How many colonies were there, originally?

Asked 26-Feb-2018
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Originally there were 13 colonies.
The Thirteen Colonies were a series of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America, often called the Thirteen British Colonies or the Thirteen American Colonies. Founded in the 17th and 18th centuries, they joined the American Revolutionary War in April 1775 and declared complete independence in July 1776, becoming the United States of America.

The Thirteen Colonies were divided into three groups just before proclaiming independence: New England, Middle, and Southern. The Thirteen Colonies developed fairly similar governmental, constitutional, and judicial systems, and Protestant English speakers became the majority. In 1607, the Virginia Colony, a Southern colony, became the first of these colonies to be founded. While all of these colonies were required to become financially feasible, the foundation of the New England colonies, and the colonies of Maryland and Pennsylvania, was largely inspired by concerns about religious freedom. The other colonies were founded for trade and financial development. The Middle Colonies were founded in New Netherland, an older Dutch province. Britain's possessions in the New World included all thirteen colonies, as well as land in Canada, Florida, and the Caribbean.

Between 1625 and 1775, the colonial numbers grew from 2,000 to 2.4 million, expelling Native Americans. Slavery was permitted in all of the colonies before the American Revolutionary War, hence this population includes people who were enslaved. The British government governed its colonies under a strategy of capitalism in the 18th century, in which the national government managed its territories for the home country's economic gain.

The Thirteen Colonies had strong self-government and lively local elections, and they opposed London's desire for additional authority. Increasing hostilities between Britain and the Thirteen Colonies arose as a result of the French and Indian War (1754–1763) against France and its Indian allies. Instead of dealing directly with Britain, the colonies began to collaborate in the 1750s. The colonists' 'Rights as Englishmen,' particularly the idea of 'no taxation without representation,' were protected as a result of these inter-colonial interactions, which developed a feeling of common American culture. The American Revolution erupted as a result of disputes with the British authority about taxes and rights, and the colonies banded together to establish the Continental Congress. The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) was fought with the assistance of the Kingdom of France and, to a lesser extent, the Dutch Republic and the Kingdom of Spain.