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   grouchysgirl Teacher
   Middle School

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   New England: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire - all English

   Massachusetts was first.  Thomas Hooker decided MA was too strict so he founded CT.  Roger Williams believed that religion and government should be separated so he founded RI. John Wheelwright believed the same way as Williams so he went north and founded NH.

   Middle: New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware - 3 English and 1 Dutch

   New Netherlands was first here and founded by the Dutch.  King Charles II of Britain though gained control of the land and gifted it to the Duke of York.  The Duke renamed part of the colony NY and gave a part to Lord Berkeley and Sir Carteret. They called their colony NJ.  PA had a small Swedish population but was taken over by the English when William Penn began his 'holy experiment' - allowing religious freedom to everyone.  A small corner of PA decided to legislate themselves in 1704 and thus became DE.

   Southern Colonies: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia -5 English

   VA was first here in 1607.  MD was founded by Lord Baltimore as a safe place for Catholics to worship.  As VA expanded, farmers from the back country settled in NC and the English nobility tended to settle in SC.  James Oglethorpe thought that land between SC and Spanish Florida would make a good place for debtors and the poor to make a fresh start. So he settled the land and successfully defended it against Spanish attacks.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/colonial-america-almanac/thirteen-e...

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   Posted by grouchysgirl on Wednesday July 8, 2009 at 4:22 PM