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British colonial America
What is or was the "British colonial America?"

During the colonial period in the Americas there were many colonies and some failed. Colonial America is a general term for all the colonies that were in the Americas. Yes, not just colonies in North America but also in Central and South America including the Caribbean.

This more modern term, British colonial America refers to the colonies that were taken, lost or once under the control of the British Empire. The term was not used during the colonial period and is not properly used in genealogical place descriptions. Below these elements will be examined in more detail.

Again, the term British colonial (lower case c) America was not exclusive to what we call the 13 colonies that later became the United States of America. It is a more modern description of various colonies in the Americas (North, Central and South America). This means the term British colonial America is a descriptive term and not a legal description of what eventually became the United States of America (USA). Other descriptive terms like British America and British North America are also descriptive terms and should not be used in genealogical place names.

One should use the proper name of the colony at the time when the event happened. And those legal names changed over time. Then some colonies also merged creating new legal descriptions as they went from a colony to a plantation or to providence then to semi-independent state. All of this before any of those 13 colonies in North America became the USA.

The legal name changes due to what was claimed counter-claimed and eventually administered is often confusing to most genealogists. And that is just about the names of the various colonies over time. I am not even going to start on name changes of specific places as they went from what we call today unincorporated to a village which sometimes became a city or part of another city. But, below I will cite a few examples of genealogical use not using the term British colonial America.

British use of "British colonial America"
British colonial America is a term used by the British historians to describe the years of 1585 – 1783 where the English sent colonists, adventurists and religious dissenters to the Americas. In time some of those colonists rebelled against the crown. See: time line

The British colonization of the Americas (including colonization by both the English and the Scots) began in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia, and reached its peak when colonies had been established throughout the Americas. The English, aka the British, were among the most important colonizers of the Americas, and their American colonial empire came to rival the Spanish American colonies in military and economic might.

Three types of colonies were established in the English overseas possessions in America of the 17th century and continued into the British Empire at the height of its power in the 18th century. These were charter colonies, proprietary colonies, and royal colonies. See: more on these types of colonies.

The group of 13 British American colonies that collectively broke from the British Empire in the 1770s, through a successful revolution, established the modern United States were once part of that colony system.

After the end of the Napoleonic Wars (1803–15), the remaining British territories in North America were slowly granted more responsible government. In 1838 the Durham Report recommended full responsible government for Canada, but this was not fully implemented for another decade. Eventually, with the Confederation of Canada, the Canadian colonies were granted significant autonomy and became a self-governing Dominion in 1867.

Other colonies in the Americas followed at a much slower pace. In this way, two countries in North America, ten in the Caribbean, and one in South America have received their independence from Great Britain or the later United Kingdom.

All of these, except the United States, are members of the Commonwealth of Nations and nine are Commonwealth realms. The eight current British overseas territories in the Americas have varying degrees of self-government. See: Time line

Colonial Links
For a general HISTORY OF BRITISH COLONIAL AMERICA

Regarding CANADA AND OTHER BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES British North America (BNA) was not popularized until well after the American Revolution was settled in 1783.

A good overview of the colonial time period in what became the USA can be seen on Colonial Time line

Official Name and Status History of the several States and U.S. Territories - Name list

By: Danielle
Article title: British Colonial America

Background Information
During the colonial period in the Americas, there were many colonies created. Some continued and some were dissolved or disbanded. Colonial America is a general term for all the colonies that were in the Americas including, Central, South America, and the Caribbean.

The more modern term, British colonial America (with a lower case c), refers to the colonies that were taken, lost, or once under the control of the British Empire. The term was not used to describe the Americas during that time. The term includes the thirteen colonies that later became the United States of America and those colonies held by the British in the North, Central, and South Americas. T

British use of "British colonial America"
British colonial America is a term used by the British historians to describe the years of 1585 – 1783 where the English sent colonists, adventurists and religious dissenters to the Americas. In time some of those colonists rebelled against the crown. See: time line

The British colonization of the Americas (including colonization by both the English and the Scots) began in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia, and reached its peak when colonies had been established throughout the Americas. The English, aka the British, were among the most important colonizers of the Americas, and their American colonial empire came to rival the Spanish American colonies in military and economic might.

Three types of colonies were established in the English overseas possessions in America of the 17th century and continued into the British Empire at the height of its power in the 18th century. These were charter colonies, proprietary colonies, and royal colonies. See: more on these types of colonies.

The group of 13 British American colonies that collectively broke from the British Empire in the 1770s, through a successful revolution, established the modern United States were once part of that colony system.

After the end of the Napoleonic Wars (1803–15), the remaining British territories in North America were slowly granted more responsible government. In 1838 the Durham Report recommended full responsible government for Canada, but this was not fully implemented for another decade. Eventually, with the Confederation of Canada, the Canadian colonies were granted significant autonomy and became a self-governing Dominion in 1867.

Other colonies in the Americas followed at a much slower pace. In this way, two countries in North America, ten in the Caribbean, and one in South America have received their independence from Great Britain or the later United Kingdom.

All of these, except the United States, are members of the Commonwealth of Nations and nine are Commonwealth realms. The eight current British overseas territories in the Americas have varying degrees of self-government. See: Time line

Colonial Links
For a general HISTORY OF BRITISH COLONIAL AMERICA

Regarding CANADA AND OTHER BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES British North America (BNA) was not popularized until well after the American Revolution was settled in 1783.

A good overview of the colonial time period in what became the USA can be seen on Colonial Time line

Official Name and Status History of the several States and U.S. Territories - Name list