The USA - Little Bit Of History - Fourth of July: 13 Things to Know About the Original Colonies

The 13 First Colonies - Independence Day is not all barbecue and fireworks. So we pause here for a bit of history, with the 13 original colonies in mind (in the order of their founding).

1. Virginia - Founded by the London Co., Virginia established the first permanent English settlement, in Jamestown, but also ended up with the first African slaves in North America. 2. Massachusetts - Founded by Puritans, Massachusetts counted the second permanent English settlement, in Plymouth, after the Mayflower-sailing Pilgrims landed from the Humber region of England. 3. New Hampshire - Founded by John Wheelwright, New Hampshire is the most northern of the 13 original colonies and the first independent state to have a written constitution. 4. Connecticut - Founded by Thomas Hooker, Connecticut attracted the Puritan colonial leader's attention after he abandoned Massachusetts in search of land to establish a colony more suitable to his egalitarian spirit, according to History of the USA. 5. Rhode Island - Founded by Roger Williams, Rhode Island was the last of the 13 original colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution after fighting no major battles in the Revolutionary War. 6. Delaware - Founded by Peter Minuit and the New Sweden Co., Delaware saw the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley after the Swedes established their colony near present-day Wilmington. The result: "The cultural, social, and religious influence of these Swedish settlers has had a lasting effect upon the cultural life of the people in this area," according to a state website. 7. Maryland - Founded by Lord Baltimore, Maryland has had at least seven nicknames, including the "Old Line State," a possible reference to its being the "dividing line between the land grants given to William Penn and Lord Baltimore," according to a state website. 8. North Carolina - Founded by Virginians, North Carolina became the first state to vote in favor of independence. 9. South Carolina - Founded by eight nobles with a Royal Charter from Charles II, slavery-dependent South Carolina grew with people of African descent making up two-thirds of the colony's population by 1730, according to History.com. 10. New Jersey - Founded by Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, New Jersey was such a strategic location that it hosted about 90 Revolutionary War engagements, with Gen. George Washington moving his army across it four times, according to Infoplease.com. 11. New York - Founded by the Duke of York, New York also was pivotal in the war, with one-third of the "skirmishes and engagements ... fought on New York soil. The Battle of Saratoga ... was the turning point of the Revolution," according to a state website. 12. Pennsylvania - Founded by William Penn, Pennsylvania, thanks to Penn's less-inclusive heirs, eventually triggered so much resentment among Native Americans that they allied themselves with the French. 13. Georgia - Founded by James Edward Oglethorpe, Georgia was not founded as a penal colony, despite the persistent misconception.