Question

3)Describe the origins and development of the 13 British colonies in North America. Explain the factors behind the foundation of the colonies. Why were some people leaving Britain? What attracted them to North America? What problems did the British colonists face and how were the colonies able to survive? What were some of the main social, cultural, and economic differences between the various colonies? Give specific examples. (couldn't find history in the subjects).

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) Pilgrims and Puritans both originated because of the teachings of John Calvin. They were both protestant groups. However, the chief difference between them is what they protested. The Pilgrims were Separatists while the Puritans were Congregationalists.

The Pilgrims left England because of the issues they had with the shortcomings of the church. They went to the Netherlands around 1607 and some Pilgrims even boarded the “Mayflower” and landed in America.

The Puritans were those people who wanted to purge Roman Catholic traditions from their worship. These were individuals who feared oppression from King Charles 1 and Bishop William Laud. This is why the Puritans migrated with the help of John Winthrop, to Massachusetts Bay Colony and north of Plymouth. This was the wave of the great migration.

During the year 1606, James I sanctioned plans to settle along the east coast of the continent of North America. The southern section was in the hands of a company known as the “London Company”, later known as the “Virginia Company and the company based in Plymouth was granted a similar charter for the northern coastline. In 1607, the Native Americans made several attempts to thwart the settlement of the London Company. Although the number of settlers was drastically reduced, the impediments gave rise to a leader of the settlements known as John Smith.

In the year 1620, a boatload of immigrants arrived in North America on the Mayflower in order to live a free life where they could practice Christianity. These settlers eventually landed in present-day Plymouth. The success of these settlements soon inspired other Christian puritans to arrive in the 1600’s. Between 1675 and 1676 there was a massive uprising against the English that nearly drove them out of these settlements.

The final thirteen colonies in America were Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

In the sixteen century, England was facing a touch economic competitive structure. The price of food was less than the price of wool. This meant that farmers began using cultivable land in order to have their sheep graze on it. Eventually, the European markets sought expansion in foreign lands. These foreign lands also doubled as settlements to the Europeans, economic opportunities, settlement and religious freedom. This is how the colonies were formed with the increase of trade at the forefront. Colonies became known for different trades like tobacco, wool etc

The fundamental economic structures of these colonies were short-sighted and didn’t make the basic commodities a priority. This eventually led to poor economic and social conditions that were brought about by slavery, addictions etc. The disparity between the colonies depended on the demand of what they produced.