After Jamestown and Plymouth, more English colonies began. A colony is a place ruled by a faraway country.
Key idea
By 1732 there were thirteen English colonies along the Atlantic coast. Georgia was the last of the thirteen.
Why it works
The colonies were in three groups. The New England colonies in the north had rocky soil, fishing and shipbuilding. The Middle colonies grew wheat and had busy port cities. The Southern colonies had warm weather and big farms. Later, these thirteen colonies became the first thirteen states.
Common mistake
Some children think the colonies covered the whole country. They were a narrow strip along the ocean. Most of the land to the west was still home to Native nations.
For the grown-up: The thirteen: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Find your state, or the nearest colony, on the map.