THIRTEEN COLONIES TIMELINE LESSON
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THIRTEEN COLONIES TIMELINE LESSON
Time: 60 min.
Materials:
• Thirteen Colonies Timeline worksheets—one for each student (Pages 1, 2, and 3)
• Thirteen Colonies task cards— several copies of each task card (so students can read the task cards
in small groups rather than having to share them with a large group); print in color if possible
• Thirteen Colonies Timeline Reflection worksheet—one for each student
• Answer keys—for the teacher
Objective:
I can explain when and why English colonists founded each of the 13 colonies. I can correctly place the
colonies in order of settlement on a timeline.
Before the lesson: Print several copies of each task card and place them around the room.
Steps
1. Ask students if they can name the thirteen original colonies. Locate the colonies on a map.
2. Explain that the history of each colony is unique. Today, students will learn about why English
colonists settled each colony. They will also place the colonies in order of settlement on a timeline.
3. Students will learn only about the history of English settlements in this lesson. Emphasize that
millions of Native Americans had already settled the Western Hemisphere before the Europeans
arrived.
4. Pass out the Thirteen Colonies Timeline worksheets (pages 1, 2, and 3). If possible, have students
place the pages in a vertical row so that the timeline fits together (page 1 at the top, page 2 in the
middle, page 3 on the bottom). Read the timeline together and make observations.
5. Students will read task cards to learn about each colony. In each box on the timeline worksheet,
students will write: 1. the name of the colony, 2. the colony’s region (New England, Middle, or
Southern), 3. the colony’s founder(s), 4. and why the colony was settled.
6. Read the Massachusetts task card together. Model how to fill out the first box on the timeline.
7. Gives students time to walk around the room to find the remaining task cards. Students do not
need to read the task cards in any order. Students could do this activity with a partner or by
themselves.
8. Note: Several of the colonies were founded in the same year (ex: Rhode Island- 1636, Connecticut1636; New York- 1664, Delaware- 1664, New Jersey- 1664). Those colonies don’t have to be written
in a particular box as long as they are recorded in a box with the correct year.
9. When students finish, ask them to check off their answers with you. Circle any incorrect or
incomplete answers and ask them to try again. If students have answered everything correctly,
congratulate them and give them the reflection page to complete.
10. Students answer the questions on the reflection page using their timelines. If needed, they can use
the task cards as well.
©The Clever Teacher 2019
Name: ___________________
Page 1 of 3
THIRTEEN COLONIES TIMELINE: 1600-1650 CE
In each box, write the name of the colony, the region, the founder(s), and why it was settled.
1600
1605
1400s – 1600s– Europeans explore North and South America during the “Age of
Exploration”. They encounter millions of Native Americans living in the Western
hemisphere.
1607
1610
1615
1620
1619- The first African slaves are brought to Jamestown, Virginia.
1620
1625
1629
1630
1634
1635
1640
1645
1650
1636
1636
© 2019 The Clever Teacher
Name: ___________________
Page 2 of 3
THIRTEEN COLONIES TIMELINE: 1650-1700 CE
In each box, write the name of the colony, the region, the founder(s), and why it was settled.
1650
1663
1655
1664
1660
1664
1665
1664
1670
1675
1680
1670
1682
1685
1690
1688-1763 - France and England fight in the French and Indian Wars over land,
trade routes, and resources in North America. Native Americans tribes make
alliances with both sides.
1695
1700
© 2019 The Clever Teacher
Name: ___________________
Page 3 of 3
THIRTEEN COLONIES TIMELINE: 1700-1750 CE
In each box, write the name of the colony, the region, the founder(s), and why it was settled.
1700
1705
1707- The kingdoms of England and Scotland are combined into the Kingdom of
Great Britain. Colonists are now called “British” instead of “English”.
1710
1715
1720
1725
1730
1732
1735
1740
1745
1765 – 1783 – The thirteen colonies revolt against Great Britain in the American
Revolution.
1750
© 2019 The Clever Teacher
Answer Key
Page 1 of 3
THIRTEEN COLONIES TIMELINE: 1600-1650 CE
In each box, write the name of the colony, the region, the founder(s), and why it was settled.
1600
1605
1400s – 1600s– Europeans explore North and South America during the “Age of
Exploration”. They encounter millions of Native Americans living in the Western
hemisphere.
1607- VIRGINIA (SOUTHERN)
Jamestown, Virginia was settled by The Virginia Company of London.
The company hoped to make money by finding gold.
1610
1615
1620
1619- The first African slaves are brought to Jamestown, Virginia.
1620- MASSACHUSSETTS (NEW ENGLAND)
Massachusetts was settled by Pilgrims and Puritans who wanted
religious freedom to worship in the way they saw fit.
1625
1629- NEW HAMPSHIRE (NEW ENGLAND)
1630
New Hampshire was first settled by fisherman and traders. John
Wheelwright later settled there after being banished from Massachusetts.
1634- MARYLAND (SOUTHERN)
1635
1640
1645
1650
Maryland was a gift from the King of England to Cecilius Calvert. He
hoped to make Maryland a safe place for Catholics.
1636- CONNECTICUT (NEW ENGLAND)
Connecticut was settled by Thomas Hooker, John Haynes, and other
Puritans who disagreed with leaders in Massachusetts.
1636- RHODE ISLAND (NEW ENGLAND)
Rhode Island was settled by Roger Williams and other religious
dissenters. Other persecuted groups moved there to feel safe.
© 2019 The Clever Teacher
Answer Key
Page 1 of 3
THIRTEEN COLONIES TIMELINE: 1650-1700 CE
In each box, write the name of the colony, the region, the founder(s), and why it was settled.
1650
1655
1663- NORTH CAROLINA (SOUTHERN)
North Carolina was settled by former indentured servants. The land was a gift from
the King to eight Lords because they helped restore him to the throne.
1664- NEW YORK (MIDDLE)
1660
New York was settled by Dutch traders, merchants, and businessmen who wanted
to make money. Later, English settlers took control of the area.
1664- DELAWARE (MIDDLE)
1665
Delaware was first settled by the Swedish and the Dutch. They hoped to find
tradable goods. Later, English settlers took control of the area.
1664- NEW JERSEY (MIDDLE)
1670
1675
1680
New Jersey was settled by Dutch as well as English colonists who were seeking
religious freedom. For example, many Quakers moved there.
1670- SOUTH CAROLINA (SOUTHERN)
South Carolina was settled by wealthy planters and African slaves. The land was a
gift from the King to eight Lords because they helped restore him to the throne.
1682- PENNSYLVANIA (MIDDLE)
Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn who wanted the colony to be a safe
place for Quakers to worship as they saw fit.
1685
1690
1688-1763 - France and England fight in the French and Indian Wars over land,
trade routes, and resources in North America. Native Americans tribes make
alliances with both sides.
1695
1700
© 2019 The Clever Teacher
Answer Key
Page 1 of 3
THIRTEEN COLONIES TIMELINE: 1700-1750 CE
In each box, write the name of the colony, the region, the founder(s), and why it was settled.
1700
1705
1707- The kingdoms of England and Scotland are combined into the Kingdom of
Great Britain. Colonists are now called “British” instead of “English”.
1710
1715
1720
1725
1730
1732- GEORGIA (SOUTHERN)
Georgia was settled by James Oglethorpe as a place where debtors could begin
a new life. It was also a “buffer colony” between the South and Spanish territory.
1735
1740
1745
1765 – 1783 – The thirteen colonies revolt against Great Britain in the American
Revolution.
1750
© 2019 The Clever Teacher
Maryland
Virginia
Maryland Province was a gift from the King
of England to a man named Cecilius Calvert, 2nd
Lord Baltimore. The name of the colony comes
from Henrietta Maria (Mary), the king’s wife.
Lord Baltimore sent the first settlers to the
colony in 1634.
Calvert was Catholic, an minority religion in
England at the time. He hoped that Maryland
would be a safe place for Catholics. This was
accomplished by passing an important law
called the Toleration Act which allowed religious
freedom for both Protestants and Catholics.
The first permanent English settlement in
America was founded in Jamestown, Virginia in
1607. Virginia is named after the “Virgin Queen”
Elizabeth I of England. The adventure was paid
for by the Virginia Company of London. The
company hoped to make money by finding gold.
An early leader of the Jamestown colony
was Captain John Smith. He taught the colonists
to farm and said, “he that will not work, shall not
eat”. He also helped build trade relations with
the Native Americans. Contrary to popular belief,
John Smith did not fall in love with Pocahontas.
However, she did save his life on one occasion.
Cecilius Calvert
Captain John Smith
Southern Colony
Southern Colony
North Carolina
South Carolina
The Province of Carolina was an English
colony founded in 1663 after the English Civil
War. King Charles II gifted the land to eight Lord
Proprietors because they helped restore him to
the throne. Originally, the colony was simply
called Carolina. The name comes from
“Carolus”, the Latin word for Charles.
The earliest settlers in North Carolina were
former indentured servants who worked on
small farms. There were also slaves in North
Carolina; but, not as many as in South Carolina.
In the early 1700s, the colony was split into
North and South Carolina.
The first settlers in South Carolina arrived
at Charleston in 1670. They were mostly
wealthy planters and their African slaves from
the English colony of Barbados. The planters
used slaves to grow crops like sugar and cotton.
Thousands of slaves lived in South Carolina.
South Carolina was originally just called
“Carolina”. The name comes from “Carolus”, the
Latin word for Charles. After the English Civil
War, King Charles gave the land to eight Lord
Proprietors because they helped him become
king. In the early 1700s, Carolina split into North
and South Carolina.
King Charles II
Southern Colony
Slaves became the majority
population in the mid 1700s
© The Clever Teacher 2019
Southern Colony
Georgia
Delaware
In the deep South, Georgia was the last
British colony to be settled in the Americas. It
was founded in 1732. King George, for whom
the colony was named, hoped to establish a
“buffer colony” between his valuable Southern
colonies and Spanish territory.
Georgia’s founder James Oglethorpe
hoped that Georgia would be a place where
English debtors could begin a new life. He
created strict laws for the colony. For instance,
he outlawed alcohol and slavery. However,
these laws did not last long and Georgia’s
economy soon became dependent on slaves.
James Oglethorpe
The first European settlers in Delaware
were Swedish and Dutch. Peter Minuit led the
Dutch colony of New Netherland which included
Delaware. The Dutch settled the area because
they wanted to find tradable goods like fur pelts
and whale oil. English settlers took control of
Delaware in 1664.
The colony was named for an early
governor of colonial Virginia, Lord de la Warr.
Delaware was considered part of Pennsylvania
for 100 years. In 1776, Delaware declared
Independence from both Great Britain and
Pennsylvania.
William Penn governed both
Pennsylvania and Delaware
Southern Colony
Middle Colony
Pennsylvania
New jersey
After the English took the area from the
Dutch, Pennsylvania Colony was established in
1682 by William Penn. Penn was a wealthy
English noble and the colony was a gift from
King Charles II to repay a debt he owed Penn’s
father. The word “Sylvania” in Latin means
forest. So, Pennsylvania means “Penn’s forest”.
William Penn belonged to the Quaker faith.
Quakers were Christians who disagreed with the
Church of England’s practices. As a result, they
were persecuted in England. Penn dreamed that
Pennsylvania would be a safe place for Quakers
and for those of other faiths.
New Jersey was originally part of the Dutch
colony of New Amsterdam. The English took the
land from the Dutch in 1664. King Charles II
gave it to his friends Sir George Carteret and
Lord Berkeley of Stratton to thank them for their
loyalty during the English Civil War. The colony
was named for the Isle of Jersey in England,
Carteret’s home.
Some settled in New Jersey to get land.
Others were attracted by New Jersey’s law that
granted religious freedom. Many Quakers
settled in New Jersey. Quakers were Christians
who wanted to worship in their own way
William Penn wanted
religious freedom for Quakers
Middle Colony
Lord Berkeley of Stratton
© The Clever Teacher 2019
Middle Colony
New York
Connecticut
The area of New York was once part of the
Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. The Dutch
colonists were traders, merchants and
businessmen. They welcomed anyone who
could help them earn money including the
French, the Swedish, Jews, Quakers, and more.
They also participated in the African slave trade.
In 1664, the English took control of the
area and renamed it New York after King
Charles II’s brother James, Duke of York. When
the English took control, they allowed those who
already lived there to stay. As a result, New York
was more diverse than other colonies.
In 1636, a Puritan preacher named
Thomas Hooker settled Connecticut. He had left
Massachusetts because he disagreed with
decisions made by the colony’s leaders. He and
a group of about 100 people settled near the
Connecticut River. The colony’s name comes
from a Mohegan word “quinnehtukqut” which
means “beside the long tidal river”.
Thomas Hooker’s friend John Haynes
joined him in Connecticut and became the
colony’s first governor. Together, they wrote a
constitution called the Fundamental Orders of
Connecticut.
The Duke of York later
became King James II
Hooker’s company
journeying to Hartford
Middle Colony
New England Colony
Rhode island
Massachusetts
Roger Williams, a Puritan leader who was
exiled from Massachusetts, settled Rhode Island
in 1636. The Narragansett people traded him
the land. He named the settlement Providence
Plantation because he believed that God had
brought him there. The colony was later named
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
Anne Hutchinson and other religious
dissenters left Massachusetts to settle in the
area. Rhode Island became a safe place for
persecuted groups like Quakers and Jews to
live.
Plymouth Colony was settled by Pilgrims in
1620. Led by William Bradford, the Pilgrims
sought religious freedom to worship in the way
they saw fit. They sailed on a ship called “The
Mayflower”.
Nearby, hundreds of Puritans settled
Massachusetts Bay Colony. Led by John
Winthrop, they disagreed with the Church of
England’s practices and wanted to do things a
different way. Eventually, Plymouth and
Massachusetts Bay were combined into one
colony. The colony was named for the area’s
native people, the Massachusett.
Roger Williams and his
Puritan congregation
New England Colony
The Pilgrims sailed on a
ship called “The Mayflower”
© The Clever Teacher 2019
New England Colony
New Hampshire
English settlement in New Hampshire
began in 1629. The land was granted to an
explorer named Captain John Mason. It was
named New Hampshire after Mason’s home
county of Hampshire in England. While
preparing to visit the new land, Mason died.
Early colonists settled New Hampshire
because they wanted to earn money fishing by
the Piscataquis River. They also traded furs and
timber. Later, Puritan minister John Wheelwright
and his followers settled New Hampshire after
being banished from Massachusetts.
John Wheelwright
New England Colony
© The Clever Teacher 2019
Name: __________________
T hirteen Colonies T imeline Reflection
Use the information learned from the Thirteen Colonies Timeline to answer the
prompts below.
1. Sort the colonies by region.
New England Colonies
1.
2.
3.
4.
Middle Colonies
1.
2.
3.
4.
Southern Colonies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
2. Compare and contrast the founding of Pennsylvania to the
founding of North and South Carolina.
3. Explain how the New England Colonies were similar.
4. List several reasons why the Southern Colonies were founded.
©The Clever Teacher 2019
Answer Key
T hirteen Colonies T imeline Reflection
Use the information learned from the Thirteen Colonies Timeline to answer the
prompts below.
1. Sort the colonies by region.
New England Colonies
1.
2.
3.
4.
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Connecticut
Middle Colonies
1.
2.
3.
4.
Delaware
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
New York
Southern Colonies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Virginia
Georgia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Maryland
2. Compare and contrast the founding of Pennsylvania to the
founding of North and South Carolina.
Both Pennsylvania and the Carolinas were given as gifts that King
Charles II gave to his supporters after the English Civil War. Another
similarity is they were all founded in the late 1600s. One difference is
Pennsylvania was a middle colony and was founded by Quakers
looking for religious freedom. On the other hand, North and South
Carolina were Southern colonies that were focused on farming.
3. Explain how the New England Colonies were similar.
Many of the New England colonies were founded by religious
groups who disagreed with the practices of the Church of England.
These Pilgrims and Puritans wanted to worship in their own way.
Another similarity is that all of the New England colonies were
settled in the first half of the 17th century (1600-1650).
4. List several reasons why the Southern Colonies were founded.
1.
2.
3.
To earn money (Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina)
To create a safe place for Catholics (Maryland)
To create a safe place for debtors/be a ”buffer colony”
(Georgia)
©The Clever Teacher 2019
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SOURCES & CREDITS:
Facts about colonies from:
• Nationalhumanitiescenter.org
• Wikipedia.org
• Nps.gov
• Britannica.com
• Ushistory.org
• And state government websites
Images are all in the public domain.
©The Clever Teacher 2019