1. The 13 English Colonies

2. English settlers founded 13 colonies on the eastern coast of America
Why?
New homes
Religious freedom
Chance to earn a living

4. The Puritans
Religious group called the Puritans, were being persecuted in England by King Charles I.
He disapproved of them & their ideas
Cancelled their business charters
Threw some in jail
Expelled them from universities

5. Enough is enough!
In 1629, the Puritans convince royal officials to grant them a charter to setup the Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England
They promised to base their society on religious laws & teachings
But with the King far away, they could do whatever they wanted

6. Massachusetts Bay Colony
John Winthrop led the Puritans to New England
He was named 1st Governor of the Colony
All males who went to church could participate in the government
Vote & elect members to the General Court
The colony grew & prospered
Between 1629 – 1640, 15,000 men, women & children came from England
“The Great Migration”

7. Connecticut 1636, Thomas Hooker & 100 Puritans leave Massachusetts
Thought the gov’t & other officials had too much power
They head west and stopped at the Connecticut River
Wrote the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
Their government was the same as Massachusetts EXCEPT
All men who owned property could vote
The governor’s power was limited
In 1662, Connecticut became a separate colony with a new charter granted by the King of England

8. Rhode Island
Roger Williams was another Puritan who challenged the leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
He believed in
Religious toleration
Separation of church & state
1635, he ran away & bought land from Indians (Rhode Island)
People came to Rhode Island because they didn’t like the strictness of the Puritans

9. Rhode Island (cont.) In Rhode Island…
ANYONE could vote
Church & government were SEPARATE
Anyone could practice any religion (toleration)
Anne Hutchinson fled to Rhode Island
She disagreed with the Church
She became a symbol of the struggle for religious freedom

10. Expanding Land
From Massachusetts, many settlers fanned out across New England.
Some built trading & fishing villages along the coast north of Boston.
In 1680, the King made these coastal settlements into a colony called New Hampshire.
More expansion = more taking over of Native American lands = more fighting
Native Americans were led by Chief Metacom
He killed more than 600 settlers and destroyed 12 towns
Eventually caught, but fighting continued for years