Southern Colonies

Cotton Plantation - Southern Colonies

Cotton Plantation - Southern Colonies

This article about the Southern Colonies provides facts and information at a glance in respect of:

  • Religion in the Southern Colonies
  • Government in the Southern Colonies
  • Trade and Economic activity in the Southern Colonies
  • History Timeline of the Southern Colonies
  • Maps of the Southern Colonies
  • Facts and info about the Southern Colonies
New England ColoniesMiddle Colonies
American Colonies IndexFirst 13 Colonies

History of the Colonization of America and the original 13 Colonies

The Southern Colonies: The Establishment and Settlement of the 13 original colonies

Map of Southern Colonies
This Map shows the five Southern Colonies of Colonial America composed of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

 

Map of Southern Colonies

Map of the 13 Colonies

New England Colonies

Middle Colonies

Southern Colonies

Map of the Southern Colonies and Jamestown - scene of Bacon's rebellion

Map of the Southern Colonies

Maryland Colony
Virginia Colony

North Carolina Colony
South Carolina Colony
Georgia Colony

Southern Colonies

The Southern Colonies provides important information and interesting facts about each of the 13 Colonies including the date the colony was established, the region (New England, Middle or Southern) the systems of Colonial government, religion, details of trade and economic activity and the names of famous people associated with the founding and establishment each colony.

For additional facts and info refer to Colonial Society. The Southern Colonies provides the ability to see at a glance the differences between the regions on a chart.

 

Southern Colonies Chart

DateName of Colony
or Settlement
RegionGovernmentReligionMajor TownsFamous
People
1607Virginia ColonySouthernRoyalAnglican
and Baptist
Jamestown, Williamsburg and RichmondJohn Smith
1633Maryland ColonySouthernProprietaryAnglicans and BaptistsBaltimore and AnnapolisGeorge Calvert
1653North Carolina ColonySouthernRoyalAnglican
and Baptist
Brunswick Town and RaleighLords Proprietors

Charter of Carolina
1663South Carolina ColonySouthernRoyalAnglican
and Baptist
Charleston and Sumter
1732Georgia ColonySouthernRoyalAnglican
and Baptist
Savannah, Hardwicke and WrightsboroJames Oglethorpe
Southern Colonies Chart
1620Plymouth Settlement
(De-established 1691)
SouthernRoyal CharterPuritan, Anglican
and Baptist
JamestownWilliam Bradford
 

Information and Facts about the Southern Colonies
Information and facts about the the Southern Colonies of Colonial America:

  • Fact 1 - Geography: The geography of the Southern Colonies featured fertile soil, hilly coastal plains, forests, long rivers and swamp areas
  • Fact 2 - Natural Resources: Fish, forests (timber) and good agricultural land, farming was important. Exported agricultural products to other colonies
  • Fact 3 - Religion: Not dominated by a specific religion which gave way to religious freedom for Baptists, Anglicans and others. Refer to Religion in the Colonies
  • Fact 4 - Climate: Warmest of the three regions, winters not difficult to survive, but the hot and humid summers gave rise to the spread of disease. The warm climate made it possible to grow crops throughout the year and was ideally suited for plantations
  • Fact 5 - Trade / Exports: Tobacco, cotton, rice, indigo (dye), lumber, furs, farm products - refer to Colonial Times

Southern Colonies Colonies - Economic Activity & Trade
There were considerable differences between the New England, Middle and Southern regions. Economic activities and trade were dependant of the environment in which the Colonists lived refer to Triangular Trade. The geography and climate impacted the trade and economic activities of Southern Colonies. The Southern Colonies concentrated on agriculture and developed the plantations exporting tobacco, cotton, corn, vegetables, grain, fruit and livestock. The Southern Colonies had the largest slave population who worked on the Slave Plantations. Plantations grew cotton, tobacco, indigo (a purple dye), and other crops. Some of the Southern plantations were massive and consisted of the main house, slave quarters, a dairy, blacksmith's shop, laundry, smokehouse and barns which made the plantations to large degree, self-sufficient. Crops were traded for items that could not be produced on the plantations including farm tools, shoes, lace, and dishes.

Slaves working in a tobacco plantation

African slaves working on a Southern tobacco plantation
in 1670

 

Southern Colonies Government
All of the systems of government in the Southern Colonies elected their own legislature, they were all democratic, they all had a governor, governor's court, and a court system. The systems of Government in the Southern Colonies were either Royal or Proprietary. Definitions of both of the government systems are as follows:

  • Royal Government: The Royal Colonies were ruled directly by the English monarchy
  • Propriety Government: The King granted land to people in North America, who then formed Proprietary Colonies.

For additional facts and information refer to Colonial Government.

Southern Colonies Religion
The Southern Colonies were not dominated by a single religion which gave way to more liberal attitudes and some religious freedom. There were predominantly Anglicans and Baptists in the Southern region and Colonies. For additional facts and information about religion refer to Religion in the Colonies.

Southern Colonies
The Southern Colonies article provides important information and interesting facts at a glance about the Southern Colonies including the date the colonies were established, the systems of government, religions, details of trade and the economic activities in the Southern Colonies. The names of important people associated with the founding and establishment of the Southern Colonies. A helpful, illustrated educational resource for teachers, kids and children.

Southern Colonies Timeline
Discover interesting  information and facts about the history of the Southern. For a more comprehensive history timeline detailing specific events relating to all of the 13 Colonies refer to
Colonial America Time Period. This Southern Colonies Timeline provides a list detailing key events and dates of this amazing period in Colonial history. The five Southern Colonies of Colonial America composed of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. A comprehensive list of the key events which are important to the Southern Colonies Timeline.

Southern Colonies Timeline
Southern Colonies Timeline

1607The first colony was founded at Jamestown, Virginia. The start of this Southern Colonies Timeline...
 

1609/10Period in Jamestown Colony history referred to as the Starving Time
 

1618The Headright System was set up by the London company in 1618 that gave 50 acres of land to colonists who paid their own way to Virginia, or paid the way for someone else
 

16201620 - The Pilgrims establish their own government, the basis of which was the Mayflower Compact, which they drafted on their journey to the New World on the Mayflower
 

16221622-1624 The Powhatan Wars, battles and conflicts in Virginia between colonists and American Native Indians
 

16241624 Virginia was made a royal colony
 

1630The Great Migration - Mass migration of thousands of English people to the Americas that took place between 1630 and 1640.
 

1634Maryland was settled. King Charles I gave land to George Calvert, Lord Baltimore to create a haven for Catholics in America.
 

1640The Quakers, or Society of Friends, was a Protestant sect founded in England whose members believed that salvation was available to all people
 

16511651 1660 1663 The Navigation Acts. The colonies represent a lucrative source of wealth and trade. Navigation Acts regulate colonial trade and enable England to collect duties (taxes)
 

1663Carolina was settled. Eight men received charters for the Carolinas in 1663 from King Charles II to settle lands south of Virginia. The area was called Carolina. The main port was called Charles Town (Charleston) after the king. In 1729, North and South Carolina became separate royal colonies.
 

1673The Plantation Duty Act
 

1675The Lords of Trade are appointed in England to enforce the new mercantile system and maximize potential profits for England
 

16751675-l676 Bacon's Rebellion. Bacon's Rebellion was an uprising in 1676 - 1677 against American Indians and the colonial government in the Virginia Colony and Bacon's Declaration of the People
 

1677Culpeper’s Rebellion: Rebellion against the colonial government in Carolina in 1677 and the Navigation Acts led by John Culpeper. The rebellion succeeded in disposing the governor and placing Culpeper in his position, but he was removed in 1679
 

1686Formation of New England - King James II combines the colonies of Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth, Rhode Island, New York, New Hampshire, East Jersey and West Jersey into a single colony: The Dominion of New England.
 

1688King James II appoints Sir Edmund Andros to serve as Captain General and Governor in Chief of New England. Sir Edmund Andros causes dissension with the colonists as he does not have to answer to any elected assembly
 

16881688 - 1763 The French and Indian Wars between France and Great Britain for lands in North America
 

1689Feb 13, 1689 The Glorious Revolution. The Protestant William III and Mary II officially replace the Catholic James II as monarchs of England. The English Bill of Rights which enables Parliament to control laws and taxes
 

1689Mar 1689 Glorious Revolution Sparks Revolt in the colonies. Boston militiamen seize Governor-in-Chief Andros and put him in jail. The New England colonies begin to re-establish governments.
 

16961696 Salutary Neglect. The British government establishes the Board of Trade to oversee colonial policies practicing a policy of "Salutary Neglect," in which it gives the colonies considerable freedom in economic matters.
 

17071707 The Union between England and Scotland created the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain' and the term British, as opposed to English, is then used in reference to the colonists in North America.
 

17111711-1713: The Tuscarora War in Northern Carolina. The Tuscarora tribe was defeated by James Moore and Yamasee warriors
 

1715The Yamasee War - An Indian confederation came close to wiping out the white settlements in  Southern Carolina
 

17331733 - Georgia is settled. James Oglethorpe receives a charter to create a colony between South Carolina and Florida. Georgia became a royal colony in 1752.
 

1758The Anglo-Cherokee War (1758–1761) - The Cherokee uprising in present-day Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas.
 

1763The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was issued October 7, 1763 bringing the introduction of the massive boundary, which was the Proclamation Line between the colonies and Indian Territories
 

1764Sugar Act
 

17651765 The Stamp Act of 1765 

1765The Sons of Liberty was an an organization (a secret society) formed by American Patriots who opposed British measures against the colonists, and agitated for resistance
 

17671767 Townshend Acts
 

1773Tea Act
 

1775March 23, 1775 - Patrick Henry delivered his famous speech in St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia.
 

1775The American Revolution (1775- 1783) ended the Colonial America Time Period
 

1776A document declaring the US to be independent of the British Crown was signed on July 4, 1776, by the congressional representatives of the 13 Colonies
 
Colonies Timeline
Southern Colonies Timeline - 1607 to 1696

Southern Colonies

The Southern Colonies provides important information and interesting facts at a glance about each of the 13 Colonies including the date the colony was established, the regions (New England, Middle or Southern Colonies) the systems of government, religions, details of trade and economic activities and the names of important people associated with the founding and establishment of the 13 Colonies. The 13 Colonies Chart provides the ability to see the differences between the regions quickly and is a useful educational resource for kids and children

Southern Colonies

  • Interesting Facts and information via the Southern Colonies

  • Southern Colonies history timeline

  • Fast Facts and info with the Southern Colonies

  • The Southern Colonies is great resource for kids

  • Social Studies Homework help for kids on Southern Colonies

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