English America, and later
British America, refers to the
English, and later
British territories in the
Americas (including
Bermuda),
Central America, the
Caribbean, and
Guyana from 1607 to 1783. Formally, the British colonies in
North America were known as
British America and the British West Indies until 1776, when the
Thirteen British Colonies located along the Atlantic seaboard declared their independence and formed the
United States of America. After that,
British North America (or, simply but not inclusively, Canada) was used to describe the remainder of Britain's continental North American possessions. The term "British North America" was first used informally in 1783, but it was uncommon before the
Report on the Affairs of British North America (1839), called the Durham Report.