The New England Colonies
Life in the Colonies New England Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire
The New England Colonies Massachusetts, 1620 Reasons for coming to America Get rich Improve their lives by owning land Freedom of religion
10 years later… 1630 The Puritans are another group that are facing hard times in England They want to Purify the English church, not separate from it They are really unpopular
The Puritans were: A. powerful and well educated B. successful merchants C. landowners
They receive a charter to form the Massachusetts Bay Colony The Great Migration 1629 to 1640 – 16-20,000 settlers land in Massachusetts
New England’s Government The basis of each town is the congregation, a church group The meetinghouse is the base of law Massachusetts government was based on God’s laws Town meetings determined laws Only male members of the church have a voice or a vote
The New England Way The Puritans were hard workers, honest, and dutiful They called this the New England Way
Because of their hard work, New England has rapid growth The law required children to read (so they could read the Bible)
1636 Connecticut - 1636 Settled by Thomas Hooker
Hooker’s beliefs: 1. Officials could mean well but govern badly 2. Governors should have limited power
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut First constitution, a written plan of government Limits the powers of the governor Established a government run by the people
The Quakers Another religious group You don’t need the Bible or ministers Treat Native Americans fairly Slavery is evil!
The Puritans don’t like them either They are whipped, tossed into prison or hanged Most flee to Rhode Island
King Phillips’ War More and more colonists are arriving, and spreading out into Indian territory The Indians fight back under a leader named King Phillip The Wampanoag Indians lose the war, and most are killed or sold into slavery
The Salem Witch Trials Several young Puritan girls claim to have been possessed by a slave woman They also accuse several others in the village of witchcraft
More than 100 people were taken to trial as witches 19 women and one man were convicted 17 hangings, 2 were crushed to death