The New England Colonies

The Plymouth Colony

The Plymouth Colony was established in 1620 by a group of English Separatists, later known as the Pilgrims, who sought religious freedom from the Anglican church. They sailed on the Mayflower towards Virginia but were thrown off course by a storm, and they landed at Plymouth Rock in present-day Massachusetts. Before setting foot on soil, the pilgrims wrote the Mayflower Contract, the laws of the colony, and formed their government. Despite a harsh first winter that claimed many lives, the survivors created an alliance with a local Native American tribe named the Wampanoag, who helped them adapt to the new environment by teaching them how to grow corn, fish, and hunt. The Pilgrims celebrated their first successful harvest with a feast in 1621, which is now commemorated as Thanksgiving.

The colony developed a self-sufficient economy based on agriculture, fishing, and trading. It remained relatively small, and in 1691, it merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The Massachusetts Bay Colony

The Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded by non-Separatist Puritans in 1630. They aimed to reform the Church of England and established a thriving colony with a strong economy based on industries like milling, fishing, and trade. The government was a practical democracy, with power resting in the General Court.

The Puritan religion was strict and exclusive, requiring members to demonstrate “saving grace” to gain full membership. They believed in predestination and aimed to purify their churches of any Roman Catholic practices. Their congregational churches were self-governing, and worship services focused on long sermons. Religious leaders held significant influence, and political authority was often combined with religious authority. The Puritan way of life emphasized hard work, community responsibility, and moral excellence, contributing to American ideals like self-government and the importance of education. Over time, Puritan churches evolved into the Congregational Church.

The people in the colony of Virginia settled there to make money, have land, have political influence, etc. The people in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and those in Plymouth left England and settled in America because of religious persecution.

Dissent in the Massachusetts Bay Colony was primarily driven by religious disagreements. The Puritans, who founded the colony, were strict in their religious practices and did not tolerate dissent. Key figures like Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams challenged the Puritan orthodoxy. Hutchinson was banished for her religious views, which included questioning the authority of the colony's ministers. Williams, advocating for the separation of church and state and fair dealings with Native Americans, was also exiled.

Some colonies that sprouted from the dissent in the Bay Colony were:

Rhode Island Colony: Founded by Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, and others who were banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for their dissenting views. They established a new colony in 1636, which became Rhode Island.

Connecticut Colony: Founded by Thomas Hooker and others who were also banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for their dissenting views. They established a new colony in 1636, which became Connecticut.

New Hampshire Colony: Founded by some of the same individuals who were banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, including Roger Williams and others. They established a new colony in the 1630s, which became New Hampshire.

North of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, communities emerged from fishing and trading activities along the coast, eventually becoming Maine, New Hampshire, and Nova Scotia. The relationship between these areas and Massachusetts changed periodically during the seventeenth century. By the middle of the century, Maine and New Hampshire had been absorbed into the Bay Colony. Then in 1679, the King separated New Hampshire from Massachusetts, making New Hampshire a royal colony.