What are the capital cities of the 13 colonies?

Answer 1

The thirteen original colonies and their original capitals are sometimes difficult to determine due to shifting boundaries, changing name of colony, and changing European power in control at a given time. Some are determined as the place where the government body of the time met.

Delaware

• Fort Kristina, 1635-1655
• Fort Amsterdam, 1655-1664
• New York NY, 1664-1682
• Philadelphia PA, 1682-1704
• New Castle, 1704-1777
• Dover, 1777 to date

Pennsylvania

• Philadelphia, 1682-1799
• Lancaster, 1799-1812
• Harrisburg, 1812 to date

New Jersey

• Fort Amsterdam NY, 1625-1665
• Elizabethtown (now Elizabeth) 1665-1673
• Boston MA, 1673-1888
• Perth Amboy (East NJ) and Burlington (West NJ), 1789-1702
• Perth Amboy and Burlington served as joint capitals when NJ united in 1702-1784
• Trenton, 1794 to date

Georgia

• San Agustin FL, 1565-1733
• Savannah, 1722 -1778
• Augusta, 1778-1780
• Heard's Fort, 1780-1781
• Augusta, 1781-1782
• Savannah, 1782
• Ebenezer, 1782-1784
• Savannah, 1784-1786
• Augusta, 1786-1796
• Louisville, 1796-1807
• Milledgeville, 1807-1864
• Macon, 1864-1865
• Milledgeville, 1865-1868
• Atlanta, 1868 to date

Connecticut

• Fort Amsterdam NY, 1625-1639
• Hartford, 1639-1640
• New Haven, 1640-1686
• Boston MA, 1686-1689
• Hartford and New Haven joint capitals 1689-1875
• Hartford, 1875 to date

Massachusetts

• Plimouth, 1620-1686 (capital of Colony of New Plimouth)
• Boston, 1630-1686 (capital of English Colony of Massachusetts)
• Boston, 1686-1689 (capital of English Dominion of New England)
• Plimouth, 1688-1692 (capital of dissidant Colony of New Plimouth)
• Boston, 1688 to present

Maryland

• St. Mary's City, 1634-1694
• Annapolis, 1694 to date

South Carolina

• San Agustin FL, 1565-1670
• Charlestown, 1670-1786
• Columbia, 1786 to date

New Hampshire

• Boston MA, 1630-1680
• Portsmouth, 1680-1686
• Boston MA, 1686-1689
• Portsmouth, 1689-1775
• Exeter, 1775-1808
• Concord, 1808 to date

Virginia

• Jamestown, 1619-1698
• Williamsburg, 1698-1790
• Richmond, 1790 to date

New York

• Fort Amsterdam, 1625-1664
• New York City, 1664-1688
• Boston MA, 1688-1689
• New York City, 1689-1777
• Kingston, 1777
• Hurley, 1777
• Poughkeepsie, 1777-1788
• New York City, 1788-1797
• Albany, 1797 to date

North Carolina

• San Agustin FL, 1565-1670
• Charlestown SC, 1670-1712
• New Bern, 1712-1789
• Fayetteville, 1789-1794
• Raleigh, 1794 to date

Rhode Island

• Providence, 1636-1639
• Portsmouth, 1639-1663
• Providence, 1663-1686
• Boston MA, 1686-1689
• Providence, 1689-1776
• Rotated meeting at county seats Providence, Newport, East Greenwich, South Kingston, and Bristol, 1776-1854
• Providence and Newport, joint capitals 1854-1900
• Providence, 1900 to date

Answer 2

Massachusetts - Boston

Rhode Island - Providence

Connecticut - Hartford

New Hampshire - Concord

New York - Albany

Delaware - Dover

New Jersey - Trenton

Pennsylvania - Harrisburg

Virginia - Richmond

Maryland - Annapolis

North Carolina - Raleigh

South Carolina - Columbia

Georgia - Atlanta

Answer 3

The13 colonies didn't have capitols since they weren't states until 1789 when the United States was formed. They had major cities that will become capitols. The English crown had granted various proprietors and chartered companies authority to establish colonies in America. These grants formed a foundation for the political authority from the crown. This led to the creation of the 12 colonies. In 1713 the British gained Nova Scotia from the French and in the 1730's a group of government sponsored trustees established Georgia. These were private ventures and from 1624-1729 the colonies were royal provinces and the governorship was filled by an appointee chosen from the crown. Colonists expected little from government. Budgets and taxes were low, police establishments small, part time, and unprofessional; military temporary and there was little for the involvement of citizens.