New England Colonies
Objectives:
1. Identify when, founders/leaders, and where for each colony.
2. Describe the type of government in the colonies.
3. Explain how religion and/or economy played a role in the makeup of the colonies.
4. Define vocabulary:
New England Colonies
Massachusetts - Basics
• Massachusetts Bay Colony – 1629
• Settled by English settlers called Puritans
• Puritan religion controlled life• Many people arrived during
the Great Migration• Used representative goverment
Massachusetts - Religion• Almost all settlers in
MBC believed in Puritanism
• Puritans = people who wanted to purify the Church of England– Believed it was too
much like the Catholic Church
Massachusetts - Religion
• King of England (Charles I) strongly disliked the Puritans– Puritans were persecuted for their
beliefs
• Puritans believed England was falling on “evil and declining times”– Doing “God’s Will” by establishing
colony
Massachusetts - Religion
• The Great Migration to MBC• 1629-1640• 20,000 emigrate from England– Because of persecution in England– Because they were God’s chosen
people
Massachusetts - Religion2. All other churches of Europe are brought to desolation and sins for which the Lord begins already to frown upon us and to cut us short, do threaten evil times to be coming upon us and who knows, but that God hath provided this place to be a refuge for many whom he means to save out of the general calamity....3. This land (England) grows weary of her inhabitants...masters are forced by authority to entertain servants, parents to maintain their own children, all towns complain of the burden of their poor....6. The fountains of learning and religion are so corrupted as...most children...are perverted, corrupted, and utterly overthrown by the multitude of evil examples....
-John Winthrop, first government of Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1629
Massachusetts - Government
• Laws were to based on the laws of God– Strongly tied to Puritan beliefs– God would protect the colony if
laws were followed
Massachusetts - Government
• Church members voted for representatives in a local assembly and a governor– Local assembly known as the
General Court
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT!!
Massachusetts - Government
• John Winthrop was the 1st Governor of MBC–Had very strong ideals– Lead colony to prosperity–Was controversial– Did not accept disagreement
Connecticut - Basics
• Established - 1636• Founder – Thomas Hooker• Main Settlement – Hartford
located on the Connecticut River
Connecticut - Reasons
• Thomas Hooker was a minister in MBC
• Hooker and Winthrop had a rivalry–Hooker thought Winthrop had too
much power–He wanted a limit on the governor’s
power
VS.
Connecticut - Reasons
• In 1636, Hooker and 100 settlers leave MBC– They establish Hartford on the
Connecticut River– Other colonists follow Hooker–Many towns are set up along the
river
Connecticut - Government• 1639 Connecticut settlers wrote
the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut– Limited the powers of government– Established that power to govern
comes from “the free consent of the people”
Democratic Government
Rhode Island - Basics
• Established – 1636• Founder – Roger Williams• Main Settlement – Providence
Rhode Island - Reasons
• Roger Williams was a minister in MBC• Williams and Winthrop had a rivalry– Williams did not believe the King of
England had the right to give settlers Indian land
– Believed church and government should be separate
– Williams believed in toleration of beliefs
VS.
Rhode Island - Reasons
• In the winter of 1635, Williams fled MBC– Spent winter with Indians and
bought land from them– 1644 received charter from England
for colony– Settlers soon followed
Rhode Island - Society
• Williams established Rhode Island on two ideas– Religious Freedom• Catholic, Quaker, and Jewish settlers
arrive
– Separation of church and state• All men could vote regardless of church
membershipToleration
Anne Hutchinson - Basics
• Worked as a midwife• Mother of 14• Church member• Held meetings in her house to
discuss ministers’ church sermons
• Outspoken on treatment of Indians and Women for her time
Anne Hutchinson - Basics
• Winthrop did not approve of her leading religious discussion– Only men could be religious leaders
• Hutchinson was put on trial– Claimed God had spoken directly to
her– Convicted as a heretic; some
considered her a witch
Rhode Island - Leaving
• In 1638 Hutchinson was sent away by the General Court– She left MBC with her family– Joined Williams in Rhode Island– In New Netherland she was killed
with her family by Indians