Colonial New England People
Who Made It Happen
Edmund Andros
Sir Edmund Andros (1637–1714) served as governor of New England after being appointed by King James II. When he took up his post in 1686, Andros sought to reduce colonial autonomy by combining th...
Anne Bradstreet
Anne Bradstreet (1612–1672) is considered the first significant female author in the American colonies and one of the first poets to write English verse in North America. She composed a collectio...
Jacob Leisler
Jacob Leisler (1640–1691) was a German immigrant who led an insurrection against local colonial officials from 1689 to 1691 in colonial New York. A penniless soldier, he shared in the widespread...
King Charles II
Charles II (1630–1685) was king of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1660 to 1685. At 16, he was forced to flee to France during the English Civil War. He stayed with his mother and was tu...
King James II
James II (1633–1701) was king of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1685 to 1688. Significantly, James converted to Roman Catholicism around 1668. He consented to the marriage of his daughter Ma...
King William III
King William III (1650–1702), also called William of Orange or William Henry, Prince of Orange, reigned as king of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1689 to 1702, ruling jointly with his wife Q...
Queen Mary II
Queen Mary II (1662–1694) was queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1689 until her death in 1694. She ruled jointly with her husband, William III. They were both Protestant, and overthrew...
Queen Anne
Queen Anne (1665–1714) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1702 until the Act of Union in 1707, when she became monarch of Great Britain and Ireland, a position she would hold until...
King George I
King George I (1660–1727) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1714 to 1727. As the first British sovereign from the house of Hanover, George was personally unpopular in England due to his...
King George II
King George II (1683–1760) was king of Great Britain and Ireland from 1727 to 1760. During his reign British forces waged a third and inconclusive battle with the French for domination of the Nor...
King George III
King George III (1738–1820), or George William Frederick, was king of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820. He ascended to the throne just as the French and Indian War was coming to a clos...