Colonial America was the time in American history when Europeans first set up permanent settlements on the North American continent. It started in 1607 when the first English settlers landed at Jamestown, Virginia. It ended with the Revolutionary War when the settlements were no longer colonies but part of a new nation. Throughout this period, people left their homes in the Old World (Europe) to settle in the New World (the Americas). American settlers started to build houses, start farms, and settle in to their new homes. Soon there were 13 colonies in all.