Discover the 13 American colonies, their establishment by Great Britain, diverse characteristics, and their journey to unity ...

One man nearly derailed the New England colonies before they really began There is no holiday more American than Thanksgiving – and perhaps none with origins so shrouded in comforting myths.

That settlement ended the legal challenge to the existing New England colonies, which then prospered, free of English interference, for decades. But Morton wasn’t quite done.

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One tarnished silver coin at a time, the ground is yielding new evidence that in the late 1600s, one of the world's most ruthless pirates wandered the American colonies with impunity.

England and Her Colonies. Share full article. Aug. 9, 1863. Credit... The New York Times Archives. See the article in its original context from August 9, 1863, Page 4 Buy Reprints.

That settlement ended the legal challenge to the existing New England colonies, which then prospered, free of English interference, for decades. But Morton wasn’t quite done.