What you’ll learn to do: compare the establishment and development of the British colonies

The Thirteen Colonies were the colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America, starting with Virginia in 1607, and ending with Georgia in 1733. The colonies are often categorized into three sections, based on similar characteristics and generalizations made about each region: the New England Colonies (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire), the Middle Colonies (Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware), and the Southern Colonies (Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia). In this section, we’ll learn about the initial settlement and establishment of each area.