American colonists

The colonial history of the United States covers the history of European settlements from the start of colonization until their incorporation into the United States of America. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain, and the Netherlands launched major colonization programs in eastern North America landmass. Small early attempts often disappeared, such as the English Lost Colony of Roanoke. Everywhere, the death rate was very high among the first arrivals. Nevertheless, successful colonies were established within several decades.

European settlers came from a variety of social and religious groups. This included adventurers, soldiers, farmers, and tradesmen. Randall Miller points out that, "America had no titled aristocracy... although one aristocrat, Lord Thomas Fairfax, did take up residence in Virginia in 1734."Fairfax, a Scottish baron, came to America permanently to oversee his family's vast land holdings. Arthur Schlesinger says he "was unique among the permanent comers in bearing so high a rank as baron." Diversity has been an American characteristic from colonial times onward. Settlers traveling to the new continent were of various ethnic groups, including the Dutch of New Netherland, the Swedes and Finns of New Sweden, the English Quakers of Pennsylvania, the English Puritans of New England, the English settlers of Jamestown, and the "worthy poor" of Georgia. These groups built colonies of distinctive social, religious, political, and economic style.

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