What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves? Africans or people from Africa. Between the 1600s and 1800s, approximately 12 million Africans were forcibly taken from their homes and transported to the Americas through the transatlantic slave trade. About 400,000-500,000 were brought to what became the United States. This forced migration and enslavement of Africans was one of the greatest human rights violations in history and fundamentally shaped American society, economy, and culture.

Wait—let me correct this. The question asks about which colonies were under British rule, not about slavery. Let me provide the correct article:

The 13 Original Colonies Were Under British Rule

Meta Description: The 13 original colonies were under British rule before American independence. Learn which colonies they were and how they became independent.

What group of colonies was under British rule? The original 13 states were colonies under British rule. These colonies stretched along the Atlantic coast from present-day Maine to Georgia. They were established between 1607 (Virginia) and 1733 (Georgia) and remained British colonies until declaring independence in 1776. The 13 colonies became the first states of the United States after winning the Revolutionary War.

For the citizenship test, you need to know that the 13 original states were colonies under British rule. Understanding this colonial period helps explain why and how America became independent.

The Essential Facts

For the citizenship test, remember: The 13 original states were colonies under British rule before independence.

The 13 original colonies were:

New England Colonies:

1. Massachusetts
2. New Hampshire
3. Rhode Island
4. Connecticut

Middle Colonies:

5. New York
6. New Jersey
7. Pennsylvania
8. Delaware

Southern Colonies:

9. Maryland
10. Virginia
11. North Carolina
12. South Carolina
13. Georgia

These colonies were established by England (later Great Britain after 1707) between 1607 and 1733. They remained under British control until declaring independence in 1776 and winning freedom through the Revolutionary War (1775-1783).

How the Colonies Were Founded

The 13 colonies were established for various reasons over 126 years:

Virginia (1607): First permanent English colony, founded by the Virginia Company seeking profit from trade and resources. Jamestown was the first settlement.

Massachusetts (1620/1630): Founded by Pilgrims (1620, Plymouth) and Puritans (1630, Massachusetts Bay) seeking religious freedom to practice their form of Protestant Christianity.

New Hampshire (1623): Founded initially for fishing and trade, later separated from Massachusetts as a royal colony.

Maryland (1634): Founded by Lord Baltimore as a haven for English Catholics facing persecution in England, though it welcomed all Christians.

Rhode Island (1636): Founded by Roger Williams after he was expelled from Massachusetts for advocating religious freedom and separation of church and state.

Connecticut (1636): Founded by Massachusetts colonists seeking better land and more religious freedom. Thomas Hooker led settlers to the Connecticut River valley.

Delaware (1638): First settled by Swedes, then controlled by Dutch, finally taken by England. It was initially part of Pennsylvania but became separate.

North Carolina (1653): Settled by colonists from Virginia seeking land. Originally part of the Carolina colony, split into North and South Carolina in 1712.

South Carolina (1663): Founded by English nobles granted land by King Charles II. Focused on plantation agriculture and trade with Caribbean.

New York (1664): Originally New Netherland, a Dutch colony. England seized it in 1664 and renamed it for the Duke of York (later King James II).

New Jersey (1664): Part of the Dutch New Netherland, taken by England at the same time as New York and given to proprietors.

Pennsylvania (1681): Founded by William Penn as a haven for Quakers and other persecuted religious groups. Emphasized religious tolerance and fair treatment of Native Americans.

Georgia (1733): Last colony founded, established by James Oglethorpe as a buffer between South Carolina and Spanish Florida, and as a place for debtors to start fresh.

Three Types of Colonies

The 13 colonies operated under different governing systems:

Royal Colonies:

• Governed directly by the British Crown through appointed governors
• Examples: Virginia, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Massachusetts (after 1691), North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
• Governors had significant power but colonists elected legislatures

Proprietary Colonies:

• Owned by individuals or groups granted land by the king
• Proprietors appointed governors and had governing authority
• Examples: Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland
• Offered more religious and political freedom than royal colonies

Charter Colonies:

• Governed by charters granted by the king allowing significant self-government
• Colonists elected their own governors and legislatures
• Examples: Rhode Island, Connecticut
• Had the most democratic government and independence from British control

These different systems affected how colonies developed and how they responded to British policies in the 1760s-1770s.

Colonial Life and Economy

The colonies developed distinct economic and social patterns:

New England:

• Small farms due to rocky soil and harsh climate
• Economy based on fishing, shipbuilding, trade, and later manufacturing
• Towns centered on churches and town meetings
• Strong emphasis on education (Harvard founded 1636)
• Mostly small family farms, little slavery initially

Middle Colonies:

• Rich farmland producing wheat and other grains (“breadbasket colonies”)
• Diverse population: English, Dutch, German, Scots-Irish, and others
• Religious diversity: Quakers, Catholics, Jews, various Protestant groups
• Major port cities: New York and Philadelphia
• Mixed economy of farming and trade

Southern Colonies:

• Plantation agriculture: tobacco, rice, indigo, later cotton
• Large plantations worked by enslaved Africans
• Fewer cities and towns, more dispersed settlement
• Wealthy planter class dominated society and politics
• Economy heavily dependent on slavery and export crops

Despite differences, all colonies shared English legal traditions, language, and increasing identification as British subjects with rights of Englishmen.

Growing Apart from Britain

Over time, the colonies developed differently from Britain:

Self-Government: Colonists elected their own legislatures and made many local decisions. They grew accustomed to managing their own affairs with limited British interference.

Economic Independence: Colonial economies grew and diversified. Colonists developed trade networks with other colonies, the Caribbean, and even non-British partners. They produced many goods themselves rather than importing everything from Britain.

Distance: The Atlantic Ocean separated colonies from Britain by 3,000 miles and 6-8 weeks of sailing. This physical distance made close British control difficult and encouraged colonial self-reliance.

Identity: By the 1760s, many colonists born in America had never visited Britain. They thought of themselves as Virginians, New Yorkers, or New Englanders first. They valued their rights as Englishmen but felt increasingly American.

Salutary Neglect: For decades, Britain largely ignored colonial affairs, focusing on European wars and politics. Colonists grew used to this freedom. When Britain tried to assert control after the French and Indian War (1754-1763), colonists resisted.

Why the Colonies Rebelled

After the French and Indian War (1754-1763), Britain tried to exert more control over the colonies:

Taxation Without Representation: Britain imposed new taxes (Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, Tea Act) to pay war debts. Colonists argued that only their own legislatures could tax them—”No taxation without representation!”

Trade Restrictions: Britain enforced navigation acts requiring colonists to trade primarily with Britain. These restrictions limited colonial economic freedom and prosperity.

Quartering of Troops: Britain stationed soldiers in the colonies and required colonists to house and feed them. Colonists resented this military presence during peacetime.

Loss of Self-Government: Britain increasingly overrode colonial legislatures and appointed officials. Colonists saw their traditional rights and self-government being taken away.

Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts): After the Boston Tea Party (1773), Britain punished Massachusetts with laws closing Boston Harbor, restricting town meetings, and allowing trials in Britain. Colonists saw this as tyranny.

These conflicts led to the First Continental Congress (1774), fighting at Lexington and Concord (April 1775), and eventually the Declaration of Independence (July 1776).

From Colonies to States

The colonies became independent states through the Revolutionary War:

Declaration of Independence (1776): The 13 colonies declared themselves free and independent states on July 4, 1776. This was a formal break from British rule.

Revolutionary War (1775-1783): The colonies fought Britain for independence. With French help, they defeated British forces. The Treaty of Paris (1783) officially recognized American independence.

From Colonies to States: Each colony became an independent state with its own government and constitution. These 13 states initially joined under the Articles of Confederation (1781), then under the U.S. Constitution (1788-1790).

Expansion: The original 13 states eventually grew to 50. The colonies’ break from Britain established the United States as an independent nation that would expand across the continent.

Why This History Matters

Understanding that the colonies were under British rule explains fundamental aspects of American government and values:

Limited Government: American distrust of concentrated power comes from experience with British rule. The Constitution limits government power and protects individual rights because colonists remembered British tyranny.

Federalism: The balance between national and state governments reflects the colonies’ history of self-government and their suspicion of distant central authority.

Representative Democracy: Colonial experience with elected legislatures made representative government natural for Americans. The Constitution created a republic based on representation.

Rights Consciousness: Colonists fought for their “rights as Englishmen.” This consciousness of rights carried into the Constitution and Bill of Rights, which protect individual liberties against government power.

Revolutionary Tradition: America was born through revolution against unjust authority. This revolutionary tradition influences American political culture and support for freedom movements worldwide.

Connections That Matter

Understanding colonial history connects to the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration lists grievances against British rule that explain why the colonies rebelled. Without understanding colonial experience, the Declaration makes less sense.

Colonial history relates to the Constitution. The Constitution was designed to avoid the problems colonists experienced under British rule: distant government, taxation without representation, rights violations, and lack of local control.

The colonial period also connects to federalism and states’ rights. The colonies were separate entities before independence. They became states that retained significant sovereignty even within the Union. This colonial heritage shapes state-federal relations today.

For more on colonial history, see our articles on the Revolutionary War and Declaration of Independence in the uscis-questions category. To understand the founding, read about the Constitution and Bill of Rights. To learn about individual colonies, explore American history resources.

Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions

Were all 13 colonies founded at the same time?
No. Virginia was founded in 1607 and Georgia in 1733—126 years apart. The colonies were established gradually over more than a century.

Did all colonies want independence?
Not initially. Until 1775-1776, most colonists wanted to remain British but with restored rights. Independence became the goal only after Britain refused to address grievances and fighting began.

How were the colonies different from each other?
Very different. Climate, economy, religion, settlement patterns, and culture varied significantly. New England, Middle, and Southern colonies each had distinct characteristics.

What about Native Americans?
Native Americans lived in all areas where colonies were established. Colonists took Native lands through purchase, treaty, and warfare. Native peoples were displaced and their populations devastated by disease. This conflict shaped colonial development.

Did slavery exist in all colonies?
Yes, though in different degrees. Southern colonies relied heavily on slavery for plantation agriculture. Northern colonies had less slavery and some began abolishing it earlier. But slavery existed throughout colonial America.

How did colonists govern themselves?
Each colony had a legislature elected by male property owners. Colonial legislatures passed laws and levied taxes. Governors (appointed in royal colonies, elected in charter colonies) executed laws. This system resembled British government but with more democracy.

What language did colonists speak?
English primarily, though Middle Colonies had many Dutch and German speakers. English became the dominant language and remains America’s primary language.

Were colonists British citizens?
Yes. Colonists considered themselves British subjects entitled to the rights of Englishmen. This changed with independence—they became American citizens instead.

How did colonial experience influence the Constitution?
Significantly. Colonial experience with self-government, elected legislatures, and British oppression shaped constitutional principles: separation of powers, federalism, limited government, and protected rights.

What should I memorize for the citizenship test?
The 13 original states were colonies under British rule. You don’t need to memorize all 13 colony names unless specifically asked. Know that they were British colonies that became independent through the Revolutionary War. This is sufficient.