13 Colonies around 1745

English colonies

The metropolis of the Thirteen Colonies was England.

In New France, the colony had been established by the king. In the Thirteen Colonies, things were a little different. Some colonies were chartered and had been created by a company. Other colonies had been created by a Lord owner, an individual to whom the king had granted the right to create and govern a colony. Still others had been established directly by the king.

Over time, the King of England tried to exert more control over his colonies. By 1745, all the colonies were under the king’s authority, except Georgia, the last colony to be founded. But even under this royal authority, the English colonies still had more political and economic autonomy than the French colonies.

A century and a half after its foundation, New France could hardly survive without France. Meanwhile, the Thirteen Colonies were autonomous for trade and local government. They only needed England to help defend them against the French.

Author: Léon Robichaud

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