7/8/13 12:03 PM The ?original 13 colonies? is not true. Britain had 32 colonies, but the saying comes from the fact that those 13 colonies were the ones to rebel for independence against Britain Conquest by the Cradle Large populations was what the rebellious settlements shared Colonists were doubling their numbers every 25 years Average age of Americans was 16 A Mingling of the Races Many Germans fled to America because of religious persecution, economic oppression, and war Mostly in Pennsylvania The South held 90% of the African American population The variety of Europeans coming to America (Dutch, Swedes, Jews, Irish, etc) contributed to a new mixture of blood that is the present day American