13 Colonies

This passage discusses the formation of the 13 colonies in America.

Lexile Level: 1140L

Categories: History People & Places

Hundreds of years ago, when people started to come to America, they came from many countries, including Spain, France, England, Sweden, and Holland. These people, called settlers, left their home countries because they wanted to practice their own religions and live peacefully with their families. Others came because they wanted to make money in "the new world." The settlers made homes in thirteen areas called colonies. Great Britain made laws for the colonies, and the people had to follow those laws. Eventually, the colonists decided that they wanted to make their own laws, so they rebelled against Britain. In 1776, several of the colonists wrote the Declaration of Independence, and the thirteen colonies became the United States of America. The thirteen colonies are now states, and are Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.