Colonial America

5 Pages 1176 Words

Assignment 2 – “Colonial America”


The colonization of America started around 1520, when the Spanish entered North America after the fall of Mexico. St. Augustine in Florida became the first European settlement, based on North American soil. Today these areas are American, but many of them still bare Spanish names such as Albuquerque and San Antonio.
In 1608 the French founded the city Québec, in what is now called Canada. They colonized land along the St Lawrence by the 1630s and in 1663 they were in possession of their own colony named New France. Expeditions along the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico discovered lands now known as Louisiana. More examples of colonized areas in the name of France were Detroit in Michigan and Mobile in Alabama.
England founded their first colony in 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia. The period from 1607 to about 1624 was characterized by sickness and hunger, and many colonists died. However, by 1934 Virginia’s population was increasing, reaching 40000 in the 1670s.
The inhabitants tried to grow sugar canes, lemons, oranges and more without success, before tobacco was discovered in 1612. This was the beginning of something the South has become well known for: its plantations.
When we speak of colonial America, we divide it into three areas; the South, the Middle Atlantic and New England. The Middle Atlantic was a tolerant colony, and had a broad variety of nationalities; English, Dutch, Irish, Norwegian, Swedish, Italian, German and more. This became the home of the radical Quakers. Other groups like Baptists, German Methodists and Lutherans and various sects also thrived here.
In 1620 the Mayflower containing a hundred pilgrims arrived in Plymouth. Boston was soon inhabited, and became the capital of the colony New England, which is normally associated with puritans. These hard working people with strong religious beliefs made use of the harbour and the sea to become a prosper...