Travel Back in Time With These Facts About the 13 Colonies!

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Did you know that 13 Colonies were the building blocks of the United States? They weren’t just any ordinary group of settlements; they were the pioneers who paved the way for the land of the free! But it’s not just history lessons; these Facts About the 13 Colonies will help you uncover some lesser-known secrets about their daily lives, traditions, and even their favorite dishes!

Hold on to your tri-corner hats as we journey through each colony’s unique quirks and characteristics. From the bustling streets of Massachusetts to the sunny shores of Georgia, each colony had its own story.

Get ready to be amazed by the diverse backgrounds of the colonists – they came from all walks of life seeking freedom and a fresh start. Their hard work and resilience laid the foundation for the nation we know today.

We’ve got the scoop on how they survived, thrived, and sometimes clashed with one another, all while striving for independence. And, oh boy, did they leave behind some intriguing tales of bravery and rebellion! If you love history, check out our Facts About the 9/11 Memorial and Facts about Rosa Parks.

Facts About the 13 Colonies

  1. The first Constitution in America was enacted in Connecticut.
  2. Maryland was founded as a place for religious freedom for Christians.
  3. The American Iron industry was born in the state of Massachusetts.
  4. Pennsylvania was created as a payback to William Penn for all his father did for the Royal Navy.
  5. New Caesarea was another name for New Jersey.
  1. New Hampshire recruited more settlers by giving away land for one ear of corn a year.
  2. Tobacco became Virginia’s most lucrative crop despite the king and the Virginia Company opposing it.
  3. James Oglethorpe wanted a place in the Americas for impoverished people and debtors, so he founded Georgia.
  4. New York’s fur hat exportation was the first thing to be restricted by the British trade restrictions.
  5. South Carolina was able to make a lot of money for their blue dye trades to the British.
  1. Even though they were a northern state, Rhode Island played a big role in the slave trade.
  2. Delaware was not really a colony until 1776.
  3. North Carolina was sold back to the king of Britain.
  4. The first winter was hard on the settlers; less than half survived.
  5. New York started out being New Amsterdam and was part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland.
  1. Massachusetts is named after a local tribe of Native Americans.
  2. There are a few places that were settled as colonies but never made it to statehood, like The Lost Colony of Roanoke.
  3. Several colonies were named after rulers in England like Carolina was named after King Charles.
  4. Several countries settled in the Americas, including Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands.
  5. When the revolutionary war started, the colonies only had 2.5 million people living there.
  1. Drinking coffee became a political statement after the Boston tea party.
  2. Because the middle colonies’ biggest crops were wheat, barley, and rye, they were called the breadbasket colonies.
  3. No one knows what the founding father of Delaware looks like because he had a severe case of face cancer and never had his portrait painted and wore a green cloth over his face in public.
  4. There is a giant shoe in Pennsylvania that two people can stay in.
  5. In 1949, New Jersey passed a law saying you could not pump your own gas, but an attendant would do it for you.
  1. Other than Peaches, peanuts, and pecans are well-known exports as well for the state of Georgia.
  2. Massachusetts has a lot of firsts that happen there such as the First public park: Boston Commons, 1634, and the First Subway: Boston, 1898.
  3. The town of Saint Michaels, Maryland, was able to fool the redcoats in the War of 1812 by putting lamps in trees and on ship masts, making their town look higher than it really was.
  4. South Carolina has a law that you can sue someone that gets engaged and doesn’t go through with the marriage.
  5. Stonewall Jackson is buried in Virginia.
  1. The Empire State Building in New York City was designed to have blimps docking at it.
  2. Jamestown was the first colony of the 13 founded in 1607 after the failure of Roanoke.
  3. It took almost 80 years after the Americas were discovered before Britain tried to settle here, and their first settlement was lost.
  4. Rhode Island was the first to renounce Britain as its ruler and the last one to ratify the constitution.
  5. Many of the first people to come to settle the Americas were indentured servants.

Hopefully you learned something new! If you did, tell us about it in the comments.

Are you looking for more fun and engaging facts to share with your family? Check out these other posts for more facts!

 
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