United States|east coast]] from [[Chesapeake Bay]] to [[Cape Lookout (North Carolina)|Cape Lookout]], drawn by the English colonial governor, explorer, artist, and cartographer [[John White (colonist and artist)|John White]]; in 1607, [[Jamestown, Virginia|Jamestown]], the first permanent [[British colonization of the Americas|English settlement]], was established in this region.]]
#[[Province of Massachusetts Bay]], [[Massachusetts Charter|chartered]] as a [[crown colony|royal colony]] in 1691
#* [[Popham Colony]], established in 1607; abandoned in 1608
#* [[Plymouth Colony]], established in 1620; merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691
#* [[Province of Maine]], patent issued in 1622 by [[Council for New England]]; patent reissued by [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] in 1639; absorbed by Massachusetts Bay Colony by 1658
#* [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]], established in 1628; merged with Plymouth Colony in 1691
#[[Province of New Hampshire]], established in 1629; merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1641; chartered as royal colony in 1679
#[[Connecticut Colony]], established in 1636; [[History of the Connecticut Constitution|chartered]] as royal colony in 1662
#*[[Saybrook Colony]], established in 1635; merged with Connecticut Colony in 1644
#*[[New Haven Colony]], established in 1638; merged with Connecticut Colony in 1664
#[[Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations]] [[Rhode Island Royal Charter|chartered]] as royal colony in 1663
#*Providence Plantations established by [[Roger Williams]] in 1636
#*[[Portsmouth, Rhode Island|Portsmouth]] established in 1638 by [[John Clarke (Baptist minister)|John Clarke]], [[William Coddington]], and others
#*[[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]] established in 1639 after a disagreement and split among the settlers in Portsmouth
#*[[Warwick, Rhode Island|Warwick]] established in 1642 by [[Samuel Gorton]]
#*These four settlements merged into a single Royal colony in 1663

Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut, and New Haven Colonies formed the [[New England Confederation]] in 1643, and all New England colonies were included in the [[Dominion of New England]] (1686–1689).

=== Middle colonies ===
{{main|Middle Colonies}}
<ol start=5>
<li>[[Delaware Colony]] (before 1776, the ''Lower Counties on Delaware''), established in 1664 as [[proprietary colony]]</li>
<li>[[Province of New York]], established as a proprietary colony in 1664; chartered as royal colony in 1686; included in the [[Dominion of New England]] (1686–1689)</li>
<li>[[Province of New Jersey]], established as a proprietary colony in 1664; chartered as a royal colony in 1702
* [[East Jersey]], established in 1674; merged with West Jersey to re-form Province of New Jersey in 1702; included in the Dominion of New England
* [[West Jersey]], established in 1674; merged with East Jersey to re-form Province of New Jersey in 1702; included in the Dominion of New England</li>
<li>[[Province of Pennsylvania]], established in 1681 as a proprietary colony</li>
</ol>

===Southern colonies===
{{main|Southern Colonies}}
{{see also|Chesapeake Colonies|Tobacco colonies}}
<ol start=9>
<li>[[Colony of Virginia]], established in 1607 as a proprietary colony; chartered as a royal colony in 1624.</li>
<li>[[Province of Maryland]], established 1632 as a proprietary colony.</li>
<li>[[Province of North Carolina]], previously part of the Carolina province (see below) until 1712; chartered as a royal colony in 1729.</li>
<li>[[Province of South Carolina]], previously part of the Carolina province (see below) until 1712; chartered as a royal colony in 1729.</li>
<li>[[Province of Georgia]], established as a proprietary colony in 1732; royal colony from 1752.</li>
</ol>
The [[Province of Carolina]] was initially chartered in 1629 and initial settlements were established after 1651. That charter was [[Void (law)|voided]] in 1660 by [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] and a new charter was issued in 1663, making it a proprietary colony. The Carolina province was divided into separate proprietary colonies, north and south in 1712, before both became royal colonies in 1729.

Earlier, along the coast, the [[Roanoke Colony]] was established in 1585, re-established in 1587, and found abandoned in 1590.