Colonial
From Free net encyclopedia
- For the passenger train, see Colonial (passenger train).
In general, the word colonial 'means "of or relating to a colony".
In United States history, the term Colonial is used to refer to the period of English/British settlement in North America down to the beginning of the American Revolution, i.e. 1607-1775. During the latter part of this period the North American colonists were widely known as "Americans", both in Great Britain and in the colonies themselves, though at the time this was a geographical rather than a political designation. The term "Colonial" has also been applied to architecture dating from that period, characterized by a simple, rectangular frame and a sloped roof. See Colonial house.
In a similar way, in Latin American history the term refers to the period before independence from Spain.
In Australia, the term refers to the period before the Federation of Australia in 1901. Before this time, the six Australian states existed as British colonies.
In African history, this term is used for the period between the advent of major European colonies and the independence of most African nations in the 1950s-70s.