American Colonies | Facts, History and Definition

The colonies were established in the 17th century, joined forces in April 1775 to fight in the American Revolutionary War, and formally proclaimed their independence in July 1776 to create the United States of America. The 13 British communities founded between the 17th and early eighteenth centuries in what became a region of the eastern United States are known as American colonies, often known as thirteen colonies or the main colonial empires in the Americas. 

From the period of their establishment to the American Revolution (1775-81), these colonies expanded both geographically along the Atlantic coast and westward as well as numerically to 13 colonies. At the time of the Revolution, roughly 2.5 million American colonists lived in towns that had expanded beyond the Appalachian mountains and reached as far south as the Altamaha River in Georgia from Maine to the north.

The Major Colonial Powers

The French, English, Dutch, and Japanese empires were the major colonial powers. The Russian Tsardom, which eventually evolved into the Russian Empire and the Soviets, was the largest contiguous state in the world by the middle of the 17th century, and the Russian Federation today still holds that title.

The United States found itself, all of a sudden, a colonial power with dependencies abroad. This embrace of colonial obligations reflected not only the fleeting excitement of 1898 but also signalled a significant shift in American diplomacy.

What Pushed the American Colonies Towards Independence?

Following the French and Indian War, the British government decided that the main colonial empires in the Americas should contribute to the cost of the conflict and the maintenance of military garrisons. Additionally, it started putting more restrictions on colonial governments. Taxes intended to raise money from the colonies, such as the Sugar Act (1764) and the Stamp Act (1765), incensed the colonists and sparked a response that finally sparked a revolt.

Causes of American Imperialism

Three factors caused American imperialism.

• Industrialised nations’ economic rivalry

• Political and military rivalry, including the development of a powerful navy.

• A conviction that individuals of Anglo-Saxon heritage are superior in terms of race and tradition

Exploration, economic growth, increasing political clout, the dissemination of ideologies, and the propagation of religious doctrines and practices are the five fundamental drivers of imperialism.

What are the Colonies in America?

The British colonies, known as the American colonies, were founded in what is now a part of the eastern United States during the 17th and early eighteenth centuries. From the period of their creation until the American Revolution, the colonies expanded both geographically and along the Atlantic and westward, as well as numerically, to 13. At the start of the Revolution, their villages stretched from what is now northern Maine to the Altamaha River in Georgia.

Following Christopher Columbus’ first voyage in 1492, Spain and Portugal were the main colonial empires in the Americas, starting the colonisation of the Americas by Europeans. Soon after the return of Columbus’ first voyage, the two other great powers of Western Europe in the 15th century, France and England, began hiring explorers.

Early Colonial Failure

After 1500, a number of European nations made an effort to establish colonies in the Americas. The majority of such attempts were unsuccessful. Due to disease, malnutrition, ineffective resupply, confrontation with Native Americans, attacks by other European powers, and other factors, the colonists themselves experienced high rates of mortality.

American and Social Progress

In 1754, seven of the colonies attempted to develop a closer association plan. To negotiate a treaty with the Iroquois, their governors gathered in Albany. The contemporary Benjamin Franklin proposed a plan for a colonial union that, if approved, might have stopped or postponed the American Revolution. It demanded the creation of a congress with the authority to tax common goods, manage public resources, negotiate with Indian tribes, and maintain armed troops.

American Colonial Facts

1) There were thirteen distinct colonies along the eastern shore.

2) The Roanoke Colony, established in 1587, was the first colony. 

3) Jamestown was the first colony to be successful.

4) The Pilgrims did not arrive before 1620.

Conclusion

With the first settlers of English colonists to Paul Revere’s midnight ride, the British colonies in North America expanded from a small group of daring individuals—the majority of whom perished during their first winter in the New World—to nearly two million independent colonists, whose leaders decided to revolt against the most powerful military force in the world. It’s likely that many British subjects saw a bright future in the New World. The largest movement of people from the British Isles to the American colonies occurred between 1771 and 1775, despite the possibility of a civil war between Americans and the British.

On the eve of the American Revolution, the 13 colonies’ economies had the quickest growth of any modern economy. They provided their inhabitants with the highest level of living on average anywhere globally.