The Thirteen Colonies

By Lorenz Jude Celoso

 BACKROUND
• THE THIRTEEN COLONIES WERE A GROUP OF BRITISH COLONIES ON THE EAST
COAST OF NORTH AMERICA FOUNDED IN THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES
THAT DECLARED INDEPENDENCE IN 1776 AND FORMED THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA. THE THIRTEEN COLONIES HAD VERY SIMILAR POLITICAL,
CONSTITUTIONAL, AND LEGAL SYSTEMS, AND WERE DOMINATED BY
PROTESTANT ENGLISH-SPEAKERS. THEY WERE PART OF BRITAIN'S
POSSESSIONS IN THE NEW WORLD, WHICH ALSO INCLUDED COLONIES IN
CANADA AND THE CARIBBEAN, AS WELL AS EAST AND WEST FLORIDA.
 THE THIRTEEN COLONIES (3 REGIONS)
• NEW ENGLAND COLONIES: RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT,
MASSACHUSETTS, NEW HAMPSHIRE
• MIDDLE COLONIES: PENNSYLVANIA, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY
• SOUTHERN COLONIES: DELAWARE, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA, NORTH
CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA
VIRGINIA
• OFFICIALLY THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA) IS A STATE IN
THE SOUTHEASTERN AND MID-ATLANTIC REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES
LOCATED BETWEEN THE ATLANTIC COAST AND THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS.
VIRGINIA IS NICKNAMED THE "OLD DOMINION" DUE TO ITS STATUS AS THE
FIRST ENGLISH COLONIAL POSSESSION ESTABLISHED IN MAINLAND NORTH
AMERICA, AND "MOTHER OF PRESIDENTS" BECAUSE EIGHT U.S.
PRESIDENTS WERE BORN THERE, MORE THAN ANY OTHER STATE. THE
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE OF THE COMMONWEALTH ARE SHAPED BY
THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS AND THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, WHICH PROVIDE
HABITAT FOR MUCH OF ITS FLORA AND FAUNA. THE CAPITAL OF THE
COMMONWEALTH IS RICHMOND; VIRGINIA BEACH IS THE MOST POPULOUS
CITY, AND FAIRFAX COUNTY IS THE MOST POPULOUS POLITICAL SUBDIVISION.
THE COMMONWEALTH'S ESTIMATED POPULATION AS OF 2017 IS OVER 8.4
MILLION. CURRENTLY, VIRGINIA IS TRENDING MORE DEMOCRATIC AFTER
VOTING FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY FROM 1952 TO 2004 (WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF 1964).
MASSACHUSETTS
• OFFICIALLY THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, IS THE MOST
POPULOUS STATE IN THE NEW ENGLAND REGION OF THE NORTHEASTERN
UNITED STATES. IT IS BORDERED BY THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE EAST, THE
STATES OF CONNECTICUT AND RHODE ISLAND TO THE SOUTH, NEW
HAMPSHIRE AND VERMONT TO THE NORTH, AND NEW YORK TO THE WEST. THE
STATE IS NAMED FOR THE MASSACHUSETT TRIBE, WHICH ONCE INHABITED
THE AREA. THE CAPITAL OF MASSACHUSETTS AND THE MOST POPULOUS CITY
IN NEW ENGLAND IS BOSTON. OVER 80% OF MASSACHUSETTS'S POPULATION
LIVES IN THE GREATER BOSTON METROPOLITAN AREA, A REGION INFLUENTIAL
UPON AMERICAN HISTORY, ACADEMIA, AND INDUSTRY. ORIGINALLY
DEPENDENT ON AGRICULTURE, FISHING AND TRADE, MASSACHUSETTS WAS
TRANSFORMED INTO A MANUFACTURING CENTER DURING THE INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION. FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS, MASSACHUSETTS HAS BEEN A
DEMOCRATIC STATE DUE TO THE CITY OF BOSTON WHICH MAKES UP A BIG
CHUNK OF THE STATES POPULATION.
 NEW
HAMPSHIRE
• A STATE IN THE NEW ENGLAND REGION OF THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED
STATES. IT IS BORDERED BY MASSACHUSETTS TO THE SOUTH, VERMONT TO
THE WEST, MAINE AND THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE EAST, AND
THE CANADIAN PROVINCE OF QUEBEC TO THE NORTH. NEW HAMPSHIRE IS
THE 5TH SMALLEST BY LAND AREA AND THE 10TH LEAST POPULOUS OF THE 50
UNITED STATES. IN JANUARY 1776, IT BECAME THE FIRST OF THE BRITISH
NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES TO ESTABLISH A GOVERNMENT INDEPENDENT
OF THE KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN'S AUTHORITY CONCORD IS THE STATE
CAPITAL, WHILE MANCHESTER IS THE LARGEST CITY IN THE STATE. THE NEW
HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY IS THE FIRST PRIMARY IN THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION CYCLE WHICH IS THE REASON FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE’S IMPORTANT
ROLE IN SELECTING THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATES. THE STATE MOTTO IS, "LIVE FREE OR DIE". THE
STATE'S NICKNAME, "THE GRANITE STATE", REFERS TO ITS EXTENSIVE
GRANITE FORMATIONS AND QUARRIES.
NEW YORK
• NEW YORK IS A STATE IN THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. NEW YORK
WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL THIRTEEN COLONIES THAT FORMED THE UNITED
STATES. WITH AN ESTIMATED 19.85 MILLION RESIDENTS IN 2017, IT IS
THE FOURTH MOST POPULOUS STATE IN THE UNITED STATES. TO
DIFFERENTIATE FROM ITS CITY WITH THE SAME NAME, IT IS SOMETIMES
CALLED NEW YORK STATE. THE STATE'S LARGEST CITY, NEW YORK CITY,
MAKES UP OVER 40% OF THE STATE'S POPULATION. TWO-THIRDS OF THE
STATE'S POPULATION LIVES IN THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA, AND
NEARLY 40% LIVES ON LONG ISLAND. NEW YORK CITY IS THE MOST POPULOUS
CITY IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE PREMIER GATEWAY FOR
LEGAL IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES. THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN
AREA IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULOUS IN THE WORLD. NEW YORK IS
CONSIDERED TO BE A VERY RELIABLE DEMOCRATIC STATE WITH VOTING
MARGINS AS HIGH 30% FOR OBAMA IN 2012.
MARYLAND
• A STATE IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION OF THE UNITED STATES,
BORDERING VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WASHINGTON, D.C. TO ITS SOUTH
AND WEST; PENNSYLVANIA TO ITS NORTH; AND DELAWARE TO ITS EAST. THE
STATE'S LARGEST CITY IS BALTIMORE, AND ITS CAPITAL IS ANNAPOLIS. AMONG
ITS OCCASIONAL NICKNAMES ARE OLD LINE STATE, THE FREE STATE, AND
THE CHESAPEAKE BAY STATE. THE STATE IS NAMED AFTER THE ENGLISH
QUEEN HENRIETTA MARIA OF FRANCE. ONE OF THE ORIGINAL THIRTEEN
COLONIES, MARYLAND IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE BIRTHPLACE OF RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM IN AMERICA, WHEN IT WAS FORMED BY GEORGE CALVERT IN THE
EARLY 17TH CENTURY AS AN INTENDED REFUGE FOR PERSECUTED
CATHOLICS FROM ENGLAND. MARYLAND IS ONE OF THE SMALLEST U.S.
STATES IN TERMS OF AREA, AS WELL AS ONE OF THE MOST DENSELY
POPULATED, WITH AROUND SIX MILLION RESIDENTS. MARYLAND USUALLY
SUPPORTS DEMOCRATS IN ELECTIONS WITH WIDE MARGINS
CONNECTICUT
• THE SOUTHERNMOST STATE IN THE NEW ENGLAND REGION OF
THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. ITS CAPITAL IS HARTFORD AND ITS
MOST POPULOUS CITY IS BRIDGEPORT. ALTHOUGH CONNECTICUT IS
TECHNICALLY PART OF NEW ENGLAND, IT IS OFTEN GROUPED ALONG
WITH NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY AS THE TRI-STATE AREA.THE STATE IS
NAMED FOR THE CONNECTICUT RIVER, A MAJOR U.S. RIVER THAT
APPROXIMATELY BISECTS THE STATE. THE WORD "CONNECTICUT" IS DERIVED
FROM VARIOUS ANGLICISED SPELLINGS OF AN ALGONQUIAN WORD FOR
"LONG TIDAL RIVER". CONNECTICUT IS THE THIRD SMALLEST STATE BY
AREA, THE 29TH MOST POPULOUS,[18] AND THE FOURTH MOST DENSELY
POPULATED OF THE 50 UNITED STATES. IT IS KNOWN AS THE "CONSTITUTION
STATE", THE "NUTMEG STATE", THE "PROVISIONS STATE", AND THE "LAND OF
STEADY HABITS. HISTORICALLY A REBUPLICAN BASTION, TODAY DEMOCRATS
HAVE A LANDSLIDE MAJORITY IN THE CONSTITUTION STATE.
RHODE
ISLAND
• A STATE IN THE NEW ENGLAND REGION OF THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED
STATES. IT IS THE SMALLEST IN AREA, THE EIGHTH LEAST POPULOUS, AND
THE SECOND MOST DENSELY POPULATED OF THE 50 U.S. STATES. ITS
OFFICIAL NAME IS ALSO THE LONGEST OF ANY STATE IN THE UNION. RHODE
ISLAND IS BORDERED BY CONNECTICUT TO THE WEST, MASSACHUSETTS TO
THE NORTH AND EAST, AND THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE SOUTH VIA RHODE
ISLAND SOUND AND BLOCK ISLAND SOUND. IT ALSO SHARES A SMALL
MARITIME BORDER WITH NEW YORK. THE STATE BOYCOTTED THE 1787
CONVENTION WHICH DREW UP THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND
INITIALLY REFUSED TO RATIFY IT; IT WAS THE LAST OF THE ORIGINAL STATES
TO DO SO, ON MAY 29, 1790.THE STATE CAPITAL AND MOST POPULOUS CITY IN
RHODE ISLAND IS PROVIDENCE. RHODE ISLAND'S OFFICIAL NICKNAME IS "THE
OCEAN STATE", A REFERENCE TO THE LARGE BAYS AND INLETS THAT AMOUNT
TO ABOUT 14% OF ITS TOTAL AREA. IT TENDS TO VOTE DEMOCRATIC IN PAST
ELECTIONS WITH A CONSIDERABLE MARGINS.
DELAWARE
• IT IS BORDERED TO THE SOUTH AND WEST BY MARYLAND, TO THE NORTH
BY PENNSYLVANIA, AND TO THE EAST BY NEW JERSEY AND THE ATLANTIC
OCEAN. DELAWARE OCCUPIES THE NORTHEASTERN PORTION OF
THE DELMARVA PENINSULA. IT IS THE SECOND SMALLEST AND SIXTH LEAST
POPULOUS STATE, BUT THE SIXTH MOST DENSELY POPULATED. DELAWARE IS
DIVIDED INTO THREE COUNTIES, THE LOWEST NUMBER OF ANY STATE. FROM
NORTH TO SOUTH, THEY ARE NEW CASTLE COUNTY, KENT COUNTY,
AND SUSSEX COUNTY. IT WAS INITIALLY COLONIZED BY DUTCH TRADERS
AT ZWAANENDAEL, NEAR THE PRESENT TOWN OF LEWES, IN 1631. DELAWARE
WAS ONE OF THE 13 COLONIES PARTICIPATING IN THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION. ON DECEMBER 7, 1787, DELAWARE BECAME THE FIRST STATE TO
RATIFY THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND HAS SINCE BEEN
KNOWN AS "THE FIRST STATE". HISTORICALLY A BELLWETHER STATE IN THE
20TH CENTURY AND TODAY A DEMOCRATIC STATE
 NORTH
CAROLINA
• A STATE IN THE SOUTHEASTERN REGION OF THE UNITED STATES. IT
BORDERS SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA TO THE SOUTH, TENNESSEE TO
THE WEST, VIRGINIA TO THE NORTH, AND THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE EAST.
NORTH CAROLINA IS THE 28TH MOST EXTENSIVE AND THE 9TH MOST
POPULOUS OF THE U.S. STATES. THE STATE IS DIVIDED INTO 100 COUNTIES.
THE CAPITAL IS RALEIGH, WHICH ALONG WITH DURHAM IS HOME TO THE
LARGEST RESEARCH PARK IN THE UNITED STATES (RESEARCH TRIANGLE
PARK). THE MOST POPULOUS MUNICIPALITY IS CHARLOTTE, WHICH IS THE
THIRD LARGEST BANKING CENTER IN THE UNITED STATES AFTER NEW YORK
CITY AND SAN FRANCISCO. POLITICALLY, NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE PAST 3
ELECTION CYCLES (2008, 2012 AND 2016) WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A
“BATTLEGROUND STATE” IN US PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS EVEN THOUGH IT IS
LOCATED IN THE SOUTH, VOTING SMALL MARGINS AND HISTORICALLY A
REPUBLICAN HOLD.
 NEW
JERSEY
• A STATE IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION OF THE UNITED STATES. IT
BORDERS PENNSYLVANIA TO THE EAST, NEW YORK TO THE NORTH,
DELAWARE TO THE NORTH, AND THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE EAST. NEW
JERSEY IS THE 11TH MOST POPULOUS OF THE U.S. STATES. THE CAPITAL
IS TRENTON, WHICH IS LOCATED NEAR PHILADELHIA (THE 6TH MOST
POPULOUS CITY), WHICH GAVE NEW JERSEY THE TITLE OF THE MOST
DENSELY POPULATED STATE IN THE UNION (THIS IS ALSO TRUE BECAUSE THE
NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE BORDERS NEW YORK WHICH IS THE MOST
POPULOUS CITY IN THE US WITH A POPULATION OF 8.8 MILLION
PEOPLE. POLITICALLY, NEW JERSEY IS A “REPUBLCAN BASTION” DUE TO THE
FACT THAT IT VOTED FOR THE REPUBLICANS MORE FREQUENTLY THAN THE
DEMOCRATS. DURNG THE 1992 ELECTION WHEN THE COUNTRY
OVERWHELMINGLY VOTED FOR BILL CLINTON THE STATE IN JUST 4 YEARS
TRANSITIONED FROM A REPUBLICAN TO A DEMOCRATIC STATE AS THE REST
OF THE MID-ATLANTIC AND NEW ENGLAND REGION OF THE US.
 SOUTH
CAROLINA
• LOCATED IN THE SOUTH, SOUTH CAROLINA IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE
PALMETTO STATE. IT BORDERS NORTH CAROLINA OBVIOUSLY TO THE NORTH,
GEORGIA TO THE EAST AND SOUTH AND THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE EAST.
ITS CAPITAL COLUMBIA LOCATED IN THE CENTRE AND ITS LARGEST CITY
CHARLESTON ALONG THE COAST WHICH HISTORICALLY WAS ONE OF THE
LARGEST CITY DURING THE COLONIAL TIMES. SOUTH CAROLINA HAS BIG
BLACK POPULATION AT AROUND 25% AND AROUND 65% IS WHITE. THE STATE
TRADITIONALLY VOTES REPUBLICAN IN STATE AND NATIONAL LEVELS (FOR
EXAMPLE IN 2016 TRUMP GO 57% OF THE VOTE WHILE CLINTON ONLY RECEIVE
41%). BUT IN 2008 ONLY 7% (52% TO 45%) SEPARATED OBAMA AND MCCAIN.
UNLIKE NORTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA IS MORE RURAL
AND POORER AND LESS URBANIZED COMPARED WITH ITS NEIGHBOURS. AT
THE START OF THE CIVIL WAR, THE STATE WAS FIRST O SECEDE FROM THE
UNION AFTER BOMBING FORT SUMTER IN CHARLESTON.
PENNSYLVANIA
• KNOWN AS THE KEYSTONE STATE, PENNSYLVANIA HAS BEEN ONE OF THE
BRIGHT SPOTS OF THE US. ITS CAPITAL HARRISBURG, IS GENERALLY LOCATED
IN THE EASTERN PORTION AND IS PART OF THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA AREA
WHICH IS THE 5TH LARGEST CITY IN THE US WHILE THE WESTERN PORTION OF
THE STATE WAS ONCE PRODUCING 25% OF THE WORLDS STEEL AROUND
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. IT WAS ONCE THE 2ND MOST POPULOUS STATE
(ONLY BEHIND NEW YORK). TODAY IT IS THE 5TH (JUST RECENTLY OVERTAKING
ILLINOIS. PHILADELPHIA TODAY HAS AROUND 1.7 MILLION RESIDENTS FAR
BELOW 2.4 MILLION DURING THE POST WAR PERIOD. IN POLITICS,
PENNSYLVANIA IS A VERY HOTLY CONTESTED STATE DUE TO ITS BIG DIVIDE
BETWEEN THE URBAN AND RURAL. FROM 1992 TO 2012, PENNSYLVANIA HAS
BEEN A DEMOCRATIC HOLD DUE TO THE FACT IT DENIED 5 REPUBLICANS TO
WIN THE STATES 20-23 ELECTORAL VOTES. BUT IN 2016, TRUMP EDGE MRS.
CLINTON BECAUSE HE WON THE WHITE WORKING CLASS AND THE FIRST TIME
WON ONE COUNTY IN THE PHILADELPHIA SUBURBS.
GEORGIA
• THE EMPIRE STATE OF THE SOUTH OR THE PEACH STATE, GEORGIA CANNOT
BE LEFT OUT AS THE LAST TO ATTEND THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS BUT ONE
OF THE FIRST TO JOIN THE UNION. GEORGIA THROUGH OUT ITS HISTORY IS
KNOWN FOR ITS PEACH’S. ITS CAPITAL, ATLANTA IS HOME TO THE BUSIEST
AIRPORT, ATLANTA-JACKSON INTERNATIONAL WHICH RECEIVES MORE THAN
100 MILLION PASSENGERS EACH YEAR. ITS FIRST WAS SAVANNAH.
HISTORICALLY GEORGIA WASN’T SUPPOSE TO BE PART OF THE ORIGINAL 13
COLONIES BECAUSE ALONG AUSTRALIA, IT WAS WERE BRITISH PRISONERS
WENT AND DIED. DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY TO FLORIDA, GEORGIA IS ALSO THE
BUFFER BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND SPANISH. POLITICALLY, GEORGIA IS A
REPUBLICAN STATE, BUT IN RECENT YEARS GEORGIA HAS BEEN MORE
COMPETITIVE DUE TO THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE DEMOCRATS IN METRO
ATLANTA AND GAINING GROUND IN OTHER CITIES BUT REPUBLICAN STRENGTH
REMAINS STRONG IN THE RURAL PARTS AND STICKS WITH THE SOUTHERN
STRATEGY.