John Colleton

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Sir John Colleton, 1st Baronet (1608–1666) served Charles I during the English Civil War. He rose through the Royalist ranks during the conflict, but later had his holdings seized when the Cavaliers were finally defeated by Parliamentary forces. Following the restoration of the English monarchy in 1660, Colleton was one of eight individuals Charles II rewarded for supporting his efforts to regain the throne of England.

In 1663, he granted Colleton and the other seven individuals, called Lords Proprietors, the land called Carolina, named in honor of his father, Charles I. Colleton brought a group of settlers from the Caribbean Isle of Barbados, who brought with them slaves from Africa. This began the institution of slavery in the New World. These settlers also introduced the cultivation of rice to the area.

[edit] Sources

• Divine, Robert A. America: Past and Present. 6th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2003.
• This page incorporates information from Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page.