British America

British America refers to the British Empire's colonial territories in America from 1607 to 1783. These colonies were formally known as British America and the British West Indies before the Thirteen Colonies declared their independence in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and formed the United States of America.[1] Following that, the term British North America refers to the remainder of Great Britain's North American possessions. That term was first used informally in 1783 by the end of the American Revolution, but it was uncommon before the Report on the Affairs of British North America (1839), called the Durham Report.

For American people of British descent, see British Americans.

British America and the British West Indies

1607–1783
British colonies in America (red) and the island colonies of the British West Indies near the Caribbean Sea (pink)
StatusColonies of England (1607–1707)
Colonies of Great Britain (1707–1783)
CapitalAdministered from London, England
Common languagesEnglish (official)
Spoken languages:
English
German
French
Spanish
Dutch
Irish
Scottish Gaelic
Ojibwe
Indian languages
Religion
Anglicanism, Protestantism, Lutheranism, Roman Catholicism, Judaism, American Indian religion
GovernmentConstitutional monarchy
Monarch 
• 1607–1625
James I and VI (first)
• 1760–1783
George III (last)
History 
1607
• Bermuda
1614
1620
1634
• Jamaica
1655
1670
1713
1763
1775–1783
1783
CurrencyPound sterling, Spanish dollar, colonial money, bills of credit, commodity money, and many local currencies
Preceded by		Succeeded by
New Netherland
New France
Spanish Florida
New Sweden
British North America
British West Indies
United States
Spanish Florida
Today part of

British America gained large amounts of territory with the Treaty of Paris (1763), which ended the French and Indian War in America and the Seven Years' War in Europe. At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775, the British Empire included 23 colonies and territories on the North American mainland. With the Treaty of Paris (1783), which ended the war, Britain lost much of this territory to the newly formed United States. In addition, Britain ceded East and West Florida to the Kingdom of Spain, which would in turn cede them to the United States in 1821. Most of the remaining colonies to the north would go on to form Canada in 1867, with the Dominion of Newfoundland joining in 1949.

History
Main article: English overseas possessions § The Americas
Further information: First British Empire

A number of English colonies were established in America between 1606 and 1670 by individuals and companies whose investors expected to reap rewards from their speculation. They were granted commercial charters by King James I, King Charles I, Parliament, and King Charles II. The London Company founded the first permanent settlement in 1607 on the James River at Jamestown, Virginia upstream from Chesapeake Bay. This was followed in 1620 when the Pilgrims established the Plymouth settlement in New England. English Catholics settled the Province of Maryland in 1634, with Cecilus Calvert, second Lord Baltimore.

A state department in London known as the Southern Department governed all the colonies beginning in 1660, as well as a committee of the Privy Council called the Board of Trade and Plantations. In 1768, Parliament created a specific state department for America, but it was disbanded in 1782 when the Home Office took responsibility for the remaining possessions of British North America in eastern Canada, the Floridas, and the West Indies.[2]

North American colonies in 1775

The Thirteen Colonies that became the original states of the United States:

New England Colonies
Middle Colonies
Southern Colonies

Colonies and territories that became part of Canada:

Colonies and territories that were ceded to Spain or the United States in the Treaty of Paris (1783):

Colonies in the Caribbean, near-Atlantic, and South America in 1783
Divisions of the British Leeward Islands
Island of Jamaica and its dependencies
Other possessions in the British West Indies

See also

Citations
  1. "A Summary View of the Rights of British America – Thomas Jefferson".
  2. Foulds, Nancy Brown. "Colonial Office". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  3. "Rhode Island Royal Charter of 1663". sos.ri.gov. Secretary of State of Rhode Island. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  4. "Charles II Granted Rhode Island New Charter". christianity.com. Christianity.com. 8 July 1663. Retrieved 14 April 2011.

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