The 13 Colonies Were British—Until They Weren't

Yes. From founding (Virginia 1607) to Declaration of Independence (1776), the 13 colonies were British territories governed under Crown authority.

Governance Structure

• Charter types: Royal (Crown-appointed governor + council), Proprietary (granted to individuals/families — Penn, Calvert), Corporate (self-governing company — Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut, Rhode Island).
• Governor: Crown agent (royal/proprietary) or elected (corporate). Veto power over assembly.
• Assembly: Elected by property-owning white males. Power of purse (taxes, salaries).
• British Parliament: Legislated for colonies (Trade/Navigation Acts, 1651+); claimed supreme authority (Declaratory Act 1766).
• Privy Council / Board of Trade: Reviewed colonial laws; could disallow.

Economic Control

• Mercantilism: Enumerated goods (tobacco, sugar, timber) shipped only to Britain/British ships.
• Currency: British pound standard; colonial scrip restricted (Currency Acts 1751, 1764).
• Taxation: Sugar Act (1764), Stamp Act (1765), Townshend Acts (1767), Tea Act (1773) — "taxation without representation" grievance.

The Break

• 1763: French defeat → Britain dominant, but war debt → colonial taxation.
• 1765–1775: Resistance escalates (boycotts, Congresses, Boston Tea Party, Intolerable Acts).
• April 1775: Lexington & Concord — shooting war begins.
• July 4, 1776: Declaration — colonies become "Free and Independent States."
• 1783: Treaty of Paris — Britain recognizes US sovereignty.

Nuance

Colonies had significant self-government (assemblies, local courts, militias) — more than Ireland, India, or later Crown colonies. That tradition of representative institutions made revolution possible. But legally, politically, militarily: British until 1776/1783.