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