READ: Colonial America

The Colonial Period is the foundational era of American History as we know it today. Europeans from a variety of nations set out across the Atlantic in search of riches, expanded economic markets, a new start on life, and religious freedom. The 13 English Colonies that developed would eventually become the original 13 states of our republic. The 13 Colonies are divided into three geographic groupings: New England, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. Each one of these regions had some common characteristics, but also some key differences both socially and economically. While primarily English, there were other groups that settled here as well, with the largest of these minority groups being African slaves transported to the New World primarily to provide a labor force in agriculture.