Humanities desk
< February 19	<< Jan \| February \| Mar >>	February 21 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Humanities Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

February 20

Non-rebelling North American British colonies

The central fact of North American history is that there were fifteen British Colonies before 1776. Thirteen rebelled and two did not. (June Callwood)

British America tells me that immediately prior to the revolution there were:

the Thirteen Colonies
the 7 Colonies and territories that became part of Canada
the 4 Colonies and territories that were ceded to Spain or the United States in 1783, and
Colonies in the Caribbean, Mid-Atlantic, and South America in 1783.

I'm wondering what she was referring to when she says there were only two colonies that did not rebel. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 07:00, 20 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

I'm guessing that would be the Province of Quebec (1763–1791) and Nova Scotia (its 18th century history subsection says some called it "the 14th American Colony"). Clarityfiend (talk) 08:01, 20 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, I see British America lists others in what is now Canada, but these two would likely have been the most populous, as well as the only ones bordering the American colonies. Clarityfiend (talk) 09:28, 20 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

But see FLORIDA AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: THE FORGOTTEN 14TH AND 15TH COLONIES (i.e. East Florida and British West Florida). Alansplodge (talk) 11:24, 20 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Also Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America's Revolutionary Era - alas no preview. Alansplodge (talk) 11:27, 20 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Callwood is Canadian, so maybe a bit of northern bias? Clarityfiend (talk) 23:22, 20 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

It really should be five colonies mentioned, as when the First Continental Congress ended, the delegates sent letters to the North American colonies who had not attended: Georgia, Nova Scotia, St. John's Island (now Prince Edward Island, which had recently been split from Nova Scotia), Quebec, East Florida, and West Florida. Georgia was the only one to accept, leading to it eventually signing the Declaration of Independence the next year. The other five can all be described as British Colonies that didn't rebel. Pinguinn 🐧 11:31, 20 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

It may be that US writers discount those because they were later Canadian, but that's just my speculation. Alansplodge (talk) 12:12, 20 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

And isn't it about time that someone mentioned Newfoundland? --184.144.97.125 (talk) 22:55, 20 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Newfoundland didn't become part of Canada until after WWII. The few dozen English people living there in the 1770s probably got forgotten about even at that time. --Jayron 32 14:50, 21 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Also, Rupert's Land was also in North America... --Jayron 32 14:52, 21 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
But it was never a colony. --184.144.97.125 (talk) 07:06, 22 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
It certainly wasn't natively governed. The Cree had no say, for example... --Jayron 32 12:11, 22 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

I guess I'm no closer to divining June Callwood's meaning, but this is all nice information. Thanks. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 06:19, 24 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]